SantaFe

SantaFe brings an unpretentious cafe in Imperia, the sort of address you give a friend without a second thought. The appeal is not complicated: a drink made with some care, somewhere you can stand still for a few minutes. It is the kind of address that rarely makes a best-of list, and that is precisely why the people nearby treat it as their own. It is one stop in the broader coffee culture of Italy, the kind that reveals itself one neighborhood at a time.

What it lacks in polish it tends to make up for in character, which is what keeps regulars coming back. It is the kind of place where you can sit a while, and nobody rushes you toward the door. The menu usually stretches past coffee into tea, a few pastries, and whatever the kitchen feels like putting out.

SantaFe is rooted in Imperia, Italy, drawing the steady mix of locals and visitors any good coffee stop attracts. The surrounding blocks give it the steady foot traffic that keeps a coffee counter honest. Whether you plan around it or stumble onto it, it tends to leave a good impression. Part of what a place like this offers is simply somewhere to be for a few minutes, cup in hand.