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Rating: Standard, mid-range Roman coffee
The Gran Caffè, or the Il Caffè al Testaccio (or the other 3 different names this place has – see below for the ‘official’ names from the receipt), is, again, a small hole-in-the-wall type of place in the heart of Testaccio. It’s interior is dark, kind of permeated by a blue light. There were a few old folk lounging in the interior and some tough looking baristas that seemed to pay no attention to these folk’s questions or constant chattering. The baristas were too busy cleaning up the place…
Asking for coffee had this nice white puck placed on the table:
Presentation: No water offered, a no frills cafe, and the baristas looked serious but courteous. Yes, the spoon is retro-chic, à la 1950s Jetsons.
Temperature of Cup: It was hot but not over the top as in most places.
Quantity: Nice short, concise espresso. Nothing, again, over the top, nor with bells and whistles here.
Temperature: In line with the cup temp, it was good, right on the dot.
Volume/Consistency: Watery, not thick. Disappointed by this! Up until this point it looked promising.
Crema: Dark, oily, yet thin… no character.
Odor: Huh??? Che?
Taste: No depth, nothing to salivate over, but simply a strong punch.
Overall: Since it wasn’t rancid, nor terribly bitter and burnt, it was a decent normal Roman coffee experience.
The setup: They had a very nice three-group Astoria ‘Noti per l’espresso’ (aka Gloria model) machine that I tend to like a lot, and an Astoria grinder. The setup was clean and well kept. And as we saw on the cup they were serving the Piramide Roman-Based roaster Tintori Caffè. It wasn’t the best version of their product, nor one that would make me think it can be substantially better, as indeed it can be. And this given that while I was ordering my coffee, they were putting in a freshly opened bag of beans into the hopper…
Gran Caffè,
Il Caffè al Testaccio,
Fratelli Capone,
Bar Campidano S.A.S.
Di di [sic] Simone F. & C.
Piazza Testaccio 30, 00153 Roma
