2024 - June - Trieste - Cafes and bars

James Joyce lived in Trieste for over a decade (from 1904 with interruptions until 1920) and wrote his work "Ulysses" here. He loved the city by the sea for its many cafes, restaurants, but also the red light district. This is why many believe that his work "Ulysses" is not set in Dublin on Montgomery Street, as described in the novel, but perhaps in Trieste in the Cavana district. In any case, James Joyce often spent much more than he earned and loved the idleness in the restaurants.

Apart from the red light district, you can still sit comfortably in a cafe or bar in Trieste. As in other Italian cities, you can drink your espresso while standing at the bar. But Trieste residents also prefer a quieter seated atmosphere. There are beautiful Viennese cafes, such as San Marco. This 100-year-old building is not directly in the city center and was almost empty when we visited. It's a shame, because the atmosphere is magical. You'll feel like you're traveling back in time. Everything seems to work as it did before, even the coffee is made with very old machines.

Speaking of coffee: Trieste is said to have the best coffee in the world. I can't judge that, but there is a lot of choice here. And there is a special drink that is actually only available here, the "Capo in B". It's something like a small latte macchiato or cappuccino in a glass. Very tasty!

In the many bars and restaurants you can of course also enjoy another very well-known drink: the Aperol Spritz. We have compared the prices here. In Trieste you pay around 5 euros for a well-filled glass. That was the absolute lowest price on our trip. The costs for other food and drinks are also moderate.

But now my absolute saving tip: If you only have a drink in Trieste, you will usually be served a snack with it. This ranges from chips to olives. This is also the case in many other Italian cities. Sometimes, however, there is also a lavishly filled tray. This is the case, for example, in Caffè Tommaseo, the oldest in Trieste (opened in 1825). Here, you get 5 snacks + a canapé with your drink. Sensational!

The Caffè degli Specchi also serves snacks and chips on a silver platter. There are certainly many other cafés and bars to try out, but we didn't have enough time.

But the reason why Trieste offers so many coffee specialties is certainly also due to its location. As a port city, coffee beans were naturally landed here. And so they could also be processed here.

The coffee producer illycaffè SpA has its headquarters in Trieste and many cafés in the city center also offer this coffee.

Well, have you got an appetite? You can find out more about the trip to Trieste here:

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