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GRAN CAFFÈ FARINI, VIA FARINI 24-28, 00185 ROMA
Rating: Standard, mid-range Roman coffee
The Gran Caffè Farini is one of those Italian cafes that, if you’re not Roman, you’re left with a question mark. It sits in the busy streets between the Termini station and Santa Maria Maggiore, When I happened on it, I couldn’t but be amazed at the amount of people crowding its exterior. There were about 20 students sitting on its tables outside, and inside, there were a good 15 people crowding the bar. Location is everything, because it sits right next to two different police corps offices, and apparently, some type of high school. But what raises the question mark is that coffee is judged differently here in Rome.
Asking for a coffee without paying first at the bar got this nice thing:
Presentation: I got a very nice cup, it was clean, crisp, the spoon was well used, but fit for the cup. No water was offered, this is odd as there was a chaotic group of about 4 different baristas running around behind the bar as if they were super busy, but somehow between their chatter with all the clients at the bar, the managed to loose what in the US we’d say was ‘efficiency’. There was a fun logo on the cup that got me curious, so let’s see how it was.
Temperature of Cup: It was at a good brewing temperature. The boiler in the machine was not continuously on and things from the temperature side of it, seemed good.
Quantity: It looked like a good 1.5 oz or 45 ml espresso, a bit long for me, but it gave a very pleasing effect on the eye sitting there in this very big bowl-like cup.
Temperature: I took the plunge and when the coffee hit my lips it was good, onto my tongue and still at a great temperature. I could taste the coffee without a problem. We’re on a positive roll so far with this espresso.
Volume/Consistency: Here’s what I care about most in these espressi- It was silky, thickish, not sandy, not watery. It wasn’t altogether extremely silky, but it was indeed thick. I couldn’t make out the oiliness of it because of another factor…
Crema: We’ll here we start addressing that question mark- The crema was dark as it can be without being simply jet-black coffee itself. It was thin, extra dark, and ice-bergy. This last facet means it does indeed have oils in it, it’s just that the combo of temperature, extra dark roast and packed puck in the porta filter let us have this cark oil-like ooze.
Odor: No real odor arising from this brew, it was mute on this level, and if there was indeed any type of odor her it must have been too subtle to notice.
Taste: Here’s what most folks care about- It was bitter, hell was it bitter! Extremely deep and no complexity in taste. Here’s what Romans consider a ‘great’ coffee, what non-Romans consider ‘crap’. So go figure! But the crema’s bitterness and the coffee itself combined to produce a really astringently pungent kick in the rear.
Overall: The coffee was well cared for. As you can see in the crema residue on the cup, it had a weird separation of it’s oils. The oils on the coffee were all in the crema and the rest was rather flimsy. The taste spectrum was simple, direct and uncomplicated, just like Roman pasta dishes (think of Cacio e Peppe). So while it was a regular non impossible coffee for me, by Roman standards it was surely good. Hell, it wasn’t rancid in any way, so it kept the horses well reined in.
The setup: Here’s a first, I think, for Rome, a hipster wonderland dream machine, that I believe is completely overhyped, but indeed it was the ‘famous’ La Marzocco espresso machine! I have yet to see two of these in a row in Rome, and don’t recollect seeing any honestly. But here it was. I couldn’t make out the grinder, but it was square and old, and probably an AnFim grinder. The coffee was Pinci Caffè. This is an Aurelia neighborhood Roman-Based roaster that apparently is doing quite heavy-hitting coffee. It was new to me, so I’m glad to have tasted it. I’ll try to pass by their headquarters in Aurelia sometime!
As you can see the bar was very proud of their La Marzocco…
If I have to give a comment about the, it would be that it was a very lively, happy place. Almost everybody behind the counter was Roman and were wearing their high-flying attitude on their sleep. The inside of the cafe was all merry shouting and laughter…. and the funny thing is that all the staff had on the same polo shirt, with an emblem on it that looked like the ‘AS Roma’ club’s logo. So I guess they were a team indeed.
Gran Caffè Farini
Via Farini 24-26-28
00185 Roma
Tel. 06 474 5383