Afternoon Tea Break in Rome (San Giovanni): Tea, Matcha, Cakes

Mornings at FYSA belong to brunch. Afternoons are different: slower, quieter, with the light coming in through the plants. It's the right time for a proper break — a pot of tea, a slice of cake, a book or your laptop — one minute from Metro A Ponte Lungo. (Not a British afternoon tea with scones and sandwiches: our own version.)

A pot of tea that lasts all afternoon

The heart of our afternoon is whole-leaf Chinese tea, such as Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong, Phoenix Dan Cong, Long Jing and Shui Xian. When the pot runs low, just ask us to top up the hot water: the same leaves are infused several times and the taste shifts a little from cup to cup. One pot can keep you company for hours.

Matcha and ube, iced too

If you'd rather have something cold, the afternoon is the hour of our matcha, whisked by hand with a chasen: among the most ordered are the Matcha Latte and the Strawberry Matcha. Then there's our ube line, made with the purple yam from the Philippines, starting with the layered Ube Matcha. For drinks made with milk you can also choose oat, soy or almond milk.

Something sweet

Next to the tea or matcha, the cakes people order most in the afternoon are the Basque cheesecake — classic or chocolate — and the berry tarts, when we have them. If you're hungrier, the fresh-fruit croiffle. And if it's time for a late lunch, our avocado toast and the rest of the brunch menu are served until closing. Prices are on our menu.

For working and studying

The afternoon is the quietest part of the day: free Wi-Fi (ask for the password at the counter), wooden tables, a few sockets to charge your laptop and customer toilets. More in our guide to working from a café in Rome.

FYSA's sofa corner in the afternoon light, among plants and colourful cushions

Passing by? To take away, too

If you're coming out of the metro in a hurry, coffee, matcha and our other drinks can be taken away in a FYSA cup.

Where we are

FYSA is at Piazza di Ponte Lungo 1, Rome — San Giovanni / Appio Latino, on the border with Tuscolano, a 1-minute walk from the "Piazza Ponte Lungo" exit of Metro A. Open every day, 9:00–19:00. Find us on Instagram at @fysa_cafe.