NORI CAFFÈ, VIA CAVOUR 1, 00184 ROMA

Rating: Standard, normal Roman coffee

The Nori Caffè is placed right at the foot of the via Cavour, overlooking the Termini station. It probably sees hundreds of customers a day, and used to be the direct competition of Paranà Caffè on the other side of Cavour. Since this particular locale of Paranà went out of business about a year ago (it is now a semi-fast food, semi-posh kebab place ), there was apparently no room for competition. Maybe the Nori Caffè was better in comparison? I doubt it…​

Asking for an espresso gives you this:​

​Presentation: No water offered, but I felt I could have asked for one. With so many tourists hitting this joint, I’m sure the owners told the baristas to cut this formality out. Tourists wouldn’t know any better right? But that’s a pity, it would be nice if in their first encounter with Roman coffee tourist would get the full local treatment.

Temperature of Cup: But in one way, they are getting the local treatment – the cup was very hot. I thought it was going to go downhill very quickly. It was taken from the top of the machine, so I thought, crap, charred espresso again!

Quantity: But it was a very short espresso, this was good. The cup was large, and had the potential for going overboard.

Temperature: The temp. was perfect! Maybe because I had to wait a minute, but in any case, it was on the spot.

Volume/Consistency: This was not however, it lacked a certain texture, it was runny… watery.

Crema: Argh, paper thin. It had a nice grey-brownish color, I’ve seen this before at other roasters (one in Monte Sacro I remember). ​

​However, it was so thin, that after my second sip, it was almost gone:​

Odor: Wow, there was some odor, I gaped it in, and found it. It was a subtle dark-roasted coffee smell. No fruits, no nothing, just dark roast.

Taste: Well, it was bitter, as expected, but not rancid. It was almost over the cusp of being terrible. But fortunately, it was doable. I’d have another one, definitely. I would let it cool down a bit more though.​

​Overall: I think that this was a decent representation of Roman coffee. I’ve encountered Nori brand coffee at another place (Red Mouse Caffè) and it was horrible. But this seemed OK, bearable, and not spectacular, but OK. So it also seems these guys might be a roaster. Next time I pass by I’ll ask them.

The setup: They had a nice four-group LaCimbali machine and like grinder. It had electronic sensors, so it could definitely be programmed for some great espresso, nothing like a La Marzocco, but with more attention, it could squirt something quite great!​

If indeed these guys are a ‘Torrefazione’ then this, like all other ones so far, left something to be desired. But it wasn’t terrible, have to admit that.

The interior is just enough to have coffee and go, there are some tables outside, and the baristas/waiters are amicable.​

Nori Caffè, aka, L’Arte del Caffè, S.R.L.

Via Cavour, 1

00184 Roma