Veneto, the Italian region famous for Verona and Venice, is also home to a number of delicious specialty cafés. Here are five to visit in the area.
BY TANYA NANETTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT
Featured photo by Tanya Nanetti
Veneto: It may be a lesser-known Italian region, but it holds some of Italy’s most famous wonders. Romantic Verona, evergreen Venice, beautiful Lake Garda, and the Prosecco production area are all among its many marvels.
Also famous for its food, wine, and drinks, Veneto offers a few scattered specialty cafés and roasters, lovely establishments that welcome locals and tourists on a daily basis.
Planning a Veneto vacation? Here is a short list of cafés worth a visit.
Garage Coffee Bros. (Verona)
Verona, the famous setting of Shakespeare’s timeless love story “Romeo and Juliet,“ is still renowned as the city of love, a must-see when touring the Veneto region. You only need to spend a couple of days in the city to fall in love not only with Juliet’s balcony, but also with the Roman Arena (now the scene of splendid concerts and shows), the fortress, the Scaliger Bridge, and all the extraordinary local food and drink. In addition, Verona is one of the few Italian cities in the northeast with more than one specialty-coffee shop, despite its small size.
Garage Coffee Bros. is one of the oldest specialty shops in the city. Created by “bros” Davide and Andrea Cobelli in early 2019, Garage is a micro-roastery that in just a few years has become one of Italy’s best-known specialty coffee roasters. Davide, the 2020 Italian Roasting Champion, coffee trainer, educator, and awesome guy, is probably one of the reasons for Garage Coffee’s success. Come to the flagship store in downtown Verona to meet him, but don’t worry: If he’s not there, his staff will treat you just as well, preparing one of the delicious coffees on the menu.
Ammazza Caffè (Verona)
It was 2022 when Jacopo and Michelangelo—two friends with a complementary passion for specialty coffee and spirits—decided to open Ammazza Caffé, their specialty café in downtown Verona.
Just a few steps away from Garage Coffee, Ammazza Caffé is a cool and cozy space, perfect for chatting with other customers and baristas as well, sipping a delicious brew from some international roasters, and sampling a tasty toast or vegan cake.
But there’s more. Jacopo and Michelangelo are also famous for their homemade tonic waters (perfect to pair with coffee by following Jacopo’s suggestions on which coffee to pair with which specific tonic) and their craft cocktails.
After all, in Italian ammazzacaffé (literally “coffee killer”) is a shot of liquor that is traditionally sipped after coffee to dampen its taste and caffeine … and Ammazza Caffé is the perfect place to enjoy both coffee and spirits.
TASTE Coffee & More (Treviso)
Treviso, with its beautiful historic center crisscrossed by numerous picturesque canals, is another small city perfect to be fully enjoyed simply by wandering its streets, perhaps stopping several times to sample delicious food and drink.
In one of the prettiest corners of downtown is TASTE Coffee & More, owners Elisa and Fabio’s dream come true. The couple, partners in both business and life, coffee champions, trainers, and coffee roasters, welcome their customers to their cozy location overlooking one of the canals. Come here and sip one of Elisa’s extraordinary brews or Fabio’s delicious espresso; you surely won’t regret it.
Torrefazione Cannaregio (Venezia)
Venezia (Venice) is another city that needs no introduction. World-famous for its canals, striking architecture, bridges, and gondolas, Venice is simply a joy to visit, especially if you stray off the beaten path, outside the mass of tourists who explore the city every day. Not far from the packed touristy areas, the Cannaregio sestiere (district) is home to the specialty-coffee roastery and café Torrefazione Cannaregio.
At Torrefazione Cannaregio, each cup tells a story of Venetian tradition and authenticity mixed with the innovation of specialty coffee.
A local coffee institution for nearly a century (since 1930), in recent years the Torrefazione has dedicated itself to specialty coffee thanks to Maela Galli, who selects and roasts delicious beans.
“It has always been my dream to work with coffee and to have my own coffee shop,“ Maela says. “Ever since I was a child, a lot of coffee was consumed at home, and my parents, in addition to having an espresso machine at home, would take me to the roastery every Saturday to brew coffee. Then came the time to take over the roasting company, which at that time roasted dark and without consistency. I went into the business looking for quality: I studied, researched, and brought quality, while also educating customers about change (in quality, prices, and roasting) and popularizing a lot. In short, I brought what was ’coffee’ to me.”
Wake Cup (Montebelluna)
There is no better feeling than wandering the streets of a small town and accidentally finding yourself in front of a delightful specialty-coffee shop. That’s exactly what happens in Montebelluna, about 50 kilometers from Venice. Here, Tommaso Pedron and his Wake Cup welcome locals (and a few tourists) with a beautiful space that looks like something out of any European capital.
“Wake Cup: a different coffee story” is the café’s full name, and it’s exactly what one senses. The beans offered daily are incredibly tasty and come from Italian and European roasters such as Nero Scuro and The Barn. Brioche, cakes, and pastries sourced from local bakeries are delicious and always fresh, and the savory small plates are perfect for a tasty brunch or a tantalizing break. Behind the counter, Tommaso and his team greet customers with a smile and a professionalism that is hard to find.
There is definitely “a different coffee story” here, and one worth telling.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tanya Nanetti (she/her) is a specialty-coffee barista, a traveler, and a dreamer. When she’s not behind the coffee machine (or visiting some hidden corner of the world), she’s busy writing for Coffee Insurrection, a website about specialty coffee that she’s creating along with her boyfriend.
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