The Fresh Sandwiches And Baked Goods You'll Find At Starbucks In Italy

Despite initial reluctance, Starbucks has landed in Italy in recent years. The first location to pop up was a Milan roastery in 2018, and in May 2023, Rome saw the launch of a brand new store in Piazza Montecitorio. As is the case with most of the food in Italy, we're a wee bit jealous of the options Starbucks is offering there. But did we really expect anything less? Although the chain has only been in Italy for about six years, it already has a robust bakery and hot food menu. You can choose from pastries, sandwiches, toast, salads, cake, fruit, yogurt, snacks (including gluten-free options), and bakery items called "American sweets." 

While some of these categories are comparable to what we have in the U.S., many of the Italian goodies look like they're far superior. For example, you can sample a Krapfen (aka a donut without the big hole in the middle) oozing with either custard, apricot, or hazelnut and pistachio cream. Or, snack on a Sicilian cannolo, which includes a crispy outer layer filled with ricotta and chopped pistachios. You can also choose from French or multi-seed croissants (either plain or stuffed with the aforementioned creams), sfogliatella (Neapolitan pastries filled with ricotta, semolina, and orange cubes), and maple syrup-filled braided puff pastries topped with pecans. 

Of course, the Starbucks stores in the U.S. also offer croissants, but only in three varieties currently (Ham and Swiss, Butter, and Chocolate). And while American stores only sell one donut at the moment (a glazed version), you can find six types under the American sweets section of the Italian menu, including Blueberry Smoothie, Strawberry, Hazelnut, and Caramel. Compared to the solitary Blueberry Streusel Muffin in the U.S., the Italian stores offer flavors like Lemon Raspberry, Triple Chocolate, and Apple Cinnamon. 

But while the bakery offers flavor options galore, it's perhaps the lunch sandwiches that are the most enviable at Italian Starbucks locations. U.S. menus provide four warm lunch sandwich options, but its European counterpart sells a whopping 13 choices, plus two salads and two grain-based bowls. Standouts include an Italian Sandwich with honeycomb dough, tomato, mozzarella, and Genoese pesto; a veggie version with hummus, eggplant, and zucchini; and bagels stuffed with spreadable cheese, arugula, and bresaola, a delectable Italian cured meat. 

And for dessert, you can top off your meal with a Raspberry and Coconut Loaf Cake or what's called Strawberry Crunchy Cake, which includes mouthwatering layers of cocoa and red sponge cake, strawberry cream, and biscuit pieces. While you'll have to fly overseas to get your hands on these treats for now, hopefully some of them will make their way onto the American menus one day.