LUNA by Faro - Caffè Specialty / Brunch & Dinner — Restaurant in Rome

A contemporary cafe conveniently located near Palazzo Barberini. Many passersby due to the current Caravaggio exhibition. The smell of baked goods emanates onto the street. This is not a typical Italian cafe where you’d take a quick coffee standing at the bar. Here there is seating with waitstaff supposedly there to take your order. I waited about 15 minutes to be served, observing other patrons arrive and their orders being taken and even served. It was as though I didn’t exist. I was completely ignored by the waitstaff. This place prides itself on its selection of coffee which is roasted in Rome. The coffees come from different origins and are lightly roasted. The coffee I had was good but not exceptional. The baked goods are creative. I had a little round carrot cake which I thought was pricey for what it was. Light lunch is also served although the waitstaff did not bring me a menu or propose any savoury dishes so I did not order. The white wine looked golden…perhaps a natural wine. There is canned beer. I don’t know why I was ignored. I speak fluent Italian and I am traveling solo. The outdoor seating at the back is a pleasant place to rest...

Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the worst customer service experiences we’ve had in Rome.

We arrived and were told to wait until a table was cleared for us. While waiting, we saw several tables being cleared — yet every single time, the staff seated people who arrived after us. At one point, one of the waiters even looked directly at us while talking to his colleague, clearly aware we were waiting, but still ignored us.

After we decided to leave due to this blatant disregard, one of the staff came outside to ask what the problem was. We explained that they kept seating others before us, and his response was a dismissive, “Well, we make mistakes too,” in a cheap, careless tone — followed by shouting after us as we walked away. Maybe they have a problem with people of different nationalities, cause that's how we felt.

This was not a “mistake.” This was unprofessionalism, arrogance, and a complete lack of basic respect for paying customers. If you value your time, dignity, and a pleasant dining experience, stay away from this place. There are countless cafés in Rome where you will be welcomed — this is not one of them. You will...

By far the best caffè we found in Rome, and unfortunately for us, we found it on our last morning. It even beat the coffee and pastries at our 5 star hotel. First, they have a wide variety of coffee beans from around the world. I had a cappuccino and it was perfection. Same with the pain au chocolate. Perfectly crisp and flaky on the outside and soft on the inside. My compliments to Luna’s pastry chef! My husband had the avocado toast. He said it was excellent and the avocado was very fresh. The staff was just as wonderful as the food and drink. They were all so very kind, helpful and had such a positive, friendly energy. We couldn’t have felt more welcome. We had to take ours to go as we had a train to catch, but we will definitely be back next time we are in Rome - hopefully every morning! PS Next time I’m getting the maritozzo panna. Every caffè in Rome sells them, but I have to imagine Luna’s is incredible based on the food and cappuccino we...