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Rating: Standard, mid-range Roman Coffee
In the streets connecting the Viale di Trastevere and the Via Portuense you have a series of cafes that are more local affairs, frequented by the residents of the neighborhood and not so much by throngs of tourists. The Caffè Bistrot Montani sits on a corner and has a black and white clean interior that is very up to date, a bit hip, and actually inviting. It acts more as a coffee and luch place, and the staff was very nice. Let’s see what they conjure up.
Asking for coffee got me this:
Presentation: A nice fluted cup, water was given after I asked, and all seemed in order.
Temperature of Cup: The cup was very hot, I had to sit there and stare around like a lunatic for a while before being able to drink the coffee.
Quantity: In this cup, and in this brand of coffee – I’m used to getting extra short espresso. Here it was short, but a bit long in the context of other shots. It was good.
Temperature: After waiting, the coffee was at a good temperature, but already, in my opinion, brewed at too high a temperature.
Volume/Consistency: It was silky, more than I expected, and it had a grainy texture. Lots of volume in its liquid.
Crema: The crema was grainy, uniform, not much life in it, but it was persistent and added consistent texture to the drink.
Odor: There was a slight scent of very darkly roasted coffee. Very positive!
Taste: The taste was clear, very bitter, strong, no complex spectrum of flavors. It was heading towards rancid notes but never actually got there.
Overall: Yes, I forgot to take a photo of the finished shot! Yikes! But the espresso was generally very good. It was the thickness of it and the persistence of the crema that made the espresso voluminous and nice to drink. It wasn’t a watery drink at all, and it kept its safe distance from the rancid area. The café was nice and had lots of tables, it looks like a place that would tolerate lounging about and chilling in its interior. Definitely worth visiting if you need a break from the markets of the Portuense!
The setup: They had a setup that I really like, and that appears to come standard with the espresso they were brewing: an Astoria espresso machine and grinder. There was a Nuova Simonelli grinder for the decaf, which should be used for the normal espresso, as it’s a lot fresher! The coffee was the Roman based Gima Caffè. A brand that usually delivers very potent, rich espressi that can be some of the best in Rome.
Caffè Bistrot Montani, SAS
di Palleschi Marcello
Via Ippolito Nievo 20-22
00153 Roma