Breakfast in Italy

In general, you will find restaurants in nearly any tourist area that offer a full "English" or "American" breakfasts that include eggs, potatoes, and a meat...but, I think most Italians would take an expresso at the bar of a cafe and maybe a pastry. We became accustomed to the chocolate croissants, though they do have some savory types.

I've only rarely been served anything other than a roll and a cappuccino at any Italian hotel or hostel for breakfast. But since you have an apartment, you're free to do whatever you want!

An apartment gives you the opportunity to prepare breakfast as you like. We like to go to the market to purchase fresh fruit which we keep at the apartment. Then we go to a "Bar" (a coffee shop) near our apartment for a pastry and coffee which we bring back to eat with the fruit. Sometimes we find a shop to buy cheese to go with the fruit. We like a more rubust breakfast than simply coffee and pastry because we do a lot of walking and need the added "fuel" for the day.

Karen,

In my experience, breakfast in the cities you mentioned is more of a "continental style" with some bread or rolls, cappucino or espresso and perhaps some juice. If you're going to be having breakfast outside your apartment, that's most likely what you'll find.

Some of the Hotels that cater to a lot of North American tourists seem to have a slightly "expanded" menu these days, including a few different types of bread, some meats & cheeses and "regular" coffee.

Cheers!

Having an apartment is a great idea. I'm not much of a breakfast eater and the idea of a roll and coffee doesn't really appeal to me. We rented an apartment and was able to find cereal,fruit, eggs, etc., your traditional American breakfast food. Now for dinner, that was an entirely different story. Italian food is out of this world.

PS: Shopped at a local supermarket for all of our staples. Also, saved some money that way.

In Italy or France if you want "regular" coffee, ask for "Americano." If you ask for cafe', you will get expresso. If the barista recognizes your accent they may know you want expresso with hot water added, which would be Americano coffee. In your apartment you may have a coffee-maker and can make it however you want. I like to go to the nearest bar/bakery and have a cappuccino and brioche (the same as a croissant sometimes). Typically, Italians stand at the bar, have a cafe and brioche, and leave. Five minutes max. If you eat breakfast in a bar or cafe, you may have the choice of eggs, juice, coffee, bread. And that will cost more. The basic cafe/brioche breakfast at the bar is 2-3 Euros. The sit-down breakfast runs up to about 10 Euros. Make breakfast at home in your apartment and save money. I try to keep yogurt on hand for breakfast.

The Italians don't eat enough at breakfast-time for me...

I typically ate the hard and/or sweet roll and coffee they all ate.

I would then go to a nearby grocery market and have a snack-stuff adventure -- buying whatever looked interesting and trying it out.

There was a thread earlier under the Italian sections and the poster wondered why the Italians generally so much thinner. Maybe lighter breakfasts plays a role.

Fun wasn't it? I think shopping at a local supermarket is a blast!