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Friday, 3 May 2024

Coffee and croissants back on the menu in Italy

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Coffee and croissants back on the menu in Italy
Coffee and croissants back on the menu in Italy

Romans flocked to the city's bars and cafes for their caffeine fix on Tuesday - but only takeaway options are permitted.

The simple pleasure had been taken away for almost two months while bars have been shut and Italians stuck at home during Europe's longest anti-coronavirus lockdown - and a home brew just isn't the same.

But from May 4, as restrictions gradually begin to lift, bars are allowed to re-open offering a takeaway service - and locals are very relieved.

The Di Renzo bar is on Pantheon square, a tourist hotspot in Rome that would usually be bustling with crowds and a long line of tourists queuing up to get a glimpse inside the stunning ancient Pantheon.

But even with takeaways, the bar is only making 10% of its usual sales, and until tourists return, bar owner Gabriele di Renzo warns: "our business is dead."

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