OTTAVILLA GRAN CAFFÈ, PIAZZA OTTAVILLA 11, 001 52 ROMA

Rating: Standard, good quality Traditional Roman espresso

Here’s an interesting place right at the foot of the Doria Pamphilj park, in the middle of the Monteverde area. The café is called Gran Caffè Ottavilla, or as the pictures show, Bar Ottavilla. It takes its name from the plaza it overlooks, a plaza that is more a parking lot than anything else.

Asking for a coffee got me this:​

​Presentation: I’m happy! Water served immediately, and without fuss. The spoon and handle facing me and ready to use.

Temperature of Cup: The cup was at a warm and good temperature, taken off the machine, a good sign!

Quantity: Good short and concise shot. No fussing around.

Temperature: The espresso was warm, right on the mark.

Volume/Consistency: Here’s the trick , it felt thick and rich and I think it’s because of the crema.

Crema: This was very good, quite rich and thick. Lasted throughout the duration of the drink and as you’ll see in the final picture, shows trace of being oily and full.​

Odor: Strong deep roasted coffee.

Taste: The espresso was bitter, strong as I expected from the smell and the color of the crema, but it was definitely not rancid. Not fruity, we don’t do fruity in Rome, but still very very strong.​

​Overall: I walked away from this bar with a good impression of the coffee. This is the third bar in the area that is serving a very good quality espresso. You definitely won’t go wrong here. You won’t get an artisan roast, but a controlled, calculated espresso with character.

Although I haven’t been to Naples, I have the impression that this place is aiming for a Neapolitan experience. While the music sounding in the bar was a wonderful Cumbia, all the soccer paraphernalia in the bar showed that these folks were definitely infatuated with Naples.

You’ll notice that I don’t have a photo of their setup. This bar is somewhat dark, and while the staff is very friendly, from the looks I got, you feel like they definitely have a regular clientele, with few, if ever, new customers. Walking in I definitely felt that I shouldn’t make much noise- and keep it on the low-down… these folks were serious.

Given that I was eyed quite thoroughly, I didn’t take a photo of the espresso setup, but what the had was a 4-group Rancilia semi-automatic with a Rancilio grinder. Definitely nothing sub-par. The coffee the roast is Gima Caffè. This is a Roman roaster that one encounters quite often. It will be interesting to see if this incarnation of their espresso is on the upper end of what their coffee is capable of offering or if on the low-end.​

Gran Caffè Ottavilla S.R.L.S.

Piazza Ottavilla, 11

00152 Roma

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