Oh yeah, this place is alright/Sant’Eustachio

Sant’Eustachio is on the other side of the Pantheon from Tazza d’oro. It’s a lot smaller and it has a more relaxed vibe, or did when we were there, with fewer visitors & some tables out on the mostly deserted little piazza. A good contrast to the Piazza della Rotonda, which is among the more frequented places in the tourist itinerary. Sant’Eustachio has acquired something of snobbish reputation, but it seemed pretty congenial to us. Naturally they have their way of doing things – in particular, they automatically add sugar to your espresso. We noted that they didn’t do this when we sat at a table & our friendly Polish waiter served us; he must have prevented the barista from plunking in the sugar, thinking we’d be taken by surprise. But what’s the deal with this sugar addition? In fact, it was quite agreeable, since we do add sugar to our espresso. No need to dump it in & mess with the crema. And the crema is really what Sant’Eustachio is famous for. Especially with the sugar, it is something of a frullato, as though it’s been whipped to thicken its dense surf, a quaffable shield from the cold (it was cold in mid-March, by Roman standards). The rich flavor of this espresso is nothing short of intoxicating. Get it at the bar, and don’t squawk. Tables are nice, but the espresso should be taken at the bar. Then you can go out & enjoy the spoon. 

elevate your neural activity!

Thanks to the good folks at Illy there is a University of Coffee and a reassuringly scientific proclamation that the drink is nothing but good for you. If you’re in the mood for such news, and would like to scout around their inspiring website, see here.

Tazza d’oro

As befits a coffee shop in the eternal city, the place appears to have stayed the same for the past twenty years at least. Perception & discernment are up to you, of course, and this isn’t much of a problem at Tazza d’oro, one of the two much-acclaimed espresso bars of Rome (the other is Sant’Eustachio). The people here are friendly and courteous, even if a list of countries is about all you’ll learn from most about the house blend (‘Le regina dei caffè‘…and what were those countries again? Colombia, Guatemala, Brazil? Costa Rica too? Maybe there’s more at www.tazzadorocoffeeshop.com, but it seems unlikely. In any case, it’s traditional to have only a fairly generic description of the house blends, as this is convenient for the roaster, and you trust them, don’t you?). 

Tazza d’oro is a well-staffed place that gets a ton of business. Behind one counter, the beans and an old Probat roaster. Behind the winding bar, two different espresso machines and also a separate glass case with all the usual goodies. If I hadn’t gotten sick during this trip I would’ve had time to try a lot more, more often. As it was I can certainly attest to the continuing top-quality status of the espresso at the bar. What I like about their espresso is the complexity of the flavor. Sure, the crema is as good as you’d expect, but it’s the rich, layered flavor that really puts this espresso at the top. The effect lingers, develops, and calls one back to the bar… 

Chiusura della ricerca

Carlo Bavagnoli, from Gente di Trastevere 1960, with text by Federico Fellini
(Parma: Grafiche STEP editrice 1963; reprinted 1996)

Zero Prophet is off with family to do some on-site espresso research in Rome, so the roastery is closed 3/3-20.
Thanks to all visitors for their interest… we already look forward to getting back into the roastery with a Roman accent and no doubt with some notes for future visitors to the city!