If you think you need a bottomless wallet to taste the pastries of luxury hotels, get ready to change your mind: something magical is happening in an unexpected area of Rome. On December 25, 2025, while the city was unwrapping gifts, a workshop opened in the heart of the Marconi district that is a real treat for the palate: it’s called Aura Pastry Lab.
Here, Valeria Zeloni and Riccardo Polizzi decided to turn over a new leaf, bringing the elegance of Bvlgari and the W Hotel behind the counter of a neighborhood pastry shop, where extreme quality meets a price that will leave you speechless.
From the stars of luxury to the heart of Marconi: Valeria and Riccardo’s gamble
Valeria (formerly of the W Hotel) and Riccardo (formerly of Bvlgari and Four Seasons) met among the marble halls of luxury in the capital. After years of international careers and an exhausting year-long search, they chose to put down roots in Marconi, taking over the premises that once housed the famous Café Merenda.
In this open-plan workshop with a minimalist design, the couple has transformed their experience in high-end hospitality into a project of their own, where Michelin-starred technique is put at the service of the neighborhood.
A paradise of mini pastries for€1: when the Sacher becomes a signature tartlet
Entering Aura Pastry Lab means coming face to face with a counter that is a constant temptation, but without the stress of a hefty bill. Their specialty? Mignon and single portions.
Forget the usual anonymous slices of cake; here, every dessert is an individual work of art. The real revolution is the price: the mignon pastries cost only €1 each, while the signature single portions cost between €5.50 and €6. It is a deliberate, almost “political” choice to show that haute patisserie can be popular.
The highlight that is already driving the neighborhood crazy is the tonka bean cream puff: an aromatic “bomb” that balances sweetness and spicy notes in a single bite.
And if you love the great classics, you must try their Sacher tart: a crispy cocoa shortcrust pastry enclosing a soft chocolate biscuit, apricot jam, and a 55% dark chocolate ganache that shines like a mirror.
Don’t call it a bakery: here, filter coffee meets pistachio mousse.
Aura Pastry Lab is not your typical bar where you grab an espresso on the fly between elbows. It is a more intimate experience. There is no traditional counter service, but rather a sophisticated walk-in café offering hot chocolate and organic teas.
You can sit on one of the stools and enjoy your dessert while watching the work in the laboratory.
Valeria and Riccardo’s kindness will immediately make you feel like you’re in the right place: they are knowledgeable young people who know how to advise you without ever being intrusive, passionately telling you what’s inside that pistachio mousse with raspberry palets that is calling you from the counter.
Where to find Aura Pastry Lab
📍 Address: Via Luigi Magrini, 8 (Marconi area), Rome.
🕐 Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
🍰 Instagram: @aura_pastrylab
