My vacation destination this summer is Italy. Am I excited? Of course I am! A few of the cities I’ll be visiting include Florence, Venice, Rome, and Pompeii. Most of all though, I’m curious to compare the coffee scene to America. Have any of you visited Italy before? What should I expect? I’m planning to stop at LOTS of coffeebars. I’ve been reading up on it and realize it’s totally different than here. We have completely Americanized the idea of coffee. Some sites I’ve read: Some basics about coffee in Italy. How to order coffee in Italy. I liked this site the most as it has some actual statistics on coffee consumption in Italy. A blog post about Italian coffee with LOTS OF PHOTOS.
AzBill Yes, I’ve been to Italy. Not since getting involved in the coffee business, however. I got some lessons from an expert. Don’t order drinks with milk in them after mid morning. Expect to pay more if you sit down. Usually, you pay one person for your drink, someone else will take your order and the barista will produce the drink. When you pick up, expect to give them the receipt. Coffee bars in Italy are often jammed, especially early in the morning. The receipt is how they make sure everyone pays. 0 Reply January 20, 2008
swag I cannot more highly recommend getting yourself a 2008 edition of the “Bar d’Italia del Gambero Rosso” when you’re in Italy. It will cost you about $15-20 and is available at many bookstores. It may be in Italian, but it will still give you all the info you need on where to find some of the best coffee places in town, whatever town you’re in: http://theshot.coffeeratings.com/2007/08/gambero-rosso-italian-espresso/ You’ll find the average is excellent compared to the U.S., but the best places don’t quite match up to the most obsessive cafés in North America. You’ll also notice how much smaller a cappuccino is, and how ours are just swimming in milk like caffé lattes. Most of all, enjoy! I’m envious. 0 Reply January 21, 2008
