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CHIOSCO RIDENTE CAFFÈ, PIAZZA ANTONIO MEUCCI 27, 00146 ROMA
Rating: Standard, mid to low end North Italian coffee
The Chiosco Ridente Caffè is one of those places you’re glad exists. It’s on a traffic chocked park, that seems that in other days was a frequented place by families and kids, but I’ve never seen the center playground really hold any critical mass. But maybe on weekends it’s another story. Either way, this place speaks of chill, laid back attitude and simply exudes a different rhythm to life. Who cares about investments, stocks, industry and the like? Here it’s all about having a simple coffee and sitting under a tree with your back to the dense traffic that always knurls around this park. The barista was an older heavyset guy that was having a conversation with a very Mafioso looking guy who was complaining about not being able to eat vegetables, they bloated his stomach…
This is what I got:
Presentation: One of the most peculiar presentations I’ve ever had in Rome. First off, the cup was clean, all in order. But look again, there’s no spoon! Well, look again at what the barista put on the counter:
Yeah, the spoon is in a small container that had hot water in it. It was to make the espresso a bit longer if it was too short! This is great! Never had this before, he didn’t only give it to me, but to all the other customers as well. Then he put a cup of water without asking. Just great.
Temperature of Cup: Super hot, simple as that.
Quantity: Very short shot, simply a ristretto, I was happy!
Temperature: By the time I took the plunge it was OK, but this is a good 2 minutes after being served the coffee, at least.
Volume/Consistency: Oily, rich, thickish but not heavy, not sandy either. Rich and controlled is my experience of it.
Crema: Thin but persistent, and apparently made the coffee just that much richer. It wasn’t very dark and just a tad over-extracted.
Odor: An ever so faint scent of dark dark roasted coffee.
Taste: A very brightly bitter cup of coffee, not over the top, but light, and elastic. The oiliness of the cup made it seem also as if there was a warm buttery taste to it. All this gave way to a very bitter finish that lingered on for quite some time.
Overall: This was a solid mid to low end coffee as the cup was too warm and then the bitterness of it, came to predominate. The presentation however, was great!
The setup: The espresso machine was a San Marco late 80s early 90s looking model. The grinder I couldn’t make out, but I’d guess the same brand. The coffee was Segafredo Caffè Zanetti, this is the Trieste based roaster that does dark as heck coffee and sells essentially worldwide.
Il Chiosco Ridente Bar Caffè
Di Cecconi Natascia S.A.S.
Piazza Antonio Meucci 27
00146 Roma