6 Classic Italian Breakfast Pastries by Region
Don't sleep on breakfast in Italy, where you can start the day with pastries such as maritozzo and sfogliatella topped with powdered sugar and pistachios.
19AfarTravel & Adventure2026
The opening
Visitors to Italy tend to dream of lunch and dinner: the three-hour meal on the piazza, the ensuing sublime feeling of fullness known as abbiocco. Breakfast, on the other hand, often goes overlooked. However, on my recent trips to Italy, I've developed a new appreciation for the day's first bites.
A scene
At the bancone (the counter), the barista slaps snowy whipped cream into a split brioche bun, sweeping a spatula to scrape away the excess. Bite in, and the spongy bun caves as cold cream spills onto your top lip.
It's a masterclass in air.
This is an excerpt. The full story ran in Afar.