Staking out the brew

In a city as famous as Rome is for its coffee, is it possible – or even worth the trouble – to try and find the best coffee in the city?

There are some who over simplify the matter, and argue that all Italian coffee, by virtue of being Italian coffee, is essentially equal. Then there are those rarities who will try and stake out the nearest Starbucks in order to get their vanilla latte fix; these fall into the category of people who should not be allowed into the conversation. However, when pressed, most guidebooks and coffee experts in Rome will point to Sant'Eustachio, a small coffee bar located across the Piazza from the Church that bears the same name.

To be sure, the cappucino one is served on a Sunday morning is of a quality difficult to rival. The milk is foamed into a soft, perfect cream, and the espresso has just the right intensity of smoked bitterness. This, along with a clevor marketing scheme of stamping the Sant'Eustacio brand on its merchendise (an image known for its oddity rather than its history) makes Sant'Eustachio a favorite among any coffee enthusiast visiting Rome.

However, going to Sant'Eustachio´s on a quiet day during the week is a slightly different experience. The cappuccino's are as overpriced on a Tuesday as they are on a Sunday (a shocking 1.50 euro), and the quality is average (even unpleasently sub par, on at least one occasion). A disapointing discovery for a true coffee enthusiast; Sant'Eustachio, like many other establishments marked with a world-recognized brand, is a weekday sell-out, only putting its efforts into good coffee with the customer traffic is at its peak.

Where, then, does one find the best coffee in Rome?

What I have learned is that finding good coffee is like finding good wine. It is not simply the brand of coffee that is used. Up the road from my apartment is a small bar. There are about three barristas there, and the coffee brand is simple Miani. The quality of the cappuccino has little, in fact, to do with the coffee brand, however. It has to do with the temperature of the machines, the time of day, the weather. More importantly, it has to do with the person making the coffee. All three barristas make coffee that is quite good, but it is the quietest and moodiest of the three who makes coffee that is exceptional. It is a hearty coffee that is perfectly balanced with the foamed milk.

Like a good glass of wine, a good cup of coffee says a little about the history -- the time, the weather, the mood, the person -- of that moment in which the cup of coffee was made.