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Rating: Standard, mid-to upper level Roman coffee
On a bend of the Via della Magliana that conforms to the winding nature of the Tevere river, you find the Gran Caffè di Rauso. Its a double locale with ample space inside. On the right hand side and towards the back you have the bar and cashier, and on the left an space with lots of tables and chairs. It’s a place you want to come Sunday mornings in. The staff was very nice and the coffee, a good surprise. Let’s have a look and see why.
Asking for a coffee got me this:
Presentation: Yup, you know I’ll be glad. The cup was fluted, thin, and doesn’t let you pour too much into it. The coffee brand is one I like, its Golden Brasil Caffè, and I’ve had quite a few places with it, so this will have to stand the test… The spoon was good, although rather bland. Water was served immediately and without asking. It was a bit too cold, making a really big contrast with the espresso, but this is me being picky! So we’re doing great so far. And on top of it… they had a nice cup of ‘Crema di Caffè’ for you to help yourself with… ahh.. it’s been a long time since I saw this- and it looked terrific! I’ll have to go back just to get an espresso with it.
Temperature of Cup: It was good, not hot, not cold, but warm and felt like the espresso would melt into it. I was happy.
Quantity: Yup, a ristretto by US standards, it was probably half an ounce. Really great and to the point!
Temperature: Here was a surprise, the espresso was quite hot, I put it to my lips and it almost burnt my tongue. It wasn’t scalding, but it was on the high end of the spectrum.
Volume Consistency: It was silky but not thick, it had a consistency almost to a macchiato and wasn’t sandy or raspy. I was glad, it was oily in its thickness, more akin to sunflower oil than olive oil.
Crema: It was rich, grainy, had some life in it, and complex. Was too light for my taste, but it was persistent and helped complement the experience of drinking the substance that was under it.
Odor: There was a bit of dark-roasted coffee smell in there. It was pleasant.
Taste: It was bitter, but not terribly bitter. There was no rancidness and while the taste was flat in it’s complexity, it was good.
Overall: I was very glad with this espresso. In comparison to other Golden Brasil espressi I’ve had (such as that at Nino Pasticceria Bar in Ciampino) this was just behind it. A bit finer grind and maybe lower the temperature would have given a more complex taste spectrum to it or a more thickness to it. But it definitely a nice cup moving itself into the upper range of good Roman coffee. Really worth checking it out.
The setup: They had a nice E-Nova Faema three-group espresso machine with a Nuova Simonelli Grinder. Spartan, utilitarian, but so dependable and in the right hands (as it was here) able to spit out some excellent espressi. The coffee being served was that of the Adea based (on the coast of Rome) Golden Brasil Caffè. I’m generally impressed by this Roman styled roaster.
Gran Caffè
di Rauso Massimiliano
Via della Magliana 60-62
00146 Roma
Tel. 06 557 1563