If you’ve been in Italy for awhile, chances are your taste buds are craving a little something more than pizza and pasta. Being an expat, I’m always on the lookout for American-style food. Haus Garten hit the spot and provided a tasty change.
Located in the Prati district, Haus Garten is Rome’s first bagel bar. It opened just over a year ago, and you can find a variety of bagel sandwiches, pancakes, waffles, eggs, brownies, cheesecakes, smoothies and American-style coffees, along with other delicious options on their menu.
It’s a charming place, not typical of traditional Roman eateries. It has a quirky vibe with a treehouse-like setting. It’s open and airy, with lots of greenery surrounding the building. There is even a life-size bird cage hanging from the ceiling that you can sit and swing in.
Haus Garten is located near the Tiber River. Since I enjoy riding my bike along the river, I decided to stop in during one of my morning rides before returning back to Trastevere.
I ordered an iced caramel macchiato. I was a bit hesitant to try it because this type of coffee usually can’t be found in Italy. I prepared myself for the worst and thought I would be wasting my money, but I was delightfully surprised when the lovely glass arrived and I took the first sip. It was perfectly done, and the cool concoction was very refreshing after my bike ride there.
For brunch, I opted for the salmon bagel. Haus Garten makes their bagels fresh in-house. The bagel was soft, yet slightly chewy, and stuffed with smoked salmon, cream cheese, sliced tomato and lettuce. A baked potato came as the side. While I enjoyed the salmon bagel, the under-cooked, tasteless potato was a disappointment and I ended up not eating it.
After finishing my bagel, I opted for dessert. While waffles are an American food, the dessert waffle was more like a Belgian-style waffle. It was served warm, drizzled with sweet caramel sauce and topped with a scoop of vanilla bean gelato flecked with cinnamon. The combination of the vanilla, cinnamon and caramel was incredibly delicious!
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Haus Garten, and will definitely be back.
Haus Garten
Piazza Monte Grappa, 1
06 3212 0073
Closed Mondays
Tues – Sat 9:30 – 2:00
Sun 12:00 – 2:00 (serves Sunday brunch)