The grand café of Ascoli, on the east side of Piazza del Popolo. The Liberty-style interior — gilded mirrors, painted ceilings, a marble counter — is as it was when Silvio Meletti opened the place in 1907. The anisette liqueur he invented is still made and served here; the standard order is a small glass with three coffee beans floating on top ("con la mosca").
Best for an aperitivo on the square at dusk, or for a late-morning espresso under the arcade. The interior rooms are quieter than the terrace and have the original 1907 fittings. Worth a slow hour at least once on any visit to Ascoli.