Fellini Caffè

A nice place to just drop by and have coffee. Situated in a nice green location with college crowd around, so that’d a definite plus. I tried the mocha frappé and it was pretty rich.

This place is a fun little coffee shop café, conveniently located in rice village. Parking is always a hassle, but I suppose you can say that about almost any other place in rice village. I wouldn’t come here to study because it seems like a majority of people that frequent this place come to socialize. They do serve alcohol, small sandwiches, and an assortment of tiny desserts. Prices-​wise I’d say it’s average. I’ve had better espresso, macchiatos, and lattes elsewhere, but I’m obsessed with their baby cannolis so I keep coming back. Also, they serve their espresso with a shot glass of water and not sparkling, which was kind of a let down.
The verdict? Come here if you want to catch up with friends and happen to already be in rice village.

Good good good. I reall like this place. I like tasty coffee very much and it is the only place where I can buy it and will not have any questions. Fellinni Caffe is a cozy place. They have seats inside and outside. The workers are friendly and give the order quickly. Only one time I have asked some information about coffee and saw that it was difficult for them to answer my question. I do not worry about it because when I drink this tasty coffee I forget all minuses according to this place. What I like yet, it is the location, it is easy for me to get there.

Once I found this place, because was very hungry and went there to eat something. I liked this place. That time I ordered coffee and a sandwich (very tasty). Next time I came there with my wife. We ordered coffee and different deserts, everything was on the highest level. My wife liked this place so much that now we come there very often. The prices are reasonable and we like the service. It is a bit difficult to get there but it is not a big problem for us. Recommend you this place. On weekends it is crowded so it is better to go other days.

I know this area when it originally was created, was to be an addition to the walkable areas in rice village. It was to be a mixed used facility along with the high end apartments above. I think it’s great, because I’d imagine the people who can afford to live in the apartments are young professionals or students to the area. I usually just park near the gym area and walk on over. There is plenty of tables inside and out. It’s great to study or just sit and chat it up with a friend while you people watch.

If you like pastries, this is the place to be! I came here to get in some late night studying on a weekday and found that parking wasn’t too bad. Their staff is a little uppity but probably due to the fact that the majority of their patrons were college students that occupied their tables longer than they’d probably like. Other than that, I enjoyed my hot chocolate and cannoli. Can’t wait to return to try their other pastries!

I guess it’s hard to find a person in Houston area who wouldn’t have heard about Fellini Caffè’s incredible sandwiches! Yeah, it’s well-​known! I came to try it out, but to my surprise (I’m not a fan of sweets) I fell in love with their Italian desserts! Exceptional!
Not to mention their Affogato, but Tiramisu is something you’ll definitely die for! One more great thing about the place is their intimate ambiance and interior! Almost forgot to thank the guys for immaculate service!

I guess it’s hard to find a person in Houston area who wouldn’t have heard about Fellini Caffè’s incredible sandwiches!
Yeah, it’s well-​known! I came to try it out, but to my surprise (I’m not a fan of sweets) I fell in love with their Italian desserts! Exceptional! Not to mention their Affogato, but Tiramisu is something you’ll definitely die for! One more great thing about the place is their intimate ambiance and interior! Almost forgot to thank the guys for immaculate service!

Very nice place! Friendly staff! Authentic Italian pastries.
Very good coffee! Internet available, nice place to hang out.

I hate going to Rice Village. Traffic is terrible, parking can be a pain. However, this neighborhood was the location for a meeting so I suggested this café. It was awesome!
I was here on a Wednesday afternoon. I actually found a free street spot just a block away. They have a cute sidewalk patio right outside and the weather was beautiful. Inside, it’s one wall of sweets, food, menus, and drinks. The rest of the place has heavy dark wood furniture and light walls. There were several people hanging out studying. I think there was free WiFi, but I don’t remember whether there lots of outlets easily accessible. I was so distracted by their menu and the pastries on display!
I enjoyed my fresh fruit smoothie and took home some cannolis. It was a chill atmosphere. People were either working quietly, reading, or having low conversations. The music was pop and not too loud. They have happy hour with wine and bellinis! This place may be one of the few reasons that would get me to hang out in this neighborhood.

If someone is 30 minute in the restroom, it’s an employee chilling with a cell phone. That’s my general public restroom wisdom, so this happens here as well.
Some friends of baristas socialize at counter, while line is forming, waited 10+ minutes, just for one customer ahead currently at register.
Otherwise great coffee, patio, and deserts.

