KRISTAL BAR CAFFÈ, PIAZZA VITTORIO EMANUELE 114, 00185 ROMA

Rating: Standard, mid to lower-end Roman Coffee

Right as you exit the Vittorio Emanuele A-line exit, to visit the eponymous piazza/park (Or the Giardini Nicola Calipari), you step right onto an arcade. A busy arcade with shops, vendors on the street and this cafe, the Kristal Bar Caffè. On the outside there were between 4 to 5 tables to sit on. In the interior, there was the typical long corridor like space where people are expected to line up on the ‘bar’ and drink their coffee. At the very end, the cafe opened up to a slot-machine area. If you’re from Vegas this is normal affair I suppose, but I still can’t get used to the idea. Cafes here in Rome are simply different, a different beast altogether. Hell, look at how cool the entrance to the this bar is!

Asking for a coffee go the following:​

​Presentation: The cup was clean, spoon a little bet up, but within decent relationship to the cup it was supposed to stir. The cup came with a Logo of a coffee I’ve been made acquainted with before, so we’re doing OK. The water was served very politely only after I asked, and while I asked for just a drop of water in the glass, the barista went to gave me a rim-full glass of water.

Temperature of Cup: Cup was on the warm side. It wasn’t scalding, but not at the preferred temperature. While I waited to catch the barista to ask her for water I had the chance to wait a good minute or two.

Quantity: The shot was short and very good sized in this cup. Positive point.

Temperature: By the time I took it to my mouth, it was warmish – but possible to drink. It got the feeling that I saved myself from getting burnt by waiting for the water.

Volume/Consistency: It was thin, not very creamy, nor thick as I’d liked it to be. Not paper thin, but simply light.

Crema: It had some signs of play and activity. It was sticky, bubble-gum like in its will to stick to the sides of the cup. It was over extracted, and this is even though the shot was very short!​

Odor: Unfortunately, I couldn’t sense one here. It was rather cold outside but still I did smell the odor of freshly warmed butter that was emanating from the croissants in the bar. So…

Taste: It was bitter, astringent, cutting in its taste. It wasn’t soft, nor accommodating, yet it didn’t get near rancid, nor toxic. It was a thin taste profile that didn’t let my tastebuds move anywhere outside of the bitter dark-roasted flavor profile.​

​Overall: It wasn’t oily, creamy, nor did it have a good taste bouquet. It wasn’t undrinkable, but the thinness and lack of oils, and the lack of flavor makes it a standard, run-of-the-mill coffee. It is mid to lower range I’d say.

The setup: The two baristas, that seemed to be estern-European blue-eyed blond twin sisters, were kicking out cafes from the following two machines-identical twin Faema E-78s. I thought it was comical, and hoped that when the bar was busy, some clients would think they’re seeing ‘double’ as they downed their ‘caffe correto’…. The grinder was a Faema as well, and the coffee being brewed was the locally-roasted El Mokado Caffè. This is the Ariccia-based (south-east Rome) roaster that has had really great representatives here in Rome.​

Kristal Bar Caffè

Fragolinos S.R.L.

Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 114

00185 Roma

Tel. 06 6450 3375

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