Where do locals drink coffee in Rome?

Romans drink coffee standing at the bar, not seated at a table, and they do it fast. In the historic center, Sant'Eustachio il Caffè near the Pantheon is genuinely beloved by locals and tourists alike, and its gran caffè, pre-sweetened at the machine, is worth the small queue. Tazza d'Oro, a block away on Via degli Orfani, is the other classic and pulls an excellent espresso. Outside the center, neighborhoods like Prati, Testaccio, and Garbatella have neighborhood bars where regulars come twice a day without fanfare; no single name dominates because the culture is hyper-local. Expect to pay around €1.10 to €1.30 for an espresso at the bar; sitting down at certain tourist-facing places can cost three times that. Order a caffè and you get espresso. A cappuccino is acceptable only before noon. Correcting this to a barista is unnecessary; they already know you had it after lunch.

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