Chasing the Perfect Espresso in Rome
Alex, a 39-year-old writer from Boston, thought Rome would be all about history—gladiators, ruins, the works. But on his ABrenna Travel trip, he found a new obsession: espresso, guided by Giulia, a Roman with a laugh like church bells and a mission to redefine coffee for him. “I thought I knew coffee,” Alex says, chuckling. “Giulia proved me wrong, one tiny cup at a time.” Their quest through Rome’s cafés turned his week into a caffeinated love letter to the Eternal City.
Giulia led him to hole-in-the-wall spots in Testaccio and Trastevere, where baristas greeted her like a sister. At a counter in Sant’Eustachio, she taught him to sip espresso without sugar, letting the bitter-sweet notes dance. The real magic happened near Campo de’ Fiori, at a café run by a 90-year-old nonna who poured the “ridiculousy perfect” shot and hugged them both, her hands flour-dusted from baking. “That was Rome in a cup,” Alex says. Between sips, they wandered the Colosseum’s arches, tossed coins in the Trevi Fountain, and devoured cacio e pepe in a trattoria Giulia swore was the best (she wasn’t wrong).
Alex’s boutique hotel was a dream—marble floors, a rooftop terrace with Pantheon views, and breakfasts of cornetti, ricotta tarts, and cappuccino frothed to perfection. Giulia’s tours mixed coffee with culture: a Vespa ride through Aventine Hill, where orange trees perfumed the air, and a peek into a Baroque church where Bernini’s sculptures glowed. One night, she snuck him into an Ostiense jazz club, where locals danced to saxophone riffs till dawn. “Rome’s alive,” Alex says, “and Giulia made it feel like home.”
From a gelato stop in Piazza Navona to a quiet moment sketching the Roman Forum, his week was la dolce vita in full color. The espresso? Just the start. Wanna chase Rome’s best brew? ABrenna Travel’s ready to pour.
