The “bar” (a mix between a coffee house, pub, newspaper stand, tobacco shop, and even post office) is an Italian institution, and even the tiniest hamlets tucked deep in the Italian countryside have at least one. It is here where gossip is exchanged, packages are delivered, excursions begun, card games played, and—of course—cups upon cups of espresso coffee in Italy is consumed.  

Coffee is a cornerstone of Italian culture and the country is fueled by more than nine million servings of espresso a day. The “rite of traditional Italian espresso coffee” was nominated for inclusion in UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity this year and stopping into a “bar” to toss back a bracing, thimble-sized cup of espresso is a singularly Italian pleasure.