Where do locals drink coffee in Rome?
Romans drink coffee standing at the bar, not seated, and they do it fast. The neighborhood bar is the institution: Sant'Eustachio il Caffè near the Pantheon is genuinely excellent and draws both tourists and regulars, but the more telling signal is any unremarkable corner bar in Prati, Testaccio, or Pigneto where the espresso costs 1.10 to 1.20 euros and nobody lingers. Tazza d'Oro, also near the Pantheon, earns its reputation. In Trastevere, locals have largely been priced out of the piazzas, so follow them to bars on the residential streets one block off the main drag. Order simply: "un caffè" gets you espresso; "caffè macchiato" if you want a drop of milk. Sit down and the price doubles or triples by law. The coffee itself is almost always a dark Roman roast, noticeably more bitter than what you find in Milan or Naples, and Romans consider that a feature, not a flaw.
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