Rick Steves’ Favorite Place In Italy For Café-Sitting
European travel doyen Rick Steves has great tips for your next trip abroad, including affordable ways to dine as a tourist, and which type of street food vendor you should always hit up. And he has a special love for Italy, where he had the best meal of his life at a family-owned-and-run bed and breakfast. Aside from fantastic dinners, Italy also offers up a robust café culture, and here, Steves plays favorites. According to his website, the Il Campo square in Siena is Steves’ favorite spot in Italy for café-sitting.
Siena is renowned for its glorious Gothic architecture, which was built mostly between 1100 and 1400 AD. And at the center of the city sits the Il Campo Square, or Piazza del Campo, “the physical and cultural heart” of Siena, according to Steves. It’s easy to see why he prefers this public square to any others when settling down for a cup of coffee or wine. The buildings surrounding it are large and imposing, yet warmly colored and harmonious in appearance, making for a spectacular backdrop against which to enjoy a beverage (or two).
While Steves doesn’t go into specifics about which cafés he visits, consider Torrefazione Fiorella or Caffé 19zero3 Ristorante, both of which are centrally located near the square.
Read more: Foods Anthony Bourdain Hated With A Passion
What to expect when café-sitting at Il Campo
Cafe-goers sit under umbrellas in an outside seating area on the Il Campo in Siena – Bert e Boer/Shutterstock
Before you take Rick Steves’ advice to visit Il Campo in Siena and enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine on the square, it’s important to understand café culture in Italy. Cafés in Italy are instead referred to as “bars,” and many serve both coffee and alcohol, as well as small bites, like panini sandwiches, baked goods, and even gelato. Keep in mind that it costs more to sit at an outdoor table at a bar in Italy (your other, cheaper, option is consuming your beverage standing at the bar); the price difference is typically marked inside the cafê.
The good news is that when you opt for a table to view the splendid Il Campo while you imbibe, there will be no rushing you out of the seats for quick turnover, as can occur in some American eateries. Instead, it’s assumed that you will occupy the table for a good long while, so you can take in the sights — both architectural and human — for as long as you want and really get your money’s worth.
Aside from spectacular daily people-watching, at Il Campo on any given day you might bear witness to an outdoor concert or cultural event which will liven up your afternoon or evening seating. And in the summer, the Il Palio di Siena horse races occur in the square, drawing huge crowds, which can make grabbing a table difficult — but worth the effort if you can manage it.
Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we’re helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google.
Read the original article on Food Republic.
