Beautiful Cafe in Trieste: Caffe Tommaseo et al.

Trieste is the home town of illy caffe, one of the premium coffee beans brands and my personal favourite. Being the birthplace of the world's best espresso beans, Trieste has an abundance of good cafes, ranging from the traditional elegant Viennese-style coffee houses (Caffe Tommaseo, Caffe San Marco, Caffe degli Speechi, Caffe Stella Polare etc.), to the ultra chic and stylish modern cafes (How about Espressamente illy, the funky coffee joint operated by illy caffe itself?).

A stroll through Trieste's compact city centre will bring you past some of the most authentic coffee houses in Europe. Cafes in Trieste are not quite like those in other Italian cities: they are not just a place to have a cup of cappucino or espresso whilst on your way to work, but an institution of ritual and tradition.

Thanks to the city's longstanding Austro-Hungarian heritage, the interiors of some best known coffee houses in Trieste reflect the sophistcation of fin-de-siecle 'Vienesse cafes' - with their antique bent wood furnitures, red wood-panelled walls and lots of mirrors. Amid the mitteleurope flaire, excellent Italian coffees are served alongside delicious selections of central European desserts, such as cream cheese cakes, apple strudels and chocolate tarts. With soft live piano music in the background, people sip their coffee whilst reading, or engaging in a lively conversation.

The culture of coffee drinking and cafe-going are an all-important part of Trieste's daily social life. Average Triestines start their day with a cup of espresso or capibi (small cappucino served in a glass - bicchiere in Italian) standing up at one of the neighbourhood coffee bars, while those with more time to spare will spend a few leisurely hours reading newspapers and/or chatting with friends over several rounds of capibi in one of the traditional coffee houses.

The history and economic fortune of Trieste are inextricably linked to that of the coffee trade. Being the only sea port of the landlocked Austro-Hungarian Empire, Trieste prospered as imported goods from overseas destined for inland provinces of the Empire were unloaded at the city's natural deep-water harbour. Fuelled by the insatiable demand for coffee beans from Vienna's bourgeois and literary circle, Trieste became the hochburg of Europe's coffee trade, supplying elegant cafes throughout the realm of the Austor-Hungarian Empire with premium coffee products. Today, Trieste is one of the very few cities in the world where all segments of the coffee trade - wholesale merchants, roasters, tasters, suppliers, importers etc. - can be found alongside one another.

The vast amount of wealth accumulated during the period of Trieste's prosperity is evident in the presence of numerous grand mansions and elaborate Viennese-style public buildings that adorned the squares and boulevards of Trieste.

In addition to well-respected names like Tommaseo and degli Speechi, in recent years a flurry of trendy cafes with a modernist decor appear in and around Trieste, much to the delight of younger cafe goers and those who are interested in exploring Treiste's cafe scene. One of my personal favourite is the chic Espressamente illy, a concept cafe chain developed by illy caffe s.p.a. themselves in their bid to promote premium Italian espressos all around the world and to challenge the global coffee hegemony of Starbucks. A good alternative for those who don't like their coffee with lots of sweet cream and chocolate sauce on top. nowadays Espressamente illy can be found in many cities and location, with a network stretching from Lisbon to Istanbul to Taipei.

For those who prefer a short coffee interval in a cafe with a more traditional note, Cafe Continentale, an elegant place located in the side-lobby of the 4-star Hotel Continentale Trieste, is an ideal place for those who are looking for a quiet place for a coffee break in the midst of their shopping spree. This cosy cafe with a warm, woody interior also serves as the breakfast room of Hotel Continentale, but it is open to public after 10am. Like Caffe Tommaseo and Caffe Stella Polare, Cafe Continentale also use illy caffe beans and related products.

    Above: the interior of Cafe Continentale.

Caffe Stella Polare, another historical cafe deeply steeped in traditions. It is also a favourite hangout of Trieste's intellectuals. Here you will find a good selection of Viennesse-style deserts such as Apfelstrudel, cheese cakes, chocolate cakes and cream cakes. Their coffee supplier is Lavazza, the Turin-based coffee enterprise. 

The well-known Caffe degli Speechi, on the beautiful Piazza Unità d'Italia, is a cafe frequented by local businessmen and merchants. On a sunny day, locals will sit outside and enjoy the view of the square over their coffee and deserts. The interior of Caffe degli Speechi is also very Viennese in terms of its decor, and offers live piano music sessions on weekends.

Copyrights 2010. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.