Rome is full of tiramisu options, so unless you plan to spend a year there, you’ll never manage to try them all.
Rather than trying all the tiramisu, why not just focus on trying the best ones?
That’s exactly what I am here to help you with.
After researching all the best options in Rome, according to both locals and tourists, I decided to compare the most popular 3, those that come up first when you search for the best tiramisu in Rome.
These are:
- Pompi Tiramisu
- Tiramisu Merisu, and
- Two Sizes
Let’s see whether this order of popularity reflects how tasty they are, or not.
To do the above, I will be analyzing each tiramisu (the classic one) in terms of size, taste, and price. I will also tell you about the location, queue, service, and other available flavors.
PS: I am Italian, so I know what a good tiramisu should taste like. Plus, I have also made many delicious ones at home.
Table of Contents
Is Rome Known For Tiramisù?
With so many tiramisu options in Rome, you’ll likely ask yourself whether Rome invented the tiramisu. Well, it did not.
Although the tiramisu invention is disputed between the city of Treviso in Veneto and the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Romans know how to take something and make it really good. That includes the tiramisu, but also the supplì.
After just a few hours walking in the center, you will quickly notice that there are entirely dedicated tiramisu shops at nearly every corner, many of which have absurdly long queues.
You will also find tiramisu in every coffee shop and restaurant you enter, and likely come across hundreds of people tasting and posing with their coffee and mascarpone dessert cups.
Rather than judging them, I suggest you join in and taste at least one or two. There are many flavors available, including the classic, but also pistachio, strawberry, lemon, and many more. I personally like to stick with the classic one, but you do you.
Pompi Tiramisu (In Via della Croce – Historic Center)
The Pompi Tiramisu shop was the one I was most excited to visit because I heard about it a lot, and I wanted to see whether it deserved all that popularity.
I visited Pompi Tiramisu in Via della Croce, which is just 2 minute’s walk from Piazza di Spagna and Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti (aka the Spanish Steps).
That’s exactly how I envisaged eating my tiramisu, just before taking a nice walk in that beautiful area of Rome at night, when all the streets and shops are lit and there’s an added magic in the air.
First Impressions:
The shop in Via Croce looked really cute and inviting, and upon entering the food looked really tasty. They not only have different tiramisu options, but also biscuits, pastries, and gelato.
Tiramisu Size:
The tiramisu at Pompi comes in a very generous size. It’s packed in a small rectangular cardboard box, which comes with a lid, and it’s easy to eat and carry with you, in case you plan to eat it elsewhere.
Pompi Tiramisu Taste Test:
The classic tiramisu at Pompi was spectacular. Unlike many other tiramisu I tried before, it had the right balance of mascarpone, coffee, lady fingers, and chocolate on top.
The savoiardi or lady fingers were not too few and neither too many, and most importantly, you could taste their texture. Many times, the biscuits are soaked so much in coffee that they disappear into the cream.
It had a nice creamy yellow mascarpone layer, and it was topped with crumbled chocolate rather than powdered cocoa. That is how I like to make my tiramisu at home.
Pompi Price:
For such a huge portion of tiramisu, right in the heart of Rome, and just a few minutes from one of the most expensive areas, this only cost €5. What a bargain!
Pompi Locations:
The Via Croce location is where I went and is also likely to be my favorite because of the proximity to the Spanish Steps. However, you can also find Pompi in these other locations:
Via Albalonga (in the Tuscolano neighborhood)
Via di Santa Maria (near Trevi)
Piazza Risorgimento (close to the Vatican)
Via Cassia (near Flaminio neighborhood)
Queue & Service:
We went to Pompi around 8pm and just one person was being served before us, with two shop attendants serving behind the counter, and one at the cash register. We went in and out quickly and stood outside the shop to eat it.
There are no chairs or tables but that’s to be expected when you eat something like this, just as when one eats ice cream.
The staff was friendly, and everything was explained well, with notes next to the food, indicating flavors and ingredients.
Other Available Flavors:
Other than the classic coffee-flavored tiramisu, you can find these five tasty options, for a total of 6 flavors:
- Strawberry
- Mixed berries
- Banana & chocolate
- Pistachio
- Hazelnut
My husband had the strawberry and he really liked it.
The classic and strawberry flavors also come in both gluten-free and lactose-free, well done to Pompi for that.
Tiramisu Merisu (In Trastevere)
We tried Tiramisu Merisu on our last night in Rome, just after our dinner at Ivo a Trastevere. If you are interested in knowing more about that experience, read this Trastevere Restaurants post.
The dessert shop was just 2 minutes away from the restaurant, so perfect for us, but also for anyone planning to come here while visiting this popular and charming neighborhood.
First Impressions:
I already mentioned that I liked the convenient location. However, what I didn’t like was that there were no tiramisu ready to go. They were making them.
If you have experience making tiramisu, you know that the tiramisu is not going to taste as good, because it has not had time to rest and set. That’s where the magic happens, and the flavors combine together beautifully.
That was disappointing.
Tiramisu Size:
The tiramisu size was the smallest of the three, and it had the same price as the Pompi Tiramisu.
