Caffè RōM

Relatively weak coffee for how much they charge per cup. Really wish something like LaVazza was here instead. I wish I could be more hip but Starbucks still gives me the best bang for a buck.

They make the BEST almond milk latte!

If this review was solely for the attitude of the employees it would be 5 stars all the way. I was greeted by all 3 employees & the manager. Super friendly great people. The coffee tasted & smelled burnt & I ended up swallowing 4 gulps for caffeine purposes then chucking the rest.

Really tasty! Surprisingly!
Ordered an almond milk latte with hazelnut and wow… loved the taste… perfect amount of sweetness that didn’t overpower the coffee. In addition, I loved the amount of foam after I finished the drink.
Sad I won’t be in the area much anymore but will definitely try to visit again if I am ever near there again.

The reason for 3 stars is the following:
1. The staff is friendly but seem impatient when you are ordering. ²⁄₃ times I’ve been there I ordered an ice latte with almond milk and got a warm latte.
2. Even with me getting a warm latte I somewhat expected latte art since they advertise themselves as having latte art
The convenience of this place is nice and for the most part it’s nice not to see a mega chain in the area. The coffee is actually decent too.

The coffee is nothing amazing, but the real positive is the location and very nice staff. It’s a super convenient and chill location in LSE, with very nice staff. Unfortunately they’ve closed up shop over the holidays, not at all sticking to the holiday hours posted on the door. It’s a bummer because I’ve come down several times to get a coffee but it’s all shut down three days in a row despite the signs saying otherwise (and no, none of these days were holidays). Hopefully it isn’t bad news for the owners that’s keeping it from staying open.

Nice staff, good coffee for the US.

This is an excellent coffee bar/​sandwich venue. The coffee and espresso drinks here are outstanding. House made gelato and artisan sandwiches/​soups make it a great lunch spot as well! The staff is courteous and well-​trained. Ask for David… he’s the best!
Free wifi and a comfy atmosphere will encourage you to sit and chill for a while and meet some really cool local patrons. The music isn’t loud, and conversations are easy and fun. Check it out… it’s a refreshing change of pace from other more noisy and chaotic establishments.

Decent coffee. Super convenient location right by the park. Sandwich menu sounds delicious. I think I’ll try one next time!

I live in the building so it’s super convenient to come down for coffee or lunch. They have amazing sandwiches, too. I recommend the Napoli or the jojo.
They also have the best chai tea latte (admittedly better than Starbucks)! Great staff & great location.

Café Rom has improved in many ways. The staff are friendly and know how to make good espresso now. I enjoy getting espresso or cappuccino here.
They could improve by having Italian television, especially during games. It would give the place a vitality and authenticity lacking when they only show dates travel shows of Italy on a loop. They also got rid of the good sandwich breads, a major disappointment.
But it’s by far the best place for coffee in the new east side!

I love coming here not only it’s convenient, half a block from my building but the staffs are so nice and friendly. They remember what you like to order or your favorite. Very knowledgable about the coffee and drinks they serve. It’s a lovely and modern Italian coffee shop next to a lovely park. They do have a patio to sit out side. A lot of cute dogs around here. I love having my soy latte and get some sun here in the afternoon. Love it!

Love this place. Definitely way better than the run of the mill coffee chains. My favorites are mochas or anything with chocolate. The quality is much better than other chains and is about the same price.

Very good coffee! If you are tired of Starbucks and want to try some authentic coffee, it is the right place for you. Good ambiance, great pastries. they also have sandwiches and gelato if you want something more than pastries.
The place is a bit expensive. It’s like $ 3.50 per cup of latte but the coffee is worth it.