Cute coffee shop that has italian desserts and sandwiches. We just had coffee and desserts. Very cute space. Coffee was good but nothing exceptional. The affogato is more like a dessert than a coffee and very very decadent. Also tried the tiramisu (yummm) and a lite flaky pastry that looked like a cornucopia filled with pastry cream with toasted sliced almonds (delish). Service was good!

I just have to write this review immediately, before any of the amazing flavors leave me forever. I had the most amazing Caramelato in the history of Caramelatos! I swear. The pastry was recommended by the barrista and reminded me of a tiramisu, but a more solid consistency. But let’s just say, it was amazing as well. I paid $ 10 for coffee and a pastry, but some how I’m not angry, I am rather warm and fuzzy inside. It was just sooo good! I’ll probably be awake until 5am, but it was all worth it! Enjoy!

I love this place! It’s so cute and welcoming. I went here with a friend for the first time to catch up over coffee. We had some cookies with our coffee and they were great. I never really understood how pistachios could be used in sweet things but Fellini showed me otherwise. Their cookies are very chewy which is obviously very different from the norm. Think about it like a macron shell. I think they must be made with a lot of egg whites and sugar to have that consistency.
The wi-​fi doesn’t have a password so that was useful because I always forget to ask at the register and only remember that I need it when I sit down (makes me look like a fool).
The only downside that it really isn’t set up well for groups. We tried to meed there for a group and it was just too packed. There are two bigger tables outside, one inside and one nook for lounging where groups could meet. A majority of the tables are for two people.

My third time in one week at this adorable Italian café!
The atmosphere is calm, relaxed and modern, with new and clean tables/​comfortable couches. There is also plenty of outdoor seating to bask in the warm Houston sun. I came here early in the morning for breakfast with friends, when it wasn’t too terribly busy. However, the line (at730 am), was already starting to pile up. We also came once in the afternoon, and were still able to find seating despite the busy afternoon rush.
The food: I haven’t tried their desserts, but their croissants are decent. The regular croissant is warmly toasted to perfection, but occasionally disappointingly burnt. The almond croissant is good too, but the center almond filling is a bit thick and strong for my taste. My friends tried the fruit tart. Though delightful in appearance, the filling was also a bit thick– with mascarpone base.
The drinks: The Americano– delicious. They will give you steamed milk on the side if requested. My friends also swear by the cappuccino. I would also recommend the chai tea, an aromatic, flavorful burst that will wake anyone up in the morning.
Other tidbits: overall a calm ambience, with free wi fi. A great place for studying if you’re ok with background noise. However, parking here does suck, as there is no designated lot. You either need to parallel elsewhere, or do meter parking by the café.

Fellini doesn’t really mesh with my usual coffee spots. Given my status as Hipster Trash™, I’m much more likely to find myself at the warm, self-​consciously indie climes of a Black Hole or a Siphon. Fellini is a bit more slick and modern looking than I’m used to, with a great deal of exposed metal and darkly treated wood accents. Still, we’ve all got to get out of our comfort zones on occasion and last weekend I finally decided to give Fellini a try.
The first big problem that Fellini has is that it is small, much too small for the traffic it gets. Coming here on a Saturday afternoon, I was only able to find seating because I walked through the door at the exact same time that a large family was getting up. Had that not been the case, I probably would have left immediately. Even after finding seating, it was probably an hour before I actually went up to the counter and ordered anything. The café seemed to be somewhat understaffed, or at least a bit inefficient, because there was a line nearly to the door for the whole of that time. When I finally did order something, the staff was friendly, though my espresso seemed to take 10 minutes to actually get to my table. The general understaffed feeling was also exacerbated by the fact that no one cleared the table for about an hour after I arrived. Still, once I got my coffee (an espresso con panna) and one of their pistachio cookies, I was quite happy. The espresso is delicious, complex and not overly bitter, while the cookies are amazing– sweet and a teensy bit sticky (almost like they’ve been soaked in sugar syrup).
One thing I will give Fellini is that they do seem to be authentic. The folks behind the counter had very heavy Italian accents, and I definitely heard a few folks speaking Italian around me as I worked on my laptop. So I guess this is the place where Houston’s Italian expatriate community meets up for real espresso! When/​if I end up at Fellini again, I might try to strike up a conversation once my own Italian is a bit stronger.
My second experience at Fellini was a bit better. I came with a friend who’s a big fan of the place and who made some drink recommendations. This time, I ordered a Caffe Mocha, which came topped with whipped cream and some shredded coconut. It was definitely one of the best mochas I’ve had in Houston (I’ll give it to Fellini, they have good coffee). Since we were there a bit earlier in the day (around 11:30) we were able to put our order in almost immediately. We also sat outside, which alleviated the space issue a great deal. Fellini isn’t on a particularly busy street, so it was actually very easy for us to have a conversation.
While Fellini didn’t grab me at first, it’s grown on me a bit after a second visit. Given how much closer it is to my school than many of my more favoured coffee spots, I’ll probably end up at Fellini again. If you’re cool drinking your (quite good) coffee in a very cramped space, Fellini is a great place to check out!

