There are a lot of cute bars in Bologna, but Kawa is my favorite. I am proud to say that it is officially the first locale where I've been able to successfully ask for "the usual" and not have the person on the other side of the counter give me a confused look. Oh, and "bar", by the way, is the word Italians use to mean a place where you can order coffee, tea, and pastries; to avoid any confusion, it is not what Americans refer to as a pub, saloon, tavern, watering hole or a "sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name" style drinking establishment -- though you can usually find a basic selection of wines, beers, and other standard non-virgin concoctions if you are so inclined. Kawa's proprietor is thirty-ish-year-old Barbara (easily recognizable by the mop of blond curls atop her head). She treats all of her patrons with the utmost courtesy and the same friendly demeanor she would a close acquaintance and could write a book, whether she realizes it or not, on good customer service (she gladly accommodates off-the-street requests to use the restroom without expecting or accepting a penny -- or should I say "euro cent" -- in return). The atmosphere is cozy and pleasant, and it seems like the perfect warm place to go even on the snowiest of days in the peak of winter. The decor is girly (which, as a girl, I like and approve of) and the ambiance is much more inviting than that of the standard bars you usually find "in giro" (mostly bar/tabacco shops/lottery ticket retailers all rolled into one cold, plain, and stark white, cramped room). There are certainly other nicely decorated coffee shops throughout the city center, but they lack the friendly service and the competitive prices offered by Kawa. I've always been a fan of steamed milk...you know, the frothy stuff you find on top of a cappuccino. Well, Barbara has a special piece of equipment she uses to make a room-temperature version of froth milk that you can enjoy even during the hot summer months. And the best part is, there are lots of fun chocolatey sprinkle jars on the counter that you can shake onto your drink, almost like personalizing your own ice cream sundae! read more
