Il Bar

Buongiorno Ragazzi!

 

Susan has handed the pen to me, so to speak, to contribute to our blog.  As there is no way I can match Susan’s description of our travels and experiences, I have chosen a few other topics of interest.  Today it will be “il bar”.

 

Those of you who have travelled to Italy will know that at some time or other one will find themselves “al bar”.  They are not what we refer to in North America as a bar.  

 

In the morning, il bar serves more like a coffee shop.  Most Italians drop in for the Italian breakfast, a quick caffe (cappuccino or espresso), dolci (sweet), usually a cornetto, and a few words with the server on their way to work.  Some people who, like us, are “in pensione”, may be found at some bars lingering over their “caffe e dolci”.  

 

Depending on the nature of “il bar”, what happens later in the day differs.  Some of these bars are mere holes in the wall, 6m deep, 3-4m across, with a small display counter and stand-up bar running lengthwise down the middle and maybe a couple of stools against the opposite wall.  While they may serve alcohol, it does not appear to be a big part of their business.  They may also close as early as 5 PM. 

There are many bars that fall between the extremes of the small bar and the larger ones.  What they offer will also vary accordingly. Below is a medium sized bar, small outside area and it has seating for about 12 inside in addition to the standup bar.  

The larger ones have a grand display case with a great selection of dolci along with a number of lunch items, seating inside for 20-30 people and usually a covered outside area that sits 30-40 people. 

 

By noon, one will see many people sitting outside having coffee, wine, beer, aperol spritz and having snacks or lunch. Here I should mention that at most of the larger bars, when you order a glass of wine, you are also served a plate of apertivi.  This may be simply chips or peanuts but one may also get olives or bite-size pizza or focaccia or any combination of them.  In the late afternoon, coffee has mostly disappeared and more wine and spritz are evident.

During the passaggiata (many urban Italians engage in this traditional pre-dinner stroll), the bars are very busy no matter the weather.  It is not uncommon to see women in fur coats and men in overcoats, touques and scarves sitting and enjoying their drinks. 

Il bar is a cornerstone of the Italian lifestyle in the same manner that the pub is in Ireland and Britain.

 

Ciao