The Coffee Bar Cookbook from New York's Favorite Milanese Café

Italians are social people. The piazza, for example, is a very Italian concept: It’s a space designed at the center of every town and city in the country to encourage people to engage in public life. However, there’s no place Italians love to gather more than their local coffee bar, as food and drinks are often involved in any social gathering. It’s a cherished daily ritual that helps Italians get through the day. The bar is where they head first thing in the morning for a cup of espresso and pastries, for their panino for lunch with colleagues, and for their afternoon coffee or pre-dinner aperitivo among friends.

These are the kinds of rituals that Italian expats miss most from their home country. That’s why when Sant Ambroeus – a Milanese coffee shop – opened its doors on New York’s Upper East Side in 1982, Italians living in the city (along with neighborhood locals) quickly became regulars. Serving perfectly crafted espresso drinks, scrumptious pastries and sandwiches was one of the coffee bar’s draws – along with the unique conviviality at the counter. Today, Sant Ambroeus is a New York institution with several locations in Manhattan, Southampton, and Palm Beach – all popular celebrity spots that offer dinner and lunch menus, as well.

As a true ambassador of Milanese cuisine and coffee culture, the brand is releasing Sant Ambroeus: The Coffee Bar Cookbook, featuring 75 their popular coffee drink, bread, tramezzini, and panini sandwich recipes – not to mention the cookies, cakes, pastries, and gelato! Their first-ever cookbook also includes interesting insights on the origins of some of these traditional foods, such as the history of the tramezzino (originally from Turin), the origin of the venue’s name (Sant Ambroeus, taken from the patron saint of Milan and spelled in the city’s dialect), and even a little bit on the history of using butter in Italian cuisine. (That’s right – they don’t only use olive oil!) One of the book’s highlights is the striking dessert section, such as the recipe for Principessa, a delightful pink cake made with a combination of pastry cream, whipped cream, and tender sponge cake robed in pastel-colored marzipan, and known to be a favorite of Princess Margaretha of Sweden.

“A Day in the Life of a Coffee Bar” is also a fascinating read, which perfectly captures the crowd and atmosphere of the classic Italian bar throughout the day. Breakfast is the busiest time when regulars pop by for a cappuccino and a freshly made cornetto at the counter before going to work and taking the kids to school. By late morning, people who are not so rushed will have a proper long breakfast reading the paper or meeting friends while enjoying some of the famous small focaccia and olive oil rolls, stuffed with mozzarella and tomato, tuna and artichokes, bresaola, and many other tasty combinations. Soon after comes lunch, and the rhythm picks up again. 

Sant Ambroeus uses a variety of artisanal breads, from ciabatta for their signature sandwiches with veal Milanese, chicken salad or grilled vegetables and mozzarella, and thinly sliced soft bread for the light and savory tramezzini. Lunch ends with a quick espresso, but never a cappuccino! During the mid-afternoon, it’s time for a pick-me-up – a warm and thick hot chocolate with butter cookies or a slice of cake. Or on warm days, a gelato cone to enjoy on your way to the park. As the workday comes to an end, the bar starts serving cocktails for aperitivo, the beloved Italian custom already making its way to New York.

With limited indoor dining during the current pandemic, the new Sant Ambroeus cookbook (to be published by Rizzoli on October 6) is a welcome inspiration that just might allow us to recreate the delicacies and rituals of the Italian coffee bar, at home.

Cover photo: Sant Ambroeus location in Soho (ph courtesy of Sant Ambroeus)