Gorgeous and tasty food and drink here. Make sure you ask about menu items because the menu can be a little vague. The layered drinks are great for a (very) sweet boost of energy. Definitely go for one of their paninis. The ingredients are fresh and the sandwiches are portioned well.

Let me upgrade you indeed! The wifi is good and the canoli are reminiscent of the canoli I had in Italy. Yums!
5 star friendliness and ambience, 4.5 star coffee, and minus a star for lack of comfy seats and only street parking availability, but oh a 5 for that canoli, so 4.5 stars — rounded up!

The location is really nice and pretty. The inside was really clean when I walked in. The menu is limited to mostly coffee drinks and some pastries. If you’re not that big into coffee I wouldn’t recommend this place.

Quick place for coffee and a bite to eat near the South Blvd bikram yoga studio. Café latte and gluten free almond cookie on point. Friendly and attentive staff. Easy log in to wifi, enough seating to lounge on laptop and do work. Great for people watching. I’d come back again.

If you’re ever craving for some good coffee with a lovely atmosphere, than this place is right up your alley! They serve excellent Italian coffee (brand is Lavazza coffee, which an excellent coffee brand) and the desserts they serve goes well with the drinks they serve. If you’re not a fan of coffee, they also have really good tea choices, and they mention that the water is refillable (coffee isn’t)
Service needs improving though. They were helpful, but they weren’t professional, so that was a little disappointing. Hope they improve on that aspect. Other than that, this is a really great place to relax and enjoy the surrounding atmosphere.

This is a good Italian quick-​serve café that serves typical Italian-​style coffee, sandwiches, & desserts. I had come initially with the expectation of finding sfogliatelle, knowing that they’re extremely rare and hard to find in Texas. Unfortunately they didn’t have any when I came at night. At first, when I asked about it, the male Mexican-​descent employee behind the cashier station didn’t know what it was until I spelled it out on paper. I thought that was weird, but at least I was happy that he recognized it. From what he told me, they have it in the mornings, and the desserts are brought in by someone, made somewhere else. He wasn’t a very articulate person or clear about anything so I do not know if it’s made by the Fellini people or by a third party provider. But at least he added by saying that the Town & Country location by I-​10 and Beltway 8 may have a bigger selection, including sfogliatella on a more consistent basis. I was hesitant to believe in him because he did not seem to care about the place or the products that are served. But at the same time, I did see a picture of cassatIna in the Town and Country location online and I did not see any in this location. I did not ask about the cassata, but didn’t bother to since his suggestions of what to try in the menu were also very mundane.
And in fact, of the three employees, all of who were young and with no manager in sight, that were found working there tonight, only one was really both productive and engaging toward customers effectively. And it was another Mexican, a young lady. Not even an Italian. Service… DISAPPROVED.
But besides the mostly awkward service and attention, which also resulted in really slow service (we wouldn’t see our pressed sandwich orders until 25 minutes later, minimum — which is really super long for café food). Even for the great-​tasting spinach & cheese frittata, which just needs some heating and comes with no sides, it took a good 15 minutes for it to come to the table. So obviously, there’s something wrong with the handling and communication between the front end of the café and the kitchen, which I suspect to be mostly the fault of the front end employees. Coffee took a while to come out too, but it was generally brought out faster, only bested by the desserts which was given almost immediately.
SANDWICHES, DESSERTS, DRINKS
Sandwiches were perfectly pressed, crispy hot on the outside, while perfectly tender inside, and with top-​notch ingredients. I tried the Capri (which is an Italian region that gave birth to the basically vegetarian capresa salad (tomato, basil, fresh mozzarella), which is put into a sandwich in this form) and the Parma which has prosciutto di Parma and fresh mozzarella cheese. They weren’t cheap, as the sandwiches were all $ 9.50 or $ 10, but Italian sandwiches are almost never cheap — since I remember seeing three-​bites-​sized ones in Florida going for $ 4.50. At least these sandwiches were large by comparison, and came accompanied by a nice salad with fresh greens and a great balsamic vinegar dressing. APPROVED.
For desserts, we had the cannoli that has cream and chocolate chip inside, and the profiterole alla fragola (strawberry), and they were great — we ate it all and loved every bite. The for both consisted of the right balance of flavor and sweetness. Only thing is that I would have liked that they offered more things, such as the sfogliatella and cassatina — so if it’s an option for you, try to steer yourself to the Town & Country location. APPROVED, WITH CONDITIONS.
Coffee is Lavazza, because Lavazza is Italy (as are Segafredo and Illy). So maybe for the finicky coffee drinker that prefers coffee roasted on the premises, or for the American Starbucks type that wants caramel, white mocha frappé, pumpkin spice, or whatever — this isn’t the place for you. But for Italian-​style coffee, they do make it well (and yes, they do have mocha, if you really want it). The espresso con panna (whipped cream on top of a shot of espresso) was good, as was the Americano drip using Lavazza beans. And decaf is a good option for the decaf drinkers (since Lavazza decaf is one of the better brands for decaf coffee). What also was a nice surprise is that they have hot chocolate — the regular kind and the thick, rich, dark kind that I really love! The thick, rich, dark kind is, however, oddly listed under the Coffee section of the menu, instead of drinks. Why? I don’t know. But this thick kind of hot chocolate was recently picked as the best hot chocolate in Houston. So… For coffee and hot chocolate… APPROVED
Atmosphere: simple, modern, spacious, plenty of seating inside & some outside
Parking: metered, unless if you park a block away, South or East
Verdict: Go to the Town & Country location for better service and selection or come here with lower expectations (except on food/​drink quality)

