Castroni Ottaviano

Has a little of everything for your travel needs. Nice selection of wine and chocolate. Had a bottle of limoncello shaped like the old country. Had to get it. Delicious.

This is part of a big chain that has been around for ever. there are two branches in the neighborhood. This one seems a bit smaller, but not as packed. I also liked that I found it easier to find what I wanted.

They have all lots of snacks (especialy candy and cookies) and lots of locals seem to shop here. I came several times when I wass in Rome.

We absolutely love this place...this location in particular as there are several. We buy gifts for friends back home and items for ourselves. I love the black licorice and my friend loves, what he calls, Italian M&Ms. They have so many amazing flavors like coconut, tiramisu, stracciatela. You can buy them loose or in a box. They also have cookies, olive oil, pastas, coffee and other Italian treasures.

My wife and her family have been going here for decades. It's the place for buying coffee (ground or whole bean) to take home. Great stuff. On 9th March 2009, my wife paid 5.50 EUR (5.10 GBP, 7.03 USD) for 500 g whole bean coffee.


The place is packed with dozens of specialty items, from spreads to condiments and their Italian chocolates and other Italian candies are good and plentiful. Their huge range of international offerings may not be what the holiday maker is after, but if you are a foreigner living in Rome, you just might find that special ingredient or product you have been missing.

On our first visit to Rome and Italy, we wanted to find a place that sold local treats to be taken home as souvenirs and reminders of our trip. We are so thankful that we found Castroni! It is a local chain selling gourmet food items such as dry pasta, tea, chocolates, sweets, and more. It seems to be a very popular place among the locals, as it was crowded when we entered the store. It was so hard to choose what we wanted to take back home, but we decided on a couple of chocolate bars and various other small chocolates. We cannot attest to the quality of the food and beverages that were served at the counter, as we did not purchase anything to be eaten immediately.

For photos see http://greedydiva.blogspot.com/2010/08/roman-holiday-gluttonous-travels.html


We started each day in Rome with a coffee and pastry at the counter of a bustling bar - our favourite was Caffe Castroni in the middle of a beautiful food store not far from the Vatican. Rub shoulders with the locals while knocking back a joltingly strong espresso served by a barista in a bow tie while gazing at the beautiful packing of Italian produce (2 excellent cappuccinos, 1 bombolone and 1 cornetto for 3.60 euros - you hear that, London?). Love this place.

Castroni is the best delicatessen in Rome, that's for sure! But the only problem is the price, it' like going to a high fashion shop :-)