Bar Italia: it is the real deal

Bar Italia. It's an institution. 

It's 

tradition. 

It's a 

foundation. 

It's an 

asylum. 

Bar Italia    22 Frith Street, Soho, W1D 4RF

Bar Italia is part of the Soho Zeitgeist (along with fetish, jazz and the theatre). Jarvis Cocker even wrote a song about the place...

"... now it's morning there's only one place we can go. 

It's around the corner in Soho where other broken people go. Let's go..."

Run by the same family since 1949, Bar Italia is a traditional Italian café. Simple menu, efficient service, mirrored walls, garlic hanging from the stained ceiling (along with the Italian flag) and lots of regulars. This place is so Euro they even accept payment in the currency. 

A table of ageing Scotsmen are seated next to me. They've ordered a wee bottle of Sambucca to go with their midday coffee. It's an established combination, black coffee and Sambucca. All they need is Whiskey and they'll have a Clansman. I'll included a recipe below, for those curious (or cold) enough to give it a try. 

How was the coffee? The espresso is thick, strong and topped with ruddy coloured crema. Perfect.

Did they have soy? No, but it hardly seems to matter. You don't go to Bar Italia for the latte art. 

Would I go there again? Absolutely. Perfect spot for people watching. It's Little Italy in the heart of Soho. 

Should you go there? 100%. Bar Italia may be small, but it feels like big things happen here.

Any other points to note? It's thankfully open 24/7. And who knows, if you're there next month, you may even bump into B.B.King or Liza Minnelli. 

Clansman's Coffee

Ingredients:

1x measure of Whiskey

1x dash of Sambucca

1x shot of Espresso coffee

1x dollop of whipped cream

Method:

Wipe the rim of a glass or mug with a piece of lemon and dip it in brown sugar. Pour in the Whiskey, Sambucca and Espresso shot. Add sugar to taste and float the whipped cream on top.

Best enjoyed whilst being dinked* on horseback, riding through the Highlands of Scotland, in the company of hairy, kilt-wearing Scotsman. Och aye! 

* Dink: to carry a passenger on a bicycle (or horse in this case) with only one seat.