Merisu Tiramisu Taste Test:
There’s nothing special about this tiramisu. Even after considering that it had no time to rest and set, the individual components were just average. Considering the size and price, I think it’s a waste of money.
Merisu Price:
For the lack of taste and small size, plus the not so central location, €5 is overpriced.
Merisu Locations:
There’s only one outlet, and it’s located in Via di San Francesco a Ripa, in Trastevere.
Queue & Service:
We went at around 7.30 in the evening, and there was just one person ordering before us, and another family enjoying it inside.
There are 2 to 3 stools and a small table by the wall, but you can conveniently eat it in the street, just outside the shop. Alternatively, you can walk a few steps and enjoy it in the nearby small piazza.
Other Available Flavors:
This is the shop among the three that has the most flavors, 12 in total, including a decaffeinated one, a lactose-free, a gluten-free, and a vegan one. They deserve some appreciation for that.
The other flavors include:
- Traditional
- Pistachio
- Caramel
- Strawberry (not always on the menu)
- Forest Fruits
- Rocher
- Oreo & Nutella
- Pan di Stelle & Nutella (Pan di Stelle is an Italian chocolate biscuit brand)
Two Sizes (Near Piazza Navona)
This is also known as Best Tiramisu To Go, but is it really the best one of the three? Let’s find out.
We visited this on a Wednesday just after 2 pm. It was packed with people waiting in line, a line that wrapped around the corner of the shop, and the street was full of people enjoying their tiramisu in front of the shop.
First Impressions:
The area was a little busy and I was worried we would have to wait long. But as with everything in Rome, queues can be long but the service tends to be fast and efficient.
From the sign located at the corner of the shop, it seemed that this was the lowest priced, while still being in the center of Rome.
Tiramisu Size:
The tiramisu was fairly sized, especially when considering the low price. It was smaller than Pompi’s but larger than Merisu, while cheaper than the latter.
Two Sizes Tiramisu Taste Test:
This tiramisu had a stronger vanilla taste, which balanced well with the other flavors.
The only complaint is that it had more cream than biscuits, which often happens and it’s not necessarily a bad thing.
I personally prefer more biscuits and I like to bite into them, rather than having them disappear into the cream because they have become too soft.
This was my husband’s favorite.
Two Sizes Price:
This was the best price at €2.50 for a small size and €3.50 for a large.
We ordered one large as we still needed to have lunch. It came in a nice cup with a handle but had no lid, so keep in mind you need to eat it immediately, unlike the Pompi one which you can carry with you.
Two Sizes Location:
Two Sizes is located in Via del Governo Vecchio, 88, close to Piazza Navona and conveniently located next to many shopping streets.
PS: If you want to know which are the best shopping streets in Rome, read this Shopping In Rome article.
Queue & Service:
Two Sizes had the longest queue, as you can see from the pictures below. However, it only took us 15 minutes to be served and pay.
The service was fast, the staff was friendly, and because the shop is located on a corner with a small alley, we waited in the shade even though it was very sunny. So all was good.
Other Available Flavors:
They offer 5 flavors including:
- Classic
- Pistachio
- Strawberry
- Peanut butter
- Caramel
There is no mention of a gluten-free or a lactose-free option on their menu.
They also sell cannoli and tarts, plus water and coke.
Which One Of The Three Is The Best Tiramisu In Rome?
For me Pompi is the Tiramisu King in Rome, so if you only have time for one, don’t think twice and head here.
You can find one near the Trevi Fountain and another one close to the Spanish Steps, which are likely two locations you’ll be visiting anyway, so you can get your Italian tiramisu fix very easily.
It wins in all aspects. It’s the largest, the tastiest, in my opinion, it has a good amount of options, including lactose and gluten-free, and it’s fairly priced. Plus, it had 5 locations well distributed across Rome and the service was also great.
If you’d like a second one to try, I suggest Two Sizes, which was my husband’s favorite. He appreciated the stronger vanilla taste.
Other Tiramisu Options In Rome
In case two are not enough, or you plan to have a tiramisu a day, by all means, go ahead and try these other options. They come highly recommended by the locals:
- Ivo a Trastevere – they had many prepared tiramisu in the fridge when we entered the restaurant. They came huge in a fluted dessert cup and looked delicious but we were too full to have one that big.
- Osteria Fratelli Mori – here they serve your tiramisu in a cup, similar in shape and size to the one at Two Sizes, but this one is made of porcelain not plastic.
- All’Alberone – their tiramisu comes nicely presented on a plate and it looks like it has a good balance of cream and biscuits.
- Eggs – This interesting restaurant serves very creative food options, which are local delicacies with a twist, especially when it comes to presentation. Their tiramisu is no different, and it’s probably one of the nicest ones in terms of aesthetics.
- Casa e Bottega – Roma Today recommends this coffee shop for its crispy tiramisu that comes with a hard chocolate shell on top. They also seem to have other tasty breakfast options.
More Rome Foodie Resources
Heading to Rome and want to taste the best food?
After helping you find the best tiramisu in the city, let me share with you other delicious food stops you don’t want to miss.
Check out these other foodie articles:
Best Sandwich in Rome
Best Suppli in Rome
