The many ways to say “coffee”. The Trieste variants and the 11 best coffee bars where to find them

Caffè intended as meeting places, where some of the greats of 20th-century European writing marked an epoch, holding their gatherings and writing masterpieces that are among the most widely read even today - Italo Svevo, James Joyce, Umberto Saba, to name the best known and most representative - and caffè intended as espressos, blended, and really well extracted with a vocabulary all their own. If you are planning on visiting Trieste, here is a handy glossary and an itinerary of the city’s best coffee bars.

“The point,” writes Mauro Covacich in his 'Trieste Sottosopra' (Trieste Upside Down), a delightful fresco and very useful vademecum on the city, “is not so much the quality of Trieste's blends as the variety of ways in which one can order a coffee in this city, and the misunderstandings this creates with respect to standard terminology.
[...] So, for example, a regular espressp, i.e. what you order by saying 'un caffè', is called black here.
And we’ve only just started: just say 'un nero' instead of 'un espresso' and you're done. If, however, you want a macchiato, you have to ask for 'un cappuccino', because if you ask for a 'caffè macchiato' you get a coffee with a small pot of cold milk on the side. What is called cappuccino throughout Italy, but now the world, practically does not exist in Trieste, except in the surrogate forms of caffelatte (but without foam) or latte macchiato. On the other hand, there is the cappuccino in a glass (macchiato coffee in glasses slightly larger than a cup) and the gocciato (coffee with a drop of milk froth), like all the other variants, is also available in ristretto, lungo, doppio, decaf, and corretto (meaning spiked with alcohol). To those who come to Trieste for the first time, this conveys the city's anomaly better than any explanation.
But I imagine the symbolic value of such a multiplication effect will not escape you: even at peak hour, even in the busiest bars, your coffee deserves to be customised, you have the right - a right perhaps a little bizarre that in another northern city no one would dare claim - to have an espresso made to measure. And the barista will indulge you. He will shout the order to the man at the coffee maker, sporting a range of abbreviations composed in increasingly miraculous ways reminiscent, even in accuracy, of the linguistic virtuosity of bookmakers on the stock exchange floor. As soon as the receipt is placed on the counter, a black, a decaf cappuccino in a glass and a gocciato will become a single "nerooogocciaaadecacapoinbì!".

To recap, then (but you will also find these translations on many menus):

Espresso = Nero

Marocchino/Espressino = Capo in a (if in cup); Capo in b (if in glass)

Cappuccino = not available, except as macchiato

Gocciato = coffee with a drop of milk froth

Coffee: the Trieste variants and the 11 best coffee bars where to find them

Where to taste the best? Here is an itinerary of 11 addresses chosen by Guida Bar d'Italia 2024 between historic cafés with evocative atmospheres and modern coffee bars, in terms of both ambience and offer, where coffee - traditional and beyond - is celebrated at its best.

Antico Caffè Torinese

The perfectly preserved wooden interiors and the striking Art Nouveau glass cabinets and tables give a nice glimpse to the patron who crosses the threshold of this historic café in the city centre, and give prominence in a studied contrast to the modern counter dedicated to mixology, one of the highlights of the shop. Here one can savour espressos and 'capo in b' always well executed, if desired to be paired with brioche, cakes, mignons and biscuits in a good selection.

Antico Caffè Torinese - Corso Italia, 2 - anticocaffetorinese.ts.it

Bar X

A modern and cosy space characterised by an incessant bustle. Here the offerings are convincing on every front, starting with the desserts, supplied by the well-known Pasticceria Marisa from San Giorgio delle Pertiche. The cafeteria, as well as an impeccable cappuccino (!) satisfies with specialities from Trieste. Those in search of a savoury treat can count on an inviting array of sandwiches and light lunches based on typical, seasonal dishes.

Bar X - via del Coroneo, 11 – Facebook

Corte Caffè

A delightful retreat right in the centre, a courtyard with Art Nouveau lines where it is a pleasure to sit down for a break at any hour, in the beautiful Nordic-style room, warm and clean, or in the elegant outdoor seating. It is a pleasure to spend time here from morning onwards, thanks to the beautiful range of brioches and a professionally executed cafeteria in all its variations, from espressos to cappuccinos and Trieste variants. The freshly squeezed fruit juices are also good.

Corte Cafè - piazza San Giovanni, 5 – Facebook

Eppinger Caffè

A historic signature of the region's sweet art, Eppinger welcomes daily crowds of Triestines and tourists visiting the city who want to treat themselves to a moment of relaxation in a well-kept and elegant café, with an intimate room on the first floor and a beautiful dehors. The day can begin with a good cappuccino and a slice of cake, or with biscuits and pastries, and there is no shortage of choice, not even on the tea and herbal tea side or the dessert side, with pastries, mignons and the typical specialities of Trieste tradition. Sunday brunch and at lunchtime a varied and quality offer.

