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Rating: Standard, Low-end Roman Coffee
This is going to be an interesting week of reviews as most of the cafes I’ve been to recently have been of the lower-end type. But it’s best to know about them, and decide for oneself, than to walk in blindfolded and expect a superb Roman coffee. The Caffè Bar Carbone has a fun name, and reflected for me, even before setting foot in it, that it was going to be bad. Carbone is coal. So yes, the coal cafe. How appetizing! Well, if you’re an a non-EU citizen residing in Italy, chances are you’ll have to visit the Government building on the Via Ostiense at least once in your time here, and chances also are that you’ll be killing some time and visiting some of these cafes. So here’s my take on them for you.
Asking for a coffee got me this:
Presentation: The barista was super nice, even with a room full of hungry, tired and stressed out Italians and immigrants. The cup was clean, spoon had seen it’s action, and no water was offered. She didn’t ask, and probably would have given it to me if asked.
Temperature of Cup: Good temperature, not hot, not cold.
Quantity: Yes! Get the damned coffee out of the way! Just down it and go outside that door and back into the waiting line at the government building.
Temperature: It was good, right on the spot.
Volume/Consistency: Ahh… everything was going great up to here, and here, even, it wasn’t that bad. It was indeed silky, but thin. It was like a soft sheen of coffee with just a bit of oil to give it life.
Crema: It was very light brown, thin, and no life in it. This is in part due to the beans in the bean mix, but also the temperature and coarseness of the grind for the machine. It was unfortunately lifeless…
Odor: Nope, none here, and it would have helped because the place had a heavy air of humidity with all the folks packed in it.
Taste: It was so amazingly bitter, but didn’t reach the rancid point. Had it been more hot, or just a bit longer I’m sure it would have reached that point. But this is what saved it, it was bitter as hell, but somehow held it’s reigns back and didn’t slip over into rancidness.
Overall: The acrid nature of the coffee and the thinness of texture where its pitfalls. It was so short that you didn’t get a chance to chew on anything, and nor did I feel that it packed enough ‘umphf’ to provoke satisfaction in normal Romans who want a kick in the ass from their espressi.
The setup: They had an older Astoria espresso machiene with a similar grinder, and the coffee was ….
Caffè Haiti Roma, a local roaster that has provided some of the best espressi I’ve had in Rome. The Crismi Caffe Bar in Monteverde brewed an amazing espresso from their beans….
I must say, that out of all the bars that are surrounding this government building on Via Ostiense, this bar was the nicest. It’s staff was super friendly, relaxed, and the interior, while stinking of 1980s decor, was relaxed and while on the shabby side, comfortable like a roadside diner in the US.
Carbone Caffè Bar
“Bar Gastronomia Latteria”
Carbone David
Via Ostiense 160C
00154 Roma
Tel. 06 275 3713