Illy Espressamente

I’ve had many espresso types from around Italy, and Rome for that matter, but this place was the best thus far! Great décor, with a beautiful case of desserts, tho having just had Grom gelato from down the street, I opted for just espresso. Normally I’ll have an espresso or Caffè latte, but I decided on a cappuccino this time around. The taste was amazing! The espresso was not extremely bold, as many places can be (which I like), but as a result, several layers of flavor were easily distinguished, while still providing a tasteful level of boldness. The milk was also steamed perfectly; stiff, airy, and flavorful. I highly recommended!

I’ve bought Illy Coffee back home in Canada and I’m well aware that it is marketed as a premium brand coffee like Nespresso or Starbucks.
Walking by one day I was pleasantly surprised to see an Illy Café so I decided to pop by. Very modernly decorated very similar to the Nespresso cafes with a high quality menu and food offering! I didn’t go for food but decided to have a cappuccino which was quite good. Nice and creamy and a good strong flavour! It is more expensive than getting a cappuccino from a regular coffee bar but I would deem it to be of higher quality.
Italians take their coffee seriously and although if living here I would visit this (how I do Starbucks in NA) on an infrequent basis.
It is nice however to know you can be guaranteed a high quality espresso– cappucino when you pop in to one of these locations that seem to be somewhat bountiful in Roma!
What’s even more interesting is I didn’t see any Starbucks in Roma on my week there! Probably because it would be a travesty in a country that appeared to be on the cutting edge of coffee many moons before Starbucks copied the recipes and brought to the masses!

I’ve always enjoyed the Illy cafés (cappuccino) but I was skeptical of eating ‘real’ food (pasta, etc.) comparing it to Starbucks. However, the food was good, the service was excellent, presentation delightful and the prices were on par with similar restaurants. I’d recommend this place.

Great ambiente and very stylish interior design. Check out the little room in the back if you want it more quiet and relaxing, there’s a great red sofa to take a rest.
Their sweets are delicious, we tried the little mousse au chocolat and the Odissea chocolate truffle.
It was actually a little funny when ordering that one, because we got our wonderful coffee (with the complimentary glass of water) from the bar, but they asked me to wait a moment for the sweet. I was puzzled because there it was, right in front of me behind the glass, he put it on a table but instead of giving it to me he handed it to his colleague. I thought maybe the other group standing behind me ordered one, too, and they would get served first. A little disappointed I went back to the red sofa and sipped on my coffee (espresso, but they also make good cappuccino and nice latte macchiato if you are more on the milky way of life), when his colleague returned with a stone plate with a beautifully decorated sweet on it and some fruits as sides. Wow, that was just so nice!
They also have salad and paninis which looked delicious. All of the snacks are reasonable priced, one could even say a very good price given the quality and surrounding.
Lots of locals from the nearby government seem to come here, judging from their outfit. However, it’s not crowded, and there is the small room in the back, another room to the left with a big window to the street, and the table with newspapers at the entrance, so plenty of seating. Or standing at the bar and chatting, which most locals seemed to prefer.
We went there two times, and they were always quite busy, still friendly, and professional in making and serving your orders. Highly recommended!

Illy is famous, with many shops around Rome. In Italy, most bars/​cafes have the kind of coffee they serve advertised; out of the bunch, Illy is very trendy and has great quality.
The atmosphere in this café is posh. Walking by, you may see a man in a Prada suit having a short coffee stop with a woman sporting large Gucci sunglasses. The barista and servers are extremely welcoming and attentive.
Along the long glass counter, they also serve little desserts. I took it upon my self to try almost almost every single one (it’s my duty, of course). What made my espresso and cake morsels so special here? The semi-​sweet desserts were made to pair perfectly with delicious coffee and it was all served by an attractive Italian man.