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PEPE E CO. CAFFETTERIA, VIA DEI BARBIERI 15-16, 00186 ROMA
Rating: Standard, mid to low end coffee
Near the Piazza Largo Argentina, and hence, a jam packed area with folks of all kinds, you just step off the main piazza area that’s more of weird turn-around of some kind just to get drivers frustrated, you find the Pepe e Co. Caffetteria. It’s a place that doesn’t have a street sign, but just an entrance. Nothing fancy, but when you walk in, you’re met with folks chilling and chatting up lively conversations. Then to the left you have the bar area, to the right another area to sit and drink your Java. When I walked in, the left bar area has a kind of nightclub feel to it. A bit dark, a low hanging ceiling with visible wooden beams, and then a start contrast with the barista who was very, very serious. I think she didn’t like it at all that I took photos of the coffee and the machine. I could tell I got her totally nervous, and she started to talk to the guy that seemed to be ‘Pepe’ of the ‘Pepe e Co.’. They both looked at me to see what the hell I was doing. As soon as I broke the ice and they heard my accent and heaved out a big sigh.. just another tourist and not an inspector!
Whatever they thought this is what the served me:
Presentation: Yup, a cup of Lavazza. Not the thing I look forward to when I wake up in the morning but it’s a sign of quality, and in the mire of crappy espressos here in Rome, it count’s for something actually. And look at it! The second time in Rome that I’ve seen a spoon like that. It’s like a crazy tadpole escaped from the pond and jumped into a molten metal tub. Crazy cool. But it felt a bit out of place with the décor of the place.
Temperature of Cup: Ohh.. yes, super-uber hot. Nice start.
Quantity: Very short shot. Short and sweet. Good point here.
Temperature: Still darned hot for my taste, or for the future of my tastebuds…
Volume/Consistency: It was smooth but thin and raspy, not really a full bodied drink, nor coherently thin or light, it just seemed over extracted in this uber small espresso I got.
Crema: Thin, and I could tell not enough grounds were in the porta filter, or simply that the grinder was set on too large a ground.
Odor: Dark roasted smell, not necessarily pungent, nor bad. Decent.
Taste: It was a nutty start, buttery and thin, which it then quickly moved off to a bitter that butted with rancid, but didn’t get there. I was surprised by this shift south of the drink.
Overall: It was a decent mid to lower end Roman coffee experience, although of course the roaster is a North Italian… It didn’t have much depth nor character. However, it was worlds better than the Camerino Cafffe just around the block which serves tar in a cup at it’s flagship historic store.
The setup: They had a La Cimbali that looked like a tank, a Mazzer grinder, and the coffee of course, Lavazza Caffè. Enough info for ya?
Pepe e Co. Caffetteria
di Pepe Arsenio
Via dei Barbieri 15B-16
00186 Roma
Tel. 06 686 4740