we have written about the italian coffee culture before - but this one deserves a mention - it will not get more traditional than this.....the coffee above most coffees in Rome.... Sant'Eustachio....
This little roman gem - hidden on a small piazza behind the Pantheon serves some of the best coffee in town - don't expect kind service or a smile...unless you order in a true roman dialect.....but get in there with the confidence and you are in for a coffee treat....
The bar and roasting business opened in 1938 and they still roast the beans over wood - the roaster they use now is from 1948 - and still in use - you can see it behind the bar.... Beans are sourced from the Domenican Republic, Guatemala, Etiopia and Brasil - they are roasted individually, then tasted and then the master roasted decides on the final and still secret blend - La Miscela" - nothing has changed since the opening - here there are now tables - only a few outside - but it is a the counter - al Banco - the coffee should be enjoyed. The Ricci family has been at the helm since 1999 - and offer a vide range of coffee drinks from the traditional Gran Caffe, Cappuccino in various sizes, to caffe shakerato, Monachella, frappe or granita....just make sure to pay at the till first before heading for the counter....and a tip - if you like a caffe macchiato - ask for "amaro" - otherwise you will end up with a sweet eggy foam - very traditional roman.....
Bar Sant'Eustachio
Piazza di Sant'Eustachio 32