Ben Caffè

Marzio Drigani and Sonia Caldana started Ben Caffè in 2018 as the bar of a small three star family hotel in central Florence, building out a specialty program well past typical hotel bar espresso through plantation direct tastings and formal barista training. Their main roaster partner is Le Piantagioni del Caffè out of Livorno, poured through flat whites, cortados, and a full V60, Chemex, and AeroPress lineup.

When the hotel was later sold, Drigani and Caldana kept the coffee program alive by reopening as a standalone shop on Via Santa Margherita, a block from Piazza della Signoria near the Casa di Dante. Modest signage keeps it easy to walk straight past, but the room still runs an international breakfast and brunch menu, pancakes, granola, eggs and bacon, avocado toast, alongside the espresso bar.