The case for an afternoon cappuccino

When in Rome, don’t do as the Romans do?

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. But what if it’s mid-afternoon and I’m jet-legged and desperate for a cappuccino? Then order a cappuccino, you might say. But in Italy, ordering a coffee with milk after 12pm simply isn’t done. It’d be like eating dessert before dinner.

For Italians, it’s a long-held custom to drink a cappuccino at breakfast and an espresso at all other times. For some, the reasoning here is digestion: that it’s best to drink frothed milk in the morning so that your system can properly process it (while doing so later in the day causes bloat and discomfort). For others, it’s about the sweetness of a cappuccino, which pairs well with sugary breakfast pastries, but when you’re eating saucy pasta for lunch or a heavy steak at dinner, you want the bitterness of an espresso to cut through all that fat. And then there’s the idea that a cappuccino is a drink of leisure, something to sip on at a café while you chat with a friend or read a book. But an espresso? An espresso you can order on your lunch break and down in one quick gulp.

I love the *idea* of an espresso in the same way I love the idea of a martini. As in, every time I order one, I remember why I don’t like it. So I’m sticking with my milky coffee whether it’s 9am or 5pm. You’ll see me ordering a cappuccino (and, for that matter, a cosmopolitan) while I hold out hope that one day, my taste buds will change.

Read on for my five favorite cappuccinos in Rome.