Italy Panorama

Caffe Meletti

Caffe Meletti
Ascoli Piceno, Marche

On Ascoli Piceno’s much beloved Piazza del Popolo rests the grand dame of the city’s meeting places, the Caffe Meletti.  The historic hang-out has been featured in a number of films (including one by Fellini and another with Dustin Hoffman), and has played a starring role in the daily life of the Ascolani for a century.

The elegant portale

The pink Neoclassic building boasts a frescoed portico, elegant arches, and pastel seating on the piazza.  Inside it is marked by marble-topped tables, warm woods, towering mirrors and a graceful spiral staircase.  The entire place oozes charm and speaks of sophistication.  Here even the bathrooms are special, as they contain Roman ruins below the glass-encased vanities.

The warm wood of the bar

Built in 1884 to house the post office, it was transformed into a caffe and distillery by Silvio Meletti, who began producing his now-famous anisette.  It was immediately heralded as rich and refined, and quickly become the town’s favorite meeting point, watering hole, and elegant indulgence- a place where even a simple coffee seems special.

One hundred years later, it is still serving the illustrious, the infamous, and the average Joes.