PAGODA CAFFÈ, PIAZZA CINA SNC, 00144 ROMA

Rating: Standard, mid-range Illy coffee in rome

Just on the outskirts of the EUR neighborhood and right next to the large building of the Agenzia delle Entrate (or Italian IRS if I’m not mistaken), you’ll find a parking lot full of taxis, and there, nestled in the corner is the Pagoda Caffè Bar. It’s a small kiosk with standing room only, a coffee machine and a small kitchen where really good tramezzini and other quick takeaway Italian food is prepared for the taxi drivers to eat outside. As expected, when I walked in I was greeted by a straight faced barista that was very courteous, and with a serious demeanor, but who then immediately broke into jokes with the first taxi driver that walked in. On the background there was a mobile phone with a live video cast of some priest celebrating the mass in a church.

This is what I got served:

Presentation: A nice sparkling cup of Illy. It was a cup I’ve seen many times, and while routine, it’s surely not going to be totally junk- usually. No water offered, but here you have to not be too reserved – in this far off removed area, a cup of water was surely free of charge.

Temperature of Cup: It was good, warm, almost too hot, but not boiling, very positive!

Quantity: It was as almost all espresso here, a result of the pushing of a button. The barista pushed the present button on the la Cimbali and went into the kitchen for a second, how’s that for taking care of the cup extraction.

Temperature: Good temperature. However it was on the warm side, there was steam coming off the cup as I waited. It was a brisk fall day when I had this cup so it wasn’t unexpected, but still.

Volume/Consistency: It was lighter than usual, a bit powdery as well, I could differentiate the water from the coffee grounds, not too exciting, but the oil rich brew that glues these two substances together wasn’t there.

Crema: It was uniform, not over extracted, and persistent. It was an ‘executives’ definition of a perfect crema.

Odor: It was a dark, warm roasted smell. Nice! If unimaginative.

Taste: It was a warm, nutty start, that then plateauted quickly on to a tart sharp-like bitter taste of dark-roasted coffee. It had a crescendo effect let us say. The finish was milder and left traces of dark roasted bitter coffee.

Overall: It was a typical roman experience coffee. Although Illy, it didn’t give much of a nutty flavor as they tend to do. It was a sharper, punchier espresso.

The setup: The machine was an older La Cimbali, seen hundreds of times now in Rome. The grinder also the same brand. The coffee was Illy Caffè. No introduction needed.

La Pagoda Caffè

PA.GO.DA SRL

Piazza Cina SNC

00144 Roma

Tel. 06 8698 1907

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