Trieste's café culture is the defining feature of the city's social life, and the historic coffee houses are unlike anything else in Italy. The tradition goes back to the Habsburg era when Trieste was a cosmopolitan trading port, and the great cafés — marble-topped tables, high ceilings, newspapers on racks, an atmosphere of comfortable unhurriedness — have survived more or less intact.
The city also has a lively osmize tradition: temporary farmhouse wine bars in the karst villages just outside the city, which open for a few days at a time to sell homemade wine, prosciutto, and cheese. Locals follow them by word of mouth or via listings websites. Seeking one out makes for an excellent half-day excursion from the city.