The Italian Club Bakery

Tracing their roots back to the mountain village of Picinisco near Rome and the seaside city of Bisceglie in Puglia in the far south east of Italy, restaurateur couple Rosaria Crolla and Maurizio Pellegrini really have a passion for Italian cuisine, with three separate outlets in the city centre.

Described as “a little gem of a bakery”, of the three, The Italian Club Bakery is the place to go when you’re looking for the freshest, finest baking, be that savoury or sweet. The handmade bread selection varies daily, from sourdough to focacce, and the pane de semola Pugliese makes the best warm bruschetta or rustic cold sandwich, jammed with authentic Italian ingredient combinations such as Parma ham, fresh tomatoes and torn basil leaves. Other lunchtime must-haves include the crumbly puff pastry sausage rolls, perfectly seasoned and flavoured, just as you would expect from a family-run Italian business. Cakes, muffins, macarons and pastries are all handmade from scratch every day on the premises, and are available to take away or enjoy there and then with a fresh coffee. Yes, there are cannoli, and there are also all kinds of other dainty desserts, perfect if you have a sweet tooth or need a sugar boost. From fresh fruit tarts to choux pastry eclairs filled with cream and topped with chocolate, all are lovingly prepared by pastry chef Alberto. “To see them is to love them!”, says The Italian Club Bakery website, and having sneaked a quick peek at the Instagram feed, we’re not going to argue.

Pull up a chair and dig in, pop by and see what today’s specials are, or place an order and have a whole boxful of goodies made just for you, the choice is yours.

Want to be the first to receive all the latest news, tips, articles, guides and updates from Confidential Guides? Sign up here.