ELLI BAR CAFFÈ, VIA E. JENNER 18, 00151 ROMA

Rating: Standard, normal Roman coffee

The Elli Bar Caffè represents a workman’s bar at its purest. Its nestled in a side street of the Circonvallazione Gianicolense in the heart of Monteverde. It is not flashy, but austere and yet very friendly. It is a place that hears only local Italians and I wouldn’t say the upper crust, but just normal folks going about the business of surviving.

Asking for a cup of coffee got me this:​​

​​Presentation: Yes, water served on the spot. Cool retro green-glass.

Temperature of Cup: The cup was warm, but not scalding. Just right.

Quantity: Short espresso, not bordering on ristretto, but just a short espresso. It was good.

Temperature: Good temperature, on the spot.

Volume/Consistency: Oops, watery. Here’s the first problem.

Crema: This was thin, somewhat persistent. And a bit on the blond side.​

Odor: Nope, no odor, smell, or anything like the potential coffee has.

Taste: The taste was very bitter, it was very strong. Not deep, nor rancid, but robustly bitter.​

Overall: Well, I wasn’t amazed in any way, nor disappointed. It was an average coffee experience. So hence the rating. This is something that well… given the locale, its situation in the neighborhood, all fits the bill. I’m glad it wasn’t a horrible coffee.

The setup: Excuse the blurry picture, but many times people freak out when I take a photo of their machines… they think I’m a spy or something. So this is what I got. Couldn’t take another photo without making the barista nervous. But the machine was an Astoria. A decent machine, capable of greatness if fine tuned. ​

The coffee was Profili Caffè, a local Roman Roaster that harks back to the late 1960s. It was decent, and they had the cups to match the retro logo on the outside of the bar. ​

Elli Bar Caffè, S.A.S.

Via E. Jenner, 18

00151 Roma