Zazie, Rome

Rome has a fair amount of plant-based places including gelaterias, cafés, bakeries and restaurants, but Zazie was recommended to me so many times that I just had to try it. My Italian getaway lasted ten days, the last few days spent in beautiful and historical Rome. After eating pomodoro pasta or vegan pizza at every meal, I felt sluggish and in desperate need of fresh fruit and vegetables.  I loved it so much, I returned the day after my review!

The setting

Zazie has four different locations in Rome, but, as I had planned to visit Vatican City after lunch, I decided on Zazie Borgo Pio. After a stroll in the lush Villa Borghese gardens, you can explore Rione XXII Prati and Rione Borgo neighbourhoods, the latter being where Zazie is located. Both areas are very historical with beautiful churches and palazzos worth visiting. Plus, I would definitely recommend grabbing a juice on the go and walking to the Vatican after your meal.

The space

Zazie has a cool, industrial interior design with coloured metal furniture and lamps. However, the café feels warm due to details such as wooden ornaments dangling from the ceiling like mobiles. I really liked the large wooden counter and shelves with their display of fresh fruit and vegetables, glass jars full of freshly baked cookies and a counter dedicated to free add-ons to your meal such as various seeds, croutons, granola, nuts…

It is the first time that I’ve seen superfoods offered unlimited and free.

The crowd

I was very surprised by the crowd ! It was mostly working people in suits grabbing a soup and juice during lunch hours or older people sitting with a newspaper. Both times I went, I was the only tourist. The lovely staff translated all of the ingredients for me, explained to me which supplements I could choose from, let me replace ingredients in my order and asked upfront if I was a vegetarian or vegan.

The fresh juice test

I was craving a green juice so much so I ordered the greenest item I could find on the menu. It  was spirulina, kiwi, green apple and banana, but I asked to replace the banana with celery and add ginger. It was so hydrating and fresh ! They have a large selection of juices and you can also invent your own and there are three different sizes.

What we ate

Each day they offer a selection of warm salads, fresh salads and soups. I chose a salad bowl with red cabbage, white cabbage, arugula, spinach, chickpeas, radish and a tomato salsa. I also added barley, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed and their dressing of the day which was made from arugula, lemon juice, garlic, shallots and soy cream. It was super fresh, filling and creamy. The next day when I returned,  I ordered a pumpkin and carrot soup with couscous which was equally delicious and super warming.

There are so many bakeries, chocolate stores and biscuits in Italy, but, as a vegan, I have never been able to have any!

I was delighted to see that Zazie had vegan and gluten free versions of traditional Italian desserts.

I chose a chocolate tartlet with an incredible chocolate ganache (and I don’t like chocolate usually), a coconut biscuit, a walnut biscuit and a hazelnut and chocolate biscuit! All were very crumbly, as most Italian baked goods are and I really enjoyed discovering these culinary specialties.

The little things that make a difference

I could totally see Zazie as a place to work from while sipping on juice or tea with their fast wifi, power outlets and calm setting.

When I first saw that they do not have actual plates or glasses, I was worried about plastic over-use, but they actually use compostable bioplastic containers made from potato starch. Which was great. I also appreciated the little chalk boards everywhere with nutritional or environmental information. 

The bill

Green Juice + supplement  5.95€
Salad + cereal supplement 6.95€
Biscuits 6.65€