A visit to Bar Americano is a little like entering a Roman Piazza and not a laneway in the Melbourne CBD. Like the Italians do, this café is all about the espresso – but here you sit and savour the coffee experience.
The sister venue of Der Raum in Richmond, this classically refined bar serves early morning espresso, afternoon aperitivo and night-caps.
Reminiscent of the european elements of eating and drinking, Bar Americano has created an environment for all coffee lovers to enjoy.
“We wanted to provide a simple offering,” Manager Matthew Rees says. “Our key influence was a simple Italian espresso bar with a vintage feel.”
The café’s name is a tribute to the intimate venues founded throughout europe in the 1920s to accommodate weary american travelers who would escape prohibition in their homeland.
These american bars encapsulated an era of drinking finesse and the newly opened Bar americano similarly pays tribute to the culture of cocktails. The menu includes a range of classic drinks including the Mammy Taylor, a Hanky Panky or a Chicago fizz cocktail.
Matthew Rees says the espresso bar offers an escape from the fast pace of city life and entices weary office workers from their desks into an intimate environment that celebrates the high quality craft of Italian-style espresso.
Bar americano uses Coffee supreme’s Boxer blend, that Matthew describes as offering a “classic, rich, espresso character”, and rotates single origin beans such as El Salvador San Emilio.Matthew says that while many city-goers still prefer their traditional lattes and cappuccinos, one third of his customers drink espresso and he’s hoping he can convert the rest.
The food at Bar americano is seasonal and incorporates a mix of Bruschetta, Danish pastries and baguettes with aperitivo served between 4 – 6pm.
“I enjoy adding something special to people’s day and the response we get from our guests is great,” Matthew says.
