To kick off the 10th anniversary celebrations for Espresso di Manfredi by Piazza D’Oro, friends and media were invited to partake in a one-day-only espresso extravaganza: a pop-up café allaManfredi.

Morning tea guests were welcomed in out of the cold to the sweet aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and pastries hot from the oven. A feast of coffee-inspired and complimenting dolci e biscottiwas created by Stefano Manfredi for the occasion, including aniseed honey rolls, walnut and quince biscotti, sbrisolona (polenta shortbread), ricciarelli, chocolate truffles and the popular Espresso and Hazlenut Torta (pictured below)

As lunchtime arrived, plates of bite-size panini appeared on the tables accompanied by olives and grissini. Vitello Tonnato, cured ocean trout with soft egg and salsa verde, and Tallegio with grilled raddichio were just some of the fillings on offer, as guests devoured the flavour-packed morsels made from Iggy’s famous sourdough baguettes. Caffe Latte and Espresso were offered to those in need of a post-lunch pick-me-up, and fresh hot pastries were served for afternoon tea.

Cocktail hour buzzed with conversation, no doubt aided by the copius amounts of coffee consumed throughout the day by some of our most loyal (and now thoroughly drugged) guests. New arrivals were treated to an Espresso di Manfredi cocktail, a balanced and potent combination of fresh espresso shots, vanilla-infused Belvedere vodka, Kahlua and cinnamon. To finish, Stefano produced the hit of the night: an espresso, cardamon and mastic pannacotta, proving to all why he is still the master of this much-loved dessert.

For Manfredi it was a day to celebrate with friends, family and long-time collaborators what has been for us an exciting and successful 10 years in the coffee business. Together with Piazza D’Oro, we look forward to the next chapter of Espresