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Beyond the piazza there’s Caffè Tommaseo from 1830, a cosy series of pearly rooms adorned with sculpted angels and waiters in crisp jackets and red ties, and La Bomboniera from 1836, a jewel box of a pastry shop offering such Austrian goodies as Linzer and Sachertorte cakes. The duo are managed by the Peratoner chocolate company, and to welcome visitors they give out charming cards that translate Trieste’s curious coffee language.
Yet the favourite of every Triestino I met is Caffè San Marco, founded in 1914 and located just outside the historical centre. The scene inside is warm and retains its stunning original design, with bronze coffee leaves bordering its ceiling and an antique copper espresso machine. There’s a bookstore on site and marble tables full of customers playing chess. Locals consider the owner, Alexandros Delithanassis, a city hero. A former book publisher, he took over the cafe in 2013 and saved it from demise.
Delithanassis has turned the cafe’s back room into a place for groups to meet and small concerts and book presentations to be held, giving the establishment a community centre vibe. On my last night in the city, I slipped into the back room and joined a gathering of expats who were from places like England, Finland, Egypt, Australia – even Naples. Inevitably, the conversation turned to coffee, and again and again, I heard something that didn’t surprise me: since each of them had moved to Trieste, they had found they were drinking much more of it.
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