Only got the Nutella brioche which cost $ 7.50 for two pieces, but it was enough for two people. The ice cream genuinely tasted like Nutella, which is key because I know of places that lure people into eating their «Nutella-​filled desserts.» Note my disappointment in those places.
The atmosphere was lovely. High ceiling, halogen lighting and plenty of space. I found the place a little clinical and would have preferred more cosiness but that’s just a personal issue.
Must come back for their coffee!

Stopped by to kill time during rush hour. The caffe has an Italian flair somewhat but was missing many truly authentic Italian desserts. The cannoli I ordered wasn’t authentic Italian. They had many chocolates/​truffles which were not Italian. Good assortment of pastries but seemed to be a mix of Italian and another nationality. I had a Frederico drink which was very refreshing with strawberries and mint. It can be made with or without alcohol.
There were also a variety of Italian looking sandwiches on hearty looking bread. A couple were vegetarian.
Seating area was small with mostly 2 or 4 chairs per table. There was a larger well lit area in the back around the corner but some woman was holding the whole section waiting for her companions which took 45 minutes to arrive. I found her quite selfish holding all those spots because it was more of a large communal table. Now I understand why restaurants don’t want to seat groups till everyone is there.
The young ladies behind the counter were very friendly. The main negative feature is the parking which is metered but limited out front. Since it was full I had to drive around and found a parking structure that was $ 3. Expensive just for a cannoli and a drink IMO. I wouldn’t revisit because I have found other dessert/​sandwich places to my liking better with free parking.
Unilocal Review #346

This place has good coffee, but it’s a little too minimalist for me.
The seating here is very limited. I came on a Thursday afternoon at 3:30 before picking someone up from Hobby. I know it’s close to Rice but there was not an available table anywhere. And it wasn’t as if it was super busy they just don’t have many tables. I ended up sitting in a chair that was about 6 inch’s off the floor next to a mother and her toddler. It didn’t make getting my work done very easy.
The service was good, they weren’t overly friendly but then again they also weren’t rude and they got my drink out in a fairly good time frame.
Parking here is also a little difficult because most of the time you are going to have to pay to park, which to me just increases the cost of my drink. If I lived in the apartments that this sits beneath or was spending a day shopping in West U, I would come back.
But it isn’t worth the drive or cost for me to come back here.

As a born and raised Houstonian, I have never seen this place before and only stumbled upon it while looking for a good late night study spot with my roommate. It is tucked away from the main section of Rice Village, near Zoe’s Kitchen.
This little Italian café has a very quiet and homey ambiance when you first walk in. There are many tables to seat 2 or you can put tables together for larger groups. There is a glass case filled with perfectly decorated desserts. There aren’t many plugs which is a downer but it’s usually isn’t ever packed to the point where you can’t sit close to a plug! The music isn’t too loud and they have free wi-​fi! They do dim the lights some time during the evening which makes it a bit hard to study. It also gets a bit cold so bring a jacket!
I ordered the Trieste sandwich which came with a side salad that a pretty normal house salad. This sandwich was delectable with its crunchy, toasted cibatta bread and melted cheese with ham. The iced tea is bottomless so you can always get free refills! My roommate ordered a Chai tea latte and she said it was divine! She also ordered 2 desserts which we split. The puff was so flaky and the cold sweet cream complimented it well. The chocolate tart with strawberries wasn’t too sweet, to my liking, and just a small bite to satisfy a sweet tooth.
Overall, it is a cute coffeeshop if you are looking for a place other than starbucks to study! The sandwiches are a bit pricy but the desserts are pretty cheap for their quality!

