Caffetteria dei Gracchi, situated in Prati, is a place where both tourists and Italians sit elbow-to-elbow enjoying the neighborly atmosphere. Here you can sit amongst local office workers enjoying lunch away from their desks, shoppers grabbing a pit stop coffee and tourists giving their aching feet a much-needed break.

With its multicolored tables and chairs lining up on the street outside, you’ll quickly notice how different this cafeteria is from other places in the area. Venture inside to take a look at the bright, spacious, and just as charming interior. Alongside the rainbow colored seating and modern light fittings, vintage inspired furnishings add to the venue’s eclectic style. Nestled above the contemporary coffee machine sit old-fashioned English tea tins and next to the wine selection, American Coca-Cola memorabilia.

Excellent Roman espresso, charming locale

Unlike many other bars and restaurants in Italy, Caffetteria dei Gracchi doesn’t close mid-afternoon and stays open until late, making it an ideal spot at any time of day. Visit in the morning for a classic breakfast of coffee and a choice of croissants and pastries.

Head there after midday, however, and you’ll begin to see why it’s so popular. For lunch you can take advantage of a generous portion at a reasonable price. A changing selection of hot dishes are freshly cooked on the premises each day. Typically on offer are simple but tasty plates such as lasagne, pasta al pomodoro, risotto, cooked vegetables and salads. Queuing at the bar, service is brisk but friendly, so hungry stomachs can be fed within minutes.

Those who like to take a more relaxed approach can order from the dinner menu at a table. Unsurprisingly, the best sellers are the long established pasta dishes such as Bolognese, Carbonara, and Amatriciana. Pizza starts at a very reasonable €7.00, with meat and fish options costing between €9-14.00.

For me, the best time to stop by is in the early evening for a very ample aperitivo; one of the most extensive I’ve experienced in Rome. You’ll find everything from olives, mini pizza, and nuts to substantial tastings of pasta or risotto. In fact, don’t be surprised if the waitress brings you yet another tray of goodies, just as you thought you already had enough food to keep you going all evening.

Co-owner Luigi Moneta is unpretentious in talking about his business, explaining it was simply something that happened out of necessity rather than a lifelong ambition. Although he and business partner Salvatore Montanino were childhood friends, Moneta is straightforward and plainspoken about their story. “We were friends at school 40 years ago. We grew up together, we played, we chatted, we did communion. The business has only happened by chance, it was a random thing,” he explains.

It might not be romantic but perhaps Moneta’s pragmatic approach is key to the service they provide that keeps customers coming through the door. “This place was born just as a bar/cafeteria. Then we started to also do dinner because there were a lot of requests for it. It has become a very complex local place, since now we do a lot of different things all through the day. If the customers ask for different things, we try to do them… we try to please their requests.”

As well as attentiveness to customers, you’ll find camaraderie between the staff, which helps make it an enjoyable environment for all. Moneta may say he just works to pay the rent and keep the till full, but he seems well liked among the team who affectionately call him Gigi. Perhaps he’s just being modest, as from what I’ve seen the place is always bustling with life.

“We try to do it well here. You eat well here and the people know we are kind and good. Customers come one time and then continue to come back, including the tourists. We try to speak English, we’re helpful to them, the food is always fresh and we make beautiful portions.”