Inside the Eternal City’s enchanting new Flagship Starbucks store at Rome’s San Silvestro Piazza

Close your eyes, inhale deeply, and breathe in the faint scent of freshly ground coffee. Picture it: You’re standing in Rome’s picturesque San Silvestro Piazza, outside a classic Roman building, complete with original terracotta-esque plaster facade: a warming, but unassuming orangey pink hue. Flanked by the city’s distinctive floor-to-ceiling windows, inside it looks warm, convivial, welcoming. And it’s only when you glimpse through the windows into the cosy world inside that you notice that this is in fact a Starbucks. And not just any Starbucks, the country’s new Rome Flagship destination store.

Like Rome itself, the iconic store is inspired by the concept of exploration and layering, with a common thread of water throughout connecting, representative of coffee and life in the historic Italian city. Opened in partnership with Percassi, the exclusive licensee for the brand in Italy – the new store marks a milestone moment for the market as the first and only Flagship store in the region. And where better for it than in Rome? A city where history and community intertwine in every piazza and cobblestone street, the San Silvestro space aims to be just that – a place where the spirit of the Eternal City meets the art of coffee, enriching and expanding the coffee experience and offering of the city.

A stone’s throw from the Pantheon and Trevi Foundation, Starbucks new store cradles the corner of the historic San Silvestro piazza – which has undergone its own transformation of sorts in recent years, as the square has been rejuvenated and pedestrianised to bring it back in line with its original purpose: as a meeting place where people can gather together and socialise.

That same premise has guided Starbucks for the past 50 years, after Howard Schultz was first inspired by Italian coffee culture back in 1983, and its latest Italian opening – this time the flagship store in the country’s capital – does just that, keeping community, culture and art at its very core, in a specially crafted space that honours Rome’s rich culture while inviting the local community to come together.

Designed to honour Rome’s past while looking towards the future, the space itself unfolds gradually, continuously opening up into new areas, experiences, and opportunities for coffee and connection.

Welcome in...

When you first step into the space, you’re met with an expansive stone bar, made from the same material as the city’s cobblestone streets. Copper detailing surrounds the order area complete with an intriguing bubble design to represent the ever-present water synonymous with the city, ever present in the piazzas where people connect, water fountains and aqueducts. Looking up, the ceiling features the same Roman red colour, this time in a cross-hatch metal frame enveloping the original brickwork.

The importance of water within the Eternal city

As you move through each of the different areas, you’re guided by the movement of freeflowing water in the design of the terrazzo floor curling away from the bar, towards a seating area that mirrors the style of the city’s steps – a prime place for locals to pause and take a moment to drink their coffee and take in the world – before the store opens up to a Nasone (Roman water fountain) (which you can use to fill up your reusable water bottle), and then onwards to the Mixato bar.

Feast your eyes on the remarkable red Onyx bar

A sprawling slab of translucent red Onyx marble from Tanzania, a key coffee growing region, the Mixato bar serves as a bewitching espresso bar by day, and a statement cocktail bar by night, featuring Italian classics such as Campari spritz, as well as innovative coffee-inspired cocktails such as the Espresso Martini, an exclusive menu item for the flagship store.

The story of Rome – through art

If you’re here for the long-haul, head upstairs, past the store’s mesmerising Roman mural, hand-painted by local street artise Lucamaleonte, depicting the history of Rome, mythology, and coffee through the coffee house’s key concept: “Where Coffee Meets Art”.

140 seats to suit all visitors

In the nearly 800 square metre store that spans over two storeys, guests are invited to linger a little longer in one of the many different seating areas the store offers – from bookable meeting rooms, to dedicated workstations, swirling sofas for a quick pitstop and banquette benches bordering the room.

Coffee, coffee & more coffee

On the upper floor, visitors can also dive deeper into the world of coffee with the store’s dedicated Coffee Lab: a spacious lounge area hosting guided tastings that explore the subtleties of coffee roasts, combinations, and brewing techniques, allowing guests to engage with coffee on a deeper level and discover Starbucks through a fresh lens.

As the flagship store in Italy, Starbucks San Silvestro will feature an elevated menu enriched with new, exclusive specialties. This includes a variety of different 100% arabica coffee blends including: Starbucks Blonde® Espresso roast – a smooth, subtly sweet roast with light citrus notes, tailor-made to bring out the lighter side of espresso; and our specialty Reserve™ Microblend No. 21 – a vibrant roast with notes of chocolate, caramel, and cola.

For those looking for a more experiential coffee moment, customers can try the exclusive Espresso Martini, or specialties such as the Affogato or the handmade Tiramisu, soaked in Starbucks Colombia Espresso Roast coffee, inviting customers to savor unique experiences inspired by Italian coffee culture. Each menu item has been carefully curated to ensure it retains a deep connection to Italy’s cultural heritage, honoring tradition while continuously innovating.

And to go with it...

The new coffee house’s food offerings include – in true Rome style – classic Roman Pinsa (cloud-like flatbreads which are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside), local pastries, Italian sandwiches, and – of course – a selection of aperitivo.

See you again soon

Whether you’re visiting for a quick espresso at the marble-clad Mixato bar, a lesson in coffee tasting at the Lab, or a latte in a more luxurious setting, Starbucks new location in Rome is designed to blend Italian heritage with modern coffee innovation, crafting a space that honours Rome’s rich culture while inviting the local community to come together.