Forno Monteforte — Restaurant in Rome

My wife and I visited Forno Monteforte Bakery in Rome expecting a warm local experience and some of the best baked goods in the city. What we found instead was a shocking reminder that prejudice is still alive in places you would never expect.

From the moment we walked in, the energy shifted. The people behind the counter greeted others with warmth and patience, but when it came to us, everything changed. The smiles disappeared. The tone turned cold. They looked at me, an Asian man, then at my wife, who is white, and acted as if we were an inconvenience rather than customers. It was not subtle. It was not imagined. It was the kind of treatment that makes your stomach drop because you realize it has nothing to do with the food or the service. It has to do with who you are.

We stood there trying to order while they exchanged glances and spoke to each other as if we could not understand. They served others around us with ease while we were left waiting, ignored, and made to feel out of place. The atmosphere was thick with judgment, the kind of quiet hostility that cuts deeper than words.

Being in an international city like Rome, you expect acceptance, curiosity, or at least civility. Instead, we were treated as if we did not belong, as if seeing an interracial couple was something to be looked at and dismissed. It was demeaning, infuriating, and heartbreaking. For a moment, it truly felt like stepping back into the stone age where people are still judged by the color of their skin or who they stand beside.

No one should ever walk into a business and leave feeling smaller than when they entered. No one should ever be made to feel that love between two people is something strange or unwelcome. This experience had nothing to do with service or food quality and everything to do with a complete lack of basic humanity.

Forno Monteforte Bakery might pride itself on tradition, but if this is the kind of behavior they allow to represent their brand, then that tradition is poisoned by ignorance. There are many wonderful bakeries in Rome that treat every person with respect. Choose one of...

We came here excited to try what looked like an authentic local café, but the experience was awful from the start. The staff were rude, dismissive, and acted like serving customers was a burden. There was no clear system for ordering, and when we asked simple questions, we were met with attitude and eye rolls. It’s as if they expect you to know a secret process for how to order, and if you don’t, they make you feel stupid for even trying.

At one point, one of the staff members made an insulting comment about tourists loud enough for everyone to hear. It was uncomfortable and embarrassing, especially since we were simply trying to order food. (we have Airpods 3 live translation now, it's 2025. Stop talking bad about your customers)

It’s clear they have no interest in being polite or welcoming to anyone who isn’t local. We saw multiple people walk out without ordering because of how unhelpful and unfriendly the employees were.

If you’re a tourist, avoid this café completely. There are plenty of other spots nearby where people actually appreciate your business and treat you kindly. This place ruins the charm of visiting Italy and gives a terrible impression of what should be a warm and...

A lovely bakery cafe with great coffee, pastries, bread, wine and pizza by the slice. Highly recommended this place. UPDATE: I have just updated my review for this place (I have left my previous comments above for comparison). Previously I had rated this 5 stars rating across the board. I have since been back to this Cafe a few times and have been a little bit less impressed each time. The most recent was yesterday afternoon when they seemed to have a completely new team of staff working there who were much less personable than usual. In addition I had accidentally left my hat at this Cafe and when I called to ask if they had found it the fellow who answered the phone said he was too busy to bother with my request and that I should come back in to look for it myself and abruptly hung up the phone on me. I was too far away to go back but called back later at which time I believe that I spoke to the owner who was much more empathetic and was able ask around and locate my hat which I will go back to...