The only reason for me to be at MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village, New York City was to treat myself to coffee from America’s oldest Italian cafe – Caffe Reggio, famous for its, well, cappuccino, a bench from Medici family and century old espresso machine reposing in the corner.
This rather old-fashioned American-Italian café is everything a coffee-lover dreams of, in terms of antiquity, originality, character and atmosphere – and of course the joy of sipping the brew in America’s oldest Italian cafe.
Established in the year 1927, Caffe Reggio has been going strong ever since, relying partly on its heritage, although there’s a lot more behind its success than just nostalgia and good coffee.
The cafe is not built to accommodate large crowds. It was built for warmth – large enough to cater to decent sized party and small enough to keep it personal.
In today’s context, the tables are set too close but the waitress does a good job of squeezing through these expertly balancing coffee and cakes while crossing over extended legs. Did I say waitress? Yes. This cafe is a full-service cafe (so no standing in a queue to pay first). In today’s culture, this is a bonus!
The caffe is instantly recognisable from its green décor and the semi-circular awning above the door and a row of square tables on the pavement. However, I chose to sit inside to avoid smokers and the noise from the street.
For me, the attraction lay in its interiors.
Stepping inside, I blinked several times to adjust to the darkness. It is rather dark, it is, despite the huge windows. MacDougal Street is quite narrow with tall buildings on either side, and this cuts off the light. Still, I suppose this adds to the charm of this caffe.
I easily found a table – a square one – but looking around me I noticed the square and round tables weren’t randomly placed, in no particular order and wooden benches lined the walls. The walls are lined with some old oil paintings, while an old cylindrical espresso machine, dating from 1902, stood in the corner. However, the coffee today comes from a more modern and less photogenic machine.
A young waitress brought my order with a smile and even handed me the wifi code without having to ask. Call me a romantic, but with every sip of the coffee, I felt as though I was sipping history.
Just like Caffe Vittoria in Boston.
I suppose that was another reason I stayed longer – and ended up having a cappuccino, a traditional espresso (single shot) and an omelette, which, on hindsight, was an overkill, but I had to justify staying longer.
The history of Caffe Reggio
This iconic cafe attracts a mix of New Yorkers and tourists alike – actors, writers, coffee loving tourists and students. It first opened at 119 MacDougal Street as a barber shop. Its original proprietor, Italian-born Domenico Parisi (whose hometown was Reggio Calabria, hence the name) was giving shaves to his all-male clientele for 10 cents. Being that the customers were primarily Italian, naturally, they asked for some espresso while they waited. Pretty soon, Parisi realized that he could bring in the same money in less time by solely serving coffee. He ordered an espresso machine for $1,000 from Italy, which still stands inside the café, and the rest goes down in Manhattan history.
Here is some history from Wikipedia
Caffe Reggio has been featured in many movies, including The Godfather Part II, Next Stop, Greenwich Village, The Kremlin Letter, Shaft, Serpico, The Next Man, In Good Company, Inside Llewyn Davis, The Sun Is Also a Star[3] and others. Caffe Reggio is mentioned in the Luke Cage season 2 episode “They Reminisce Over You”. Many celebrities have been spotted or photographed in this location. In 1959, presidential hopeful John F. Kennedy made a speech outside the coffee shop. In 2010, the cafe was honored with a Village Award[4] by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation for its status as a beloved and essential part of the neighborhood.