Somehow, I thought this place was bigger than it actually was. The ambience felt kind of cold and unwelcoming inside. As far as the coffee goes, it wasn’t mind blowing amazing. Just decent. My sister got the café mocha and I got the café latte. We also ordered their cannoli with coffee flavored filling. I for one didn’t taste any hint of coffee in there. Parking is also tricky here if you go during peak times. Thankfully, we were here during their off times. You have either street parking or paid parking for a set period of time outside the coffee shop. Overall, this place is ok. But, I wouldn’t go out of my way to come back here again.

Breakfast panini– the bread was great, toasted and crunchy. Good size panini with eggs and meat, but became very salty after a few bites. Enjoyed the variety of fruits that came in the side-​kiwi, peach etc.
Chocolate cannoli with vanilla cream– very bland! would not recommend
Coffee cream pastry– yummy coffee flavor with flaky bread
Vanilla latte– standard latte, nothing to report.
Affogato– espresso over mascarpone, delicious! Would recommend mixing it as you eat as a lot of espresso will rest at the bottom of the glass.
Fellini had some down points but I would go back and try other options!

I came across this café from a fellow Unilocaler. I was in the area and decided to stop in, get some work done and get a few munches in. The location is close to Zoe’s Kitchen in rice village area. PLEASE be careful and find a parking meter. I parked, sat in the car for a minute and looked around to ensure I was in a good parking area (since I wasn’t very familiar). After I returned to my car I had a parking ticket for not having a parking sticker. Boooooooo!!! Anywho, the location is really nice and perfect weather for outside seating. The inside is pretty spacious and very clean (including the bathrooms lol I love a clean bathroom). There were several students, professionals & other people present either studying, on their computer or just socializing.
Food: So, I ordered the Parma Panini and in all honesty, it was one of the best, crunchiest (toasted) sandwiches I’ve ever had! Omggg! It came with panini bread, feta cheese, spinach and some other meats. Goodness gracious it was awesome! It came with a side salad with cranberries, almonds and other additives. To drink, I ordered a Medium Caramellato coffee. Unlike most coffee’s, it didn’t contain milk and was served in a wine glass with a long stir spoon. It was layered in browns with cool whip on top — so pretty and was sooo good with just the right amount of sweetness. I am so glad I found this place. All the staff were super nice but Sara helped me out the most since I was a newbie and wanted to try everything on the menu lol They did have displays of sandwiches and desserts. I didn’t order desserts but they all looked very mouthwatering. Oh and did I mention they had a nice selection of wines?! Yep, sure do! As long as I get my parking issue straightened out I might be back.

My intern boss recommended this place and told me this is the closest to Italian coffee.
Ordered the Affogato, served in a martini glass (fancy) not too sweet and came with a serving spoon

This café is a pretty neat place. It’s more of a hangout place since it seems a little dark to do any work or be on your laptop. But, I ordered a latte, as usual, and also enjoyed a coconut macaroon cookie, which was absolutely delicious.
I really like the pastries here, and I hope to come back earlier in the day so I can try some of their cooler pastries that they had run out of by the time I stopped by in the evening. But overall, the atmosphere is very casual and it’s not too noisy. The guy working was pretty patient with me although I took a long time to choose what I wanted to eat.

Need a nice coffee shop in the Rice Village to study or meet? Fellini Caffe is your place! Debuted a few years ago as an Italian coffee shop, this surprisingly quaint café offers a nice atmosphere for a calm study session or a light conversation, and terrific coffees to complement any purpose.
Fellini’s focus is to offer an authentic Italian coffee experience along with a selection of light snack. Although I am not an Italian and thus cannot comment on the authenticity, I can vouch that the mocha ($ 3.50) I got was delicious! For those who are chocolate lovers like me, I highly recommend trying out this chocolaty coffee concoction that is heavily topped with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce.
Because of its storefront that is significantly smaller than its popularity, Fellini may be at full capacity in the afternoon, but don’t let this deter you from visit to grab yourself outdoor seating to enjoy a nice cup of coffee here and a nice weather!
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tl;dr version:
1) Solid Italian coffee shop in Rice Village
2) Perfect for solo study, meeting, dates
3) Inside is mostly full, but outdoor seating is available
NOTE: Parking is metered