The coffee shop, or "bar" as it’s referred to, is a popular place for Italians to socialize, stop for a quick espresso or stay for a while with a leisurely activity. While popular around the world and heavily consumed throughout Europe, Italians take their coffee seriously. Most local cafés don’t have a lot of variety on their menus, and instead focus on the quality of their small beverages, which is essential. The sizes are significantly smaller than American sizes, and instead of ordering highly-caffeinated drinks, people often just have several caffes throughout the day.
Italy is known for its food culture as a whole, with many aspects of the dining experience being interesting to tourists. While aperitivo (appetizers) and dinner have their own local value, the coffee culture of Italy is a quintessential experience. I have done my own research as I get used to experiences at the "bar," since you can observe a lot going and ordering for yourself. As I'm often flying solo to grab coffee, I've found that my experience of Italian coffee culture can differ between coffee shops as well. But despite some pressure to order correctly, the worst that can come as a result of not meeting Italian expectations is just their judgment.
