T & T CAFFÈ, PIAZZALE EUGENIO MORELLI 33, 00151 ROMA

Rating: Standard, OK Roman coffee served

Just a few blocks up from the Il Pozzo Caffè you have the T & T Caffè in the Colli Portuensi area. It is not as ostentatious, but it is a very traditional upper crust Roman experience. There’s lots of light marble everywhere and lots of light colored wood furnishings. It was a place where if you’re in your mid to upper 50s you go to have brunch with your kids, or something of the sort. At least that’s what I felt walking in. Very pleasant, and proper. It was a large locale, having an outside terrace and tons of interior space.

Asking for a coffee at the bar situated towards the interior of the café got this nice shot:

Presentation: The cup was nice, it had the T & T logo. I was interested in the cup because the form is one I like, especially because it keeps the shot short. But what drew my attention was the ‘e….caffè Palombini’ written after the cafes’ logo. So I asked the barista and he said that indeed it’s Mondi Caffè that’s being served. So at some point earlier in time, it was a franchise enterprise between T & T Caffè and Palombini. Let’s see what this meant for their coffee brewing. In any case, water was offered only after I asked for it.

Temperature of Cup: Ahh… yes, super extra hot cup.

Quantity: Very short shot, I was happy.

Temperature: The coffee was still very hot, but could taste it without being burnt. This was about two minutes after the cup had finally cooled down.

Volume/Consistency: This was quite watery, light. Nothing heavy here.

Crema: Light crema, tells me of the blend and temperature.

Odor: Dark coffee smell, no aromas, nothing complex.

Taste: Well, it was a light coffee taste, bitter, and not rancid. There were smokey tones over the coffee, but nothing sharp, nor over offensive.

Overall: I say that this is a standard coffee because it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t the best either. It was diplomatically down the middle of the alley. It can be done again, but for those that want a stronger body and consistency to their brew, then it might fall a bit short.

The setup: As you can see, they had a full-throttle setup. Two La Cimbali M39 machines (one two-group, another three-group) with a large La Cimbali grinder, and then of course, the best grinder there, a small programmable Mazzer grinder for the decaf (Decaf drinkers have all the luck!!). The coffee being brewed was Mondi Caffè. This is a local Roman roaster situated in the East of the city (Muncipio V).

They were very proud of their choice as they situated the company’s logo prominently above the coffee machines.

Either way here’s a slew of photos of this locale.

T & T Caffè, Bar Pasticceria

T e T Caffè S.R.L. C.R.

Piazzale Eugenio Morelli 33, 00151 Roma