Nonna Pia

Inside San Giovanni’s market, Nonna Pia is a small bakery stall run by chefs who walked away from restaurant work in order to bake, and named for a grandmother of theirs. Its speciality is the maritozzo, a sweet bun that here gets fillings far from the usual: meatballs, ricotta with sour cherries, or pulled chicken cacciatore. The range runs from savoury to sweet, both sold side by side. Regulars at the market buy them and eat on their feet in the gaps between errands, and the counter accepts cash only.

If the savoury maritozzi are what draws you, get to the counter inside the San Giovanni market during the morning: people who live in Rome point out that they are gone well before the sweet versions run low. Turn up later in the day and the choice may already be down to the sweet maritozzi, since those last longer on the counter.