The Antico Caffè Greco Rome is the second oldest coffee shop in Italy and the oldest coffeehouse in Rome. Lord Byron, Goethe, Friedrich Nietzsche, Wagner, Nikolai Gogol, Stendhal, Henrik Ibsen, Keats, Thomas Mann, Mark Twain, James Joyce, Orson Wells, Sophia Loren, Elisabeth Taylor, and Princess Diana sipped their coffees in this legendary Roman café. On my recent trip to Rome, I enjoyed my cup of authentic Italian espresso there. And here is why you need to do it, too.
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If you follow my blog, you know how much I appreciate a good cup of coffee. For the same reason, visiting the most iconic cafes in the world is always on my travel bucket list.
I especially love the charm and atmosphere of the old-world cafes, steeped in history and culture.
For instance, I enjoyed coffee in the New York Cafe in Budapest (called the most beautiful coffeehouse in the world!), Gran Caffè Gambrinus in Naples, Italy (the most prestigious historic cafe in Naples), and I sipped coffee in the most famous historical cafes in Vienna, Austria (like Cafe Central and Café Sacher).
So, the Antico Caffè Greco in Rome was on my Rome bucket list. I wanted to have a cup of authentic Italian espresso in the most famous historic cafe in the capital of Italy.
The Antico Caffè Greco Rome
On my recent trip to Rome, I visited Antico Caffè Greco, the oldest café in Rome. Antico Caffè Greco was open in Rome in 1760. Roman Antico Caffè Greco is also the second oldest cafe in Italy. The iconic Caffè Florian in Venice opened its doors to the first guests in 1720, forty years before Antico Caffè Greco in Rome
Antico Caffè Greco has been one of the most visited places in Rome since its opening. It has been a favorite gathering place in Rome for coffee-loving locals and visitors of Rome for centuries. The legendary Antico Caffè Greco has been a preferred cafe in Rome of many historical figures, intellectuals, academics, philosophers, politicians, artists, celebrities, and all kinds of devoted coffee enthusiasts. Many famous historical figures enjoyed coffee in Antico Caffè Greco in Rome. Among them are Lord Byron, Goethe, Friedrich Nietzsche, Wagner, Nikolai Gogol, Stendhal, Henrik Ibsen, Keats, Thomas Mann, Mark Twain, James Joyce, Orson Wells, Sophia Loren, Elisabeth Taylor, and Princess Diana. Hans Christian Anderson even lived in an upstairs room of Antico Caffè Greco Rome.
Today, the Antico Caffè Greco is a historic landmark of Rome and a must-see in Rome for coffee lovers.
The interior of Antico Caffè Greco showcases the genuine charm of an old-world coffeehouse. It has an elegant interior filled with burgundy walls, tiny wooden tables with marble tops, red velvet sofas and chairs, mirrors, and paintings. Even the bathroom of Antico Caffè Greco is beautiful. This famous Roman coffee bar has a stunning white marble bathroom.
The Antico Caffè Greco in Rome is a member of the Association of Historical Places in Italy (Locali storici d’Italia). For instance, Cafe Florian in Venice, Gran Caffè Gambrinus in Naples, and Café Carducci in Verona are its members.
The Antico Caffè Greco is a coffee institution in Rome. Numerous drawings and paintings related to Rome show the Antico Caffè Greco. It is a place full of history and art. An interesting fact is that Antico Caffè Greco is also the hugest private gallery open to the public in Rome. The Caffe Greco has more than 300 artworks (drawings, paintings, statues, and medallions). The artwork is in nine salon rooms of the Caffe: the Sala Rossa, the Red Room, the White Room, the Galli Room, the Omnibus Room, the Roman Views Room, the Szoldaticz Room, the Sala Roma, and Gubinelli Hall. The most famous and the most photographed saloon is the Omnibus Room. The Omnibus Room has a vast collection of photos of the guests. You can trace the history of the cafe through them!
Antico Caffè Greco is one of the most famous historic cafes in Italy. It is a cultural symbol of Rome. This tag comes with hefty prices. Coffee, drinks (from cocktails to wines), cakes, pastries, and other food (from sandwiches to salads) in Antico Caffè Greco are on the pricer side. The prices vary whether you take your coffee or drink standing at the bar’s foyer or while seated and served by a bow-tied waiter at a table. It is cheaper to drink coffee standing at the bar. To remind you, this is the way how Italians drink their coffee. Remember, Italians traditionally drink coffee fast while standing! So, do it like locals do. Order and sip your espresso while standing at the bar’s foyer.
However, if you wish to absorb the atmosphere of this historic place, let a waiter seat you at a table. I decided to get a seat on my visit to Antico Caffe Greco Rome. I ordered an espresso with a cake. A cup of espresso was 8 €, and a slice of cake was 10 €. The prices in Caffe Greco are steep. But historic luxury places, such as Antico Caffè Greco in Rome, always come with hefty prices. After all, Antico Caffè Greco is a Roman cultural and historical treasure.
Antico Caffè Greco is the heart of the historic center of Rome. Antico Caffè Greco is in Via dei Condotti, 86. It is only 1 min walk from the famous Spanish Steps. Antico Caffè Greco is also a 10-minute walk from the Fontana di Trevi.
Antico Caffè Greco Rome is open from 9.30 am to 9 pm, seven days a week. Caffè Greco gets the busiest during breakfast and after lunch and dinner when locals come to the bar for an aperitivo.
If you like history, art, and coffee as much as I do, put Antico Caffè Greco on your Rome bucket list!
Where to Stay in Rome
Spagna Royal Suite – is a 4-star guest house with luxury rooms. Spagna Royal Suite is a 1-minute walk from Antico Caffè Greco Rome, a 3-minute walk from Spanish Steps, and an 8-minute walk from Fontana di Trevi.
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