The Art of Italian Cafés

In Italy, coffee is far more than a daily pick-me-up; it’s a ritual, an opportunity for connection, and an enduring symbol of Italian life.  Whether sipped quickly at the bar or slowly enjoyed in a grand historic café, coffee is woven into the cultural fabric of the country.

Coffee first arrived in Italy in the 16th century, through Venice from Egypt. The first coffee houses followed soon after, with Venice becoming Europe’s coffee capital for a time. These early cafés quickly evolved into  vital social hubs, places where ideas were exchanged, politics debated,  and revolutions quietly brewed over tiny cups of this intense, aromatic  beverage. Over the centuries, these institutions became temples not only of taste but also of thought, art, and culture. 

Today, coffee is the second most consumed beverage in Italy after bottled  water, with 78% of Italians enjoying it regularly. And while there are  countless modern cafés and espresso bars across the country, it is the  historic establishments, many centuries old, that continue to enchant visitors with their elegant interiors, storied pasts, and unwavering dedication to the art of coffee. 

Let us step into the world of Italy’s most iconic historic cafés, where every cup tells a story, and every sip is steeped in centuries of history.

CAFFÈ FLORIAN

VENICE (EST. 1720) ‘ANDEMO DA FLORIAN!’

Located on Piazza San Marco, Caffè Florian is not only the oldest café in  Italy; it’s the oldest coffee house in Europe. It opened in 1720 as Alla Venezia  Trionfante (Triumphant Venice) but soon became known as ‘Florian’s’, after its founder, Floriano Francesconi.  

For over three centuries, the café has welcomed an extraordinary range of  guests, from Venetian nobles and political thinkers to international artists  and writers. During the 1848 uprising, its richly decorated halls even served  as a refuge for the wounded. Remarkably, it has stayed open even during  times of war, remaining a cherished place for a light meal, refreshments,  and friendly conversation. Its interiors, restored in the 19th century by  Lodovico Cadorin, are a masterpiece of Venetian style. With its gilded  mirrors, frescoes, and marble tables, Florian remains a symbol of elegance  and continuity and still echoes with the phrase ‘Andemo da Florian’ (‘Let’s  meet at Florian’s!’).

ANTICO CAFFÈ GRECO

ROME (EST. 1760) – ‘THE GREEK CAFÉ’

Antico Caffè Greco, often simply called Caffè Greco, is the oldest  bar in Rome and the second oldest in Italy, after Caffè Florian in  Venice. Founded by Nicola di Madalena, a coffee maker from the  Levant, the café quickly became a meeting place for artists, writers,  philosophers, and intellectuals from across Europe and beyond.  Over time, it earned a reputation not just as a café but as a home  for creativity and reflection. 

Art has found a distinctive home within the café’s network of  intimate rooms and corridors, adorned with the now-iconic  Pompeian red walls, grey marble tables, and gilded mirrors. With  more than 300 pieces on display, Caffè Greco holds the world’s  largest private art collection open to the public. For over 250  years, it has been a sanctuary for thinkers, politicians, and writers  – people seeking privacy and inspiration. Today, it continues to  represent the international spirit of Rome, offering not just coffee  but a sense of timeless cultural richness.

CAFFÈ AL BICERIN

TO R I N O ( E ST. 1 7 6 3 )

Caffè Al Bicerin was founded in 1763 by Giuseppe Dentis, a  citron drink maker, in a small shop across from the Sanctuary of the  Consolata. The original café was modestly furnished with simple  wooden benches and tables. The current building, designed by the  architect Carlo Promis and completed in 1856, gave the space its  elegant look, featuring wood-panelled walls adorned with mirrors  and lamps, along with small round white marble tables. 

The café’s success was built on the creation of the bicerin, a drink  that evolved from the 18th-century bavareisa, a popular mix of  coffee, chocolate, and milk, served in large glasses. While the  ingredients were originally served separately, by the 19th century  they were combined in small handleless glasses, called bicerin.  The drink was offered in three variations, but ’n poc ’d tut (meaning  ‘a little bit of everything’), which combined all three ingredients, quickly became the most popular and enduring. It eventually  spread to other cafés and came to represent a symbol of Turin’s  coffee culture. 

The coffee house has always been a regular meeting place for  important people, such as Cavour, Nietzsche, Dumas, Puccini,  and Calvino. While most cafés of the era were male-only spaces,  Al Bicerin was unique: although founded by a man, it was soon run  by women. This made it one of the few respectable places where  women could gather alone in public. 

CAFFÈ PEDROCCHI

PADOVA (EST. 1831) – ‘ THE CAFÉ WITHOUT DOORS’

Caffè Pedrocchi is Padua’s most iconic and historic café, founded in 1831 by  Antonio Pedrocchi, a famous coffee maker from Bergamo. His vision was to create ‘the most beautiful café on Earth’ in the heart of the city. He entrusted this task to the Venetian architect Giuseppe Jappelli, who designed a grand building that soon became an architectural symbol of Padua and a masterpiece of 19th-century café culture. 

When it first opened, it came to be known as ‘the café without doors’ because  it was the only café in Padua that, before 1916, was always open and ready to welcome customers. More than just a coffee house, it became a vibrant hub for  intellectuals, writers, businesspeople, and travellers. It hosted everything from literary discussions and Masonic meetings to balls and celebrations. Beloved  by many, including the French writer Stendhal, who called it ‘the best restaurant in Italy’, Caffè Pedrocchi remains a refined space for coffee, cuisine, and cultural events in the heart of Padua.