SEGMENTO SAMPLED 4 OF ROME’S BEST BAKERIES

Panella – the pride of Esquilino

The Esquilino neighborhood’s most celebrated bakery is Panella, founded in 1929. “It was my grandfather Pasquale Panella who started the bakery. Then my father Augusto joined, and since 1970 the responsibility has been on my shoulders,” says Maria Grazie Panella, an elegant woman in her 70s. Panella’s traditionalism and elegance can also be seen in the staff’s black and white dress code. Maria Grazia Panella shows me a gigantic bread sculpture of the Colosseum. Talk about bread and circuses! Over the years, Panella has expanded beyond a traditional bakery and has transformed into a café and a small bistro with settings outside where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, an aperitivo, and even a light evening meal.