2024 Place to Pretend You’re in Rome
Gran Caffè L’Aquila
If an Instagram feed full of cacio e pepe and Piazza Navona has made you desperate for a Roman holiday but your bank account says non è possibile, seek out la dolce vita right on Chestnut Street. Grab a tiny table on the sidewalk, or roll up to the espresso bar inside. There, surrounded by imported glass jars of Amarena cherries, beautifully wrapped squares of Fiat chocolates, and Italian-speaking servers, you can order a perfect cappuccino made with their house-roasted beans or one of the best swirls of gelato in town.
1716 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103; grancaffelaquila.com