Sant’ Eustachio is unanimously named as one of the Best Caffe’s in the town of Roma by more than 1 reliable sources, often mentioned along the same line with the likes of Caffé Tazza D’Oro, Parana Caffé, or the ridiculously rip-off of a touristy Antico Caffè Greco which I’d walked past then finally refused to visit (It’s opened by a Greek in 1760, not even an Italian, and they forcibly charge a minimum of €7.0 per Espresso – only idiots will pay this price for its history and what looked like a mediocre coffee. Remember our discussion on tourist traps in Rome? Aka, Antica Gelateria di Roma…) Seems like any other shop with the word Antica inscribed in front of its title is bounded to be a cheating dud robbing your money. You just can’t trust everyone in town…
The queue is long here. It’s close to the Pantheon -
But not exactly easy to find.. hidden in a side street
A range of Delectable Toscano Amedei Chocolates and Cup offerings..
A miscellaneous offerings of sweets and pastries,
as well as cups and saucers from Sant’ Eustachio
Obviously, a load of crocks and a little bit of BS,
With little idea of what they’re talking about when it comes to coffee… Perfect?
Don’t really think so..
Independently Roasted Coffee,
A rare sight indeed. But what does that mean?
‘Gran Caffe ‘ Sant' Eustachio -
Their signature Double-Espresso with Sugar pre-added and stirred in, with what seemed like just a touch of milk foam with an aerated appearance. This was fragrant yes – but overly sweetened and unnatural even counting in the fact that most Italians add sugar in their espressi. It was enjoyable, but I still felt cheated in a way by the sugary masking… ~ 6.9/10
Cappuccino -
Milk was repeatedly reheated and poured into the next Gran Caffe or Milk based Coffee by the baristi, in an endless loop. This cappuccino was foamy but without being too aerated or stratified abruptly, as one should expect from Italian coffee shops. It was aromatic in an old-school fashion way & carrying sweet caramelly notes, but ultimately without character ~ 7/10
Coffee Accessories and Cups -
To be honest, I was nearly 90% sure of buying one of these as a souvenir.
But the resultant coffee’s I had here were just so commercialised, I instantly gave up on the idea without much deliberation. They’ll just remind me of the slight disappointment on its hype..
Established in 1938..
Who cares how old it is? The world has moved on from then.
This is not even 2nd Wave coffee, let alone 3rd Wave. But late 1st Wave at most and outright boring and churning out coffees like a sausage manufacturer non-stop…
Not a bad Caffe at all,
Despite all my complaints, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience as it was a unique experience despite it all a little fake. Caffé Tazza D’Oro around 1-2 streets away from here is much more natural in comparison. I still think Sant’ Eustachio il Caffe is worth a visit, but its coffee designed for novices, so don’t expect to walk away being enlightened from an experience coming by here…… Pre-adding sugar in their signature espresso drink is just soooo cheating..
Price: €5 Per Person
Coffee Score: ★★★☆☆☆
Opening hours:
Sun to Thurs - 8.30am - 01.00am
Fri - 8.30am - 01.30am
Sat - 8.30am - 02.00am
Address: Piazza Sant’Eustachio 82, 00186, Rome, Italy.
Phone/Fax number: 00 39 06 68802048
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