Eppinger Caffè - via Dante Alighieri, 2b - eppingercaffetrieste.it

Illy

There are several locations in the city for the famous Trieste brand, including this one overlooking the sea, at Ponte Rosso, housed on the ground floor of the beautiful Palazzo Berlam. An enchanting space that among art deco decorated glass, mosaics and period furnishings invites you to linger. The café is well-kept and offers many options, including espressos and hot and cold speciality coffees (the Viennese and the shakerato are excellent). They can be accompanied by a quality offer that indulges every taste and time of day, and in the sweet theme ranges from croissants to mignon pastries, cakes, pancakes, delicious single-portion tarts with cream and fresh fruit.

Illy, via Gioacchino Rossini, 2 - illy.com

Lettera Viva

A charming place in the charm of Viale XX Settembre, with a skylight on the ceiling and a balcony from which verdant plants descend. In this atmosphere one chats, studies, works. In short, you take your time, between a coffee and a “macchiatone”, a chocolate or a chai latte, crepes, cupcakes and cakes (also veg and gluten free).

Lettera Viva - viale XX Settembre, 31B – letteraviva.com

Russian

Small but well-kept and cosy (the space expands with outside tables), the Russian is a centrally located bistro bar, open from morning to night. Here it is nice to start the day with a good 'black in b' and a sweet treat, with a choice of brioche and various cakes. On the subject of drinks, the offer flanks infusions, teas and centrifuges with delicious speciality coffees such as the 'whitecioccoloso', espresso with white chocolate, cream and almonds. There are tempting lunch options, including platters of the typical “cotto in crosta di pane”. Next door is the historic trattoria Da Giovanni, same ownership.

Russian - via Niccolò Paganini, 6 - Facebook

Antico Caffè San Marco

You cannot miss a visit to the Antico Caffè San Marco, right next to the magnificent synagogue (the second largest in Europe). Here everything tells of an era, to be enjoyed in the well-kept dining room, in the pedestrian dehors or in the bookshop, where events and presentations are often held. The San Marco is loved by everyone: university students, scholars, foreigners, and Triestines of all ages who stop by in the morning to start their day with impeccable espressos, 'capo in a' or 'gocciati', fragrant leavened pastries and delicious house specialities (the veg cakes are excellent).

Antico Caffè San Marco - via Cesare Battisti, 18 - caffesanmarco.com

Caffè Tommaseo

Founded in 1830, it was the city's first café and is just a stone's throw from Piazza Unità d'Italia. The antique and luxurious atmosphere connotes it in the stuccoes, mirrors and imperial-style spaces. The coffee - a black - is excellent, and is served with a delicious glass of home-made chocolate on the side. It can be enjoyed in the sea-view terrace or at the counter, where you can be tempted by the rich sweet and savoury offer.

Caffè Tommaseo - piazza Niccolò Tommaseo, 4c - caffetommaseo.it

Caffè Vatta

Same ownership and sweet offerings as Bar X for the award-winning Caffè Vatta (for 10 years Tre Chicchi e Tre Tazzine in the Guida Bar d'Italia) (https://www.gamberorosso.it/notizie/i-migliori-45-bar-ditalia-secondo-gambero-rosso/ ), in the scenic hamlet of Opicina. A pearl of excellence in the district overlooking Trieste amidst woods and footpaths, offering a high standard in every facet. The coffee break enjoys a perfect espresso, rich in nuances, ideal also for breakfast, which in addition to exquisite brioche offers various breakfast formulas: Italian, American, Vegan or English (with salmon toast, beans and eggs). Attention paid to sustainability and a nice network with small local producers, to whom the coffee grounds are supplied to be reused, even for fertilising fields.

Caffè Vatta, via Nazionale, 38 – Trieste-Opicina - Facebook

Viezzoli Pirona

The name Viezzoli in Trieste is famous first and foremost for its quality bakery, which is well celebrated in this luminous multi-purpose venue a stone's throw from Piazza Unità d'Italia. The cafeteria is excellent, in both classic and local versions (the 'capo in b' is special), and on the sweet side there is an embarrassment of riches to choose from, with fine leavened pastries and an endless counter full of delicious pastries and single portions, slices of cake, the not-to-be-missed strudel, pinze and gubane. Under the same management, the premises at 56 Via Baiamonti and Pasticceria Pirona.

Viezzoli Pirona - via della Cassa di Risparmio, 7 – viezzoli-pirona.com