The Rome IndexRome coffee guide
How to order, what everything means, and where to drink the best cup in the city.
The vocabulary
Un caffè = espresso (always, unless specified otherwise). Caffè macchiato = espresso with a small dash of milk foam. Caffè lungo = espresso with more water, less intense. Caffè ristretto = shorter, more concentrated than espresso. Caffè americano = hot water added, closest to filter coffee. Cappuccino = espresso with steamed and foamed milk, a morning drink only.
How to order
Walk in, say your order at the till, pay, take your receipt to the bar and repeat your order. At a local bar, placing your receipt on the counter face-up signals you're waiting. Standing is faster and cheaper than sitting — always.
Best coffee in Rome
Sant'Eustachio il Caffè (near the Pantheon), Tazza d'Oro (also near the Pantheon), and Caffè San Eustachio's long-standing rival Roscioli Caffè near Campo de' Fiori are the names that come up most consistently among Romans who care about coffee.