Babington's Tea Room
A historic English tea room at the foot of Rome's Spanish Steps, operating since 1893.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Babington's Tea Room is a historic English-style tea room located at Piazza di Spagna 23, beside Rome's Spanish Steps. Established in 1893 by Isabel Cargill, a New Zealander, and Anna Maria Babington, an Englishwoman, it began as a tea and reading room intended to serve Rome's Anglo-Saxon community. At the time, tea was not a mainstream drink in Italy and was commonly sold through pharmacies, making the founders' decision to invest their savings in a dedicated tea establishment a considerable commercial and cultural gamble. The business benefited from Rome's importance as a destination for British and other English-speaking Grand Tour visitors. Its early success led it to move from its original location on Via dei Due Macelli to the more prominent Piazza di Spagna. The present premises occupy the ground floor of an eighteenth-century building associated with the original stables of the palazzo designed by Francesco De Sanctis for the Spanish Steps. The location gives the business a strong connection with one of Rome's most recognizable architectural and tourist settings. Babington's developed a reputation for refined surroundings, traditional service, tea-based refreshments and a distinctly English atmosphere. Its afternoon-tea service, loose-leaf tea selection, tea blends, cakes and light meals form the core of its public offer. The tea room has retained visual and service traditions including staff uniforms and a prominent English-language identity, while operating within the Italian capital's hospitality and tourism economy. The business endured difficult periods including the First World War, Italy's Fascist period, the Second World War and later economic changes. During the First World War, founder Isabel Cargill's sister Annie used her life savings to fund a major renovation. Anna Maria Babington later moved to Switzerland because of ill health and died there of a heart attack in 1929. The establishment nevertheless continued operating during the Fascist era and the war, despite the political climate's hostility toward English interests. In the 1950s and 1960s, the growth of Cinecittà brought film actors, filmmakers and other celebrities to the tea room. Reported visitors included Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Charlton Heston, Robert Taylor, Peter Ustinov, Audrey Hepburn and Federico Fellini. A stray Roman cat named Mascherino, adopted by the staff in the late 1950s, also became part of the tea room's identity as its mascot. Babington's remains a functioning Roman institution and tourist attraction. It is operated by a fourth-generation descendant of Isabel Cargill. In addition to serving tea and food on the premises, the business maintains tea-blending activity; one documented blend is the Royal Wedding blend created by tea blender Melania Francis Lopez. Its historic setting, continuity across generations and emphasis on traditional English tea culture distinguish it from mass-market cafés and fast-food businesses.
History
Babington's Tea Room was founded in Rome in 1893 by Isabel Cargill and Anna Maria Babington. Cargill was from New Zealand and was the granddaughter of William Cargill, associated with the founding of Dunedin. Babington was English and descended from Anthony Babington, who was executed in 1586 after being implicated in a conspiracy against Elizabeth I. The two women arrived in Rome as young adults and invested approximately £100 of their savings in a tea and reading room for the city's Anglo-Saxon community. Their venture entered a market in which tea had little established presence. In nineteenth-century Italy, tea was often obtained through pharmacies rather than dedicated tea shops, so the idea of a permanent English tea room was unconventional. Rome's role as a destination for British travelers and participants in the Grand Tour helped create demand. The city's major celebrations in 1893, including the Jubilee and the silver wedding of King Umberto and Queen Margherita, also contributed to a favorable environment for a new hospitality business. The original premises were on Via dei Due Macelli, a side street near Piazza di Spagna. As the tea room attracted customers, the founders moved it to Piazza di Spagna 23. The current site is on the ground floor of an eighteenth-century building connected with the former stables of a palazzo designed by Francesco De Sanctis, the architect associated with the Spanish Steps. The new location was furnished in an elegant style and became a meeting place for visitors and residents seeking a quiet refreshment stop while sightseeing. The First World War brought a downturn in Roman social life, but the business survived. A major renovation was financed by Annie, Isabel Cargill's sister, who committed her life savings to the premises. Anna Maria Babington later relocated to Switzerland because of declining health and died there in 1929. Babington's continued operating through Benito Mussolini's Fascist period and the Second World War, retaining an English-language sign and bronze lettering mounted on a Roman travertine plaque despite the era's anti-English political atmosphere. During the postwar decades, particularly the 1950s and 1960s, Rome's film industry added a new dimension to Babington's public profile. Cinecittà productions brought internationally known actors and filmmakers to Rome, and the tea room became associated with visits by figures such as Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Charlton Heston, Robert Taylor, Peter Ustinov, Audrey Hepburn and Federico Fellini. The staff also adopted a stray Roman cat, Mascherino, in the late 1950s; the cat became a mascot and part of the establishment's folklore. The tea room's survival through two world wars, the rise of fast food and successive economic difficulties helped turn it into a long-standing Roman institution. Its modern identity continues to center on traditional English afternoon tea, including Victoria Afternoon Tea served by staff in uniform, specialty and blended teas, cakes and other refreshments. Tea blender Melania Francis Lopez is associated with the Royal Wedding blend. The business is operated by a fourth-generation descendant of Isabel Cargill, preserving a multigenerational connection between the original founders and the current establishment.
- 1958
Mascherino becomes the tea room's mascot
[1]Staff adopted a stray Roman cat named Mascherino, who became a recurring part of Babington's identity.
- 1950
Cinecittà-era celebrity following
[1]During the 1950s and 1960s, film stars and filmmakers associated with Rome's cinema industry became visitors and, in some cases, regular customers.
- 1945
Continuity through Fascism and the Second World War
[1]Babington's remained open through Italy's Fascist period and the Second World War while retaining its clearly English identity.
- 1929
Death of co-founder Anna Maria Babington
[1]After moving to Switzerland because of ill health, co-founder Anna Maria Babington died of a heart attack.
- 1914
Survival during the First World War
[1]The business remained open during the wartime downturn in Roman society, and founder Isabel Cargill's sister Annie later financed a complete renovation with her savings.
- 1893
Foundation in Rome
[1]Isabel Cargill and Anna Maria Babington opened a tea and reading room for Rome's Anglo-Saxon community, investing their savings in a market where tea was not yet a mainstream beverage.
- 1893
Move to Piazza di Spagna
[1]Following its early success, the tea room moved from Via dei Due Macelli to Piazza di Spagna 23, its enduring location beside the Spanish Steps.
Products and positioning
A traditional, heritage-oriented English tea room combining afternoon tea, specialty tea blends and historic Roman hospitality in an upscale tourist setting.
Afternoon tea service
Victoria Afternoon Tea
Babington's traditional afternoon-tea offering, served by staff in uniform and representing the tea room's continuity with English tea-service customs. It is a central hospitality experience for visitors seeking a formal tea occasion in the historic Piazza di Spagna setting.
Tea
Loose-leaf tea selection
A selection of teas served in the tea room and associated with Babington's long-standing specialty-tea positioning. The offering emphasizes prepared tea, traditional service and the establishment's role as an English tea institution in Rome.
Blended tea
Royal Wedding blend
A named tea blend created by tea blender Melania Francis Lopez. It illustrates Babington's continuing involvement in tea blending alongside its restaurant and afternoon-tea services.
Food service
Cakes and light refreshments
Cakes, pastries and light meals complement the tea menu and support Babington's role as a sit-down tea room rather than a tea retailer alone. These items are presented within the establishment's traditional English hospitality format.
Sources2 sources
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