LE PETIT BAR, MAURIZIO AND FRANCESCA, PIAZZA PORTA PORTESE SNC, 00153 ROMA

Rating: Standard, not bad, better coffee than at other supposedly finer establishments

So in the mornings when you’re crossing the Ponte Sublicio from Trastevere towards the Testaccio / Aventine Hill area onto Via Marmorata, you come across this little coffee bar stand. Its name appears to be Le Petit Bar Maurizio and Francesca. Its always got somebody taking coffee so I said, let’s see what it’s serving. In the afternoons it’s usually closed, so this is an AM deal.

Asking for a coffee gives you this:​

​Presentation: Clean cup, with a logo of the coffee they’re using. No water offered, but this is understandable as they don’t have running water and opening a bottle is an added expense.

Temperature of Cup: The cup was OK, not too hot.

Quantity: Good short espresso, I like it!

Temperature: Here’s an unpleasant surprise, the coffe was extremely hot. Burnt my tounge…

Volume/Consistency: Not the thickest, somewhat watery. Not bad.

Crema: Dark, deep, consistent, not too thin and kept its life for the duration of the drink and more, OK!​

Odor: Dark burnt odor, darker roast.

Taste: After letting it cool down, I could taste that it was not very bitter, not rancid, yet no complexity to the taste.​

​Overall: Not bad!! Better than Starbucks, Palombini, and about half of the other cafes I’ve tasted so far. While it’s definitely nothing gourmet, nor extraordinary, it’s not a terrible espresso. And not bad to catch on your way to and fro, or if you’re a lost tourist wanting to chill in the Roman AM sun for a bit.

The setup: They have this clean, no-nonsense setup, and they brew Sau Caffè Espresso, a south-Roman roaster that has a somewhat limited distribution (see their website). It would be interesting to try how other cafes serve this coffee! The machine is a semi-automatic (apparently E61 based) Sofia espresso machine. I wasn’t able to ID the grinder…​

Le Petit Bar Maurizio and Francesca,

Chiosco Bar, Neroni Francesca

Piazza Porta Portese, snc

00153 Roma

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