I remember learning short and long vowels. App and ape. Bit and Bite. Tom and Tome. A line over the letter indicates that it should be pronounced with the long vowel.
So why was I pronouncing this Caffe Rahm instead of Caffe Rome? When the double-«ff» clearly indicates an Italian café? I guess that first grade was a long time ago. But I was happy to be corrected by an astute friend last year, and very happy not to have to hear the sounds from my lips of a mayor who is raping and pillaging my South Loop.
What does this have to do with Caffe Rom? Just the pronunciation. But how often do YOUR rants start and continue with the topic at hand?
In any case, this place is a godsend for me during last year’s Chiberian winter, when I fairly regularly worked with a colleague east of here (and for those whose whose geography is limited to the few inches of Google map in the palms of their hands, there’s not much east of here). Which meant a short walk in the gale-(long «a»)-force wind when I lacked (short «a») the strength to keep keeping on to the pedway or to the joints across the park.
The place is a bit expensive, but the sandwiches are tasty, and they can be warmed up to sooth your chapped lips. I don’t often get coffee here, but the lattes must be a lot better than the coffee others here are complaining about. Luckily, I have not experienced the rudeness; maybe they turn it off at lunch. You won’t find much diversity here, at least on the income scale (the neighborhood is as close to a vertical, suburban, North Shore gated community as you can get).
Is this review more about me than the place? Park your Vespa outside, and discuss this among yourselves over a cappuccino and cornetto (OK, they call them croissants here). And if you’re bitter about it, the gelato is good enough to sweeten even the sourest puss.

My visits here are not as frequent as they could be as I usually rely on my Keurig brews and tea kettle to get me through my day. As the weather cools and my thoughts turn to carefully crafted warming beverages, I’m sure I’ll be darkening the door more often, seeing as how this location of Rom is conveniently situated in my neighborhood. The food is solid; I am a fan of the little cookies, croissants, and soups/​sandwiches. I will note that the menu is somewhat limited compared to the Pedway location, but I have never been disappointed. As far as the staff, I am hoping that the unpleasant experiences other reviewers mentioned are anomalous. I was in here just last weekend (around tea time on Saturday) for a cappuccino. The order was prepared to my specifications and came out quickly.

I have to concur with a few of the previous posts. The coffee is average at best and overpriced. I have not tried the food or gelato, so cannot speak to it’s quality.
My real problem with this place is the service and manager. The few times I have been here, either they have gotten my order wrong or the manager has been rude.
Just today I stopped in and ordered a Vanilla Latte with skim milk and received a 2% plain latte. I also was called out for coming inside for about 10 seconds to pick up my coffee with my 8lb dog in my arm. He was not put on the ground or bothering anyone. And, I only did this after I waited over 10 minutes outside for them to bring it to me. I get that dogs are not supposed to be inside, I am not an idiot. The manager’s condescending tone and rudeness toward me is why I will never be back.

Loved this place for lunch and dessert. Unfortunately, ‘loved’ is in the past tense because the last time we were there, the person behind the counter had so much attitude. We went in to order some sandwiches, and asked for one of them to be on the (delicious!) focaccia like we always ask. Normally, this is not a problem and the staff is happy to help. This time however, the woman sighed like it was a huge inconvenience to ask the kitchen if they could switch the type of bread, and came back a second later (I doubt whether she actually asked) to say it just couldn’t be done. When a place can’t deliver on such a simple request, not to mention acts like customers are nothing more than an inconvenience, it makes me hesitate to return.
I want to like this place since the quality of food is really fantastic and most people who work there are excellent, but this new woman made it a truly unpleasant experience.

Everything is fresh and fast! The scone tastes homemade unlike the dry crap you get at Starbucks. Appealing interior and free wifi — perfect for someone who is traveling without wifi (seriously Swissotel? $ 15 a night for wifi?!)

As others have mentioned, management is the real issue here. The coffee is good, but not worth the attitude.
It is unfortunate that this is the only coffee spot in Lakeshore East — but the woman-​manager is so terrible, condescending and unpleasant that I will travel outside of the area for an alternative.
If Caffe Rom wishes to create customer retention — change your management — the sour vibe trickles from the top down.

Absolutely delicious soy latte and the nicest staff.