Best Coffee in Bergamo: Città Alta and Città Bassa Cafés
Where to drink the best coffee in Bergamo, from Bugan Coffee Lab's two cafés in Città Alta and Città Bassa to two roaster-cafés out in the province.
On this page
The best coffee in Bergamo comes from Bugan Coffee Lab, a micro roastery whose beans supply its own two cafés: an atmospheric spot inside the walled Città Alta and a larger laboratory in the modern Città Bassa below. Bugan is known on the Italian coffee scene for roasting some of the lightest specialty coffees in the country, so expect a lighter, more contemporary style of cup than a classic Italian dark roast. This guide splits the picks by which part of Bergamo you are in, adds two cafés out in the province, and explains how to order and pay. For lunch afterwards, see the Best Restaurants in Bergamo.
Best coffee in Bergamo: the short answer
For most visitors the decision is simple: pick the Bugan café in whichever half of Bergamo you are spending the day. The Città Alta branch sits in the walled upper city, while the Città Bassa branch sits in the modern lower city. Both pour the roastery's own coffee, so the cup comes from the same roaster in two very different settings, and if you are planning lunch around the coffee, the best pasta in Bergamo rounds off the same morning.
Beyond the city, two further names roast and serve their own beans: Spirit of Coffee, in the town of Urgnano, and Urban Cafe in Treviglio, the latter sitting on the plain between Bergamo and Milan. Neither is in Bergamo's own two halves, so check the town before you set out.
Bugan Coffee Lab in Città Alta: a roastery café inside the walled upper city
The Città Alta café sits in the heart of the medieval, Venetian-walled upper city, with black walls and a wood-finished interior that make it one of the more striking rooms in Bergamo for a coffee. It offers a wide selection from the Bugan roastery, so you can taste the house beans in the setting they were made for.
The trade-off is pace. A specialty café in the upper city runs on a slower rhythm than the historic bars on the piazza, so come when you want to sit down rather than knock back a quick espresso at the counter. Pair it with a walk through the Città Alta and a plate of casoncelli at lunch, and the morning writes itself. The best restaurants in Bergamo cluster in and around these same lanes, so a coffee stop slots neatly into an eating day.
Bugan Coffee Lab in Città Bassa: coffee shop, tasting area and roasting room in one
The lower-city branch is a spacious laboratory split into four zones: a coffee shop, a tasting area, a roasting room and a training space. That means you can drink your coffee a few metres from where the beans are roasted, which is rare even in Italy's better specialty scene.
The roastery belongs to Maurizio Valli, and the two cafés are the easiest place to try its output. From the Città Bassa branch you can head up to the Città Alta for a walk through the old city.
Spirit of Coffee: a Bugan-trained roaster in Urgnano
Spirit of Coffee is a roastery and café founded by Gian Andrea in the town of Urgnano, outside Bergamo. He spent several years at Bugan Coffee Lab and attended specialty coffee courses before opening his own place in 2019, and he roasts in a northern European style, which in practice means lighter, brighter profiles than the classic Italian dark roast. It is a genuine destination for anyone who wants to see a Bugan-trained roaster running his own place.
Treat it as a half-day outing rather than a city-centre stop, since Urgnano lies outside Bergamo and you will need transport to reach it. If you are based in Bergamo without a car, the two Bugan cafés will cover you well.
Urban Cafe in Treviglio: specialty coffee between Bergamo and Milan
Urban Cafe is a specialty café in the town of Treviglio, which sits on the plain between Bergamo and Milan. It is run by Federico Pinna, a competitive barista, and it offers a wide selection of Italian specialty coffee alongside catering for people who prefer a more conventional cup. That makes it a good compromise if you are travelling with someone who just wants an ordinary cappuccino.
Because Treviglio is its own town, it works best as a stop on the way to or from Milan rather than a detour from a Bergamo city break. If you are staying in Bergamo and eating your way through the city, the Città Bassa café is the more central specialty stop.
How coffee is drunk in Bergamo: espresso at the counter and where a cappuccino fits
Bergamo runs on two coffee cultures side by side: the traditional bar, where an espresso is ordered and drunk standing at the counter, and the specialty café, which works more like a northern European coffee shop, where you take a seat and linger over a freshly roasted specialty cup. Both are worth trying so you can compare.
The cappuccino rule is real but softer than tourists fear. Locals tend to drink milk-based coffee in the morning and switch to espresso after lunch, and a specialty café is relaxed about what you order when. If you want to drink like a Bergamasco, order a caffè (an espresso) at the counter and save the cappuccino for breakfast, or head to one of the pastry shops in Bergamo for a cornetto with it.
What to order with your coffee at a Bergamo café
A Bergamo breakfast is a coffee and a cornetto, the Italian croissant, taken at the bar or in a café. If you want something more substantial before a day of walking, look at where to have breakfast in Bergamo and pair your espresso with a slice of cake or a filled pastry. The specialty cafés above are best for the coffee itself, while the traditional bars and pasticcerie are where the pastry culture lives.
Later in the day, coffee is not really a dessert course in Bergamo; gelato is. If you are building a food day, treat the morning coffee as the ritual, then move on to casoncelli alla bergamasca for lunch and a gelato in the afternoon. The rest of the city's eating is mapped in the Best Restaurants in Bergamo guide, which picks up where the coffee stops leave off.
Which Bergamo coffee stop should you choose?
Choose the Bugan café in the Città Alta if you are spending the day in the walled upper city and want a sit-down coffee in an atmospheric room. Choose the Città Bassa branch if you are in the new town and want the coffee-shop pace with the roasting room and tasting area in view. Both serve the same house beans, so the decision is about which half of Bergamo you are in, and the trattorias in Bergamo are the natural next stop for lunch.
Only make the trip to Urgnano or Treviglio if you are already heading that way or want to see two younger coffee operations at work. For most visitors, the two Bugan city cafés plus an espresso at a traditional bar cover the whole picture of Bergamo coffee. From there, move on to the best pizza in Bergamo or the trattorias for lunch.
Explore more Bergamo food guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bergamo known for coffee?
Bergamo is home to Bugan Coffee Lab, a micro roastery known on the Italian specialty scene for roasting some of the country's lightest coffees, and its beans are served in its own cafés in both the Città Alta and the Città Bassa. The city also has a traditional bar culture where espresso is drunk standing at the counter.
Where is Spirit of Coffee in Bergamo?
Spirit of Coffee is in Urgnano, a separate town outside Bergamo, not in the city itself. It was founded by Gian Andrea, who trained at Bugan Coffee Lab, and roasts in a northern European style.
Can you get a cappuccino in the afternoon in Bergamo?
In the specialty cafés, ordering a cappuccino at any hour is unremarkable. In a traditional bar, locals tend to drink milk-based coffee in the morning and espresso later in the day, so a cappuccino after lunch marks you out as a visitor more than it causes offence.
Sources
Notes for your next meal in Italy
Optional updates to our food guides.
You might also like
Continue reading
More guides you'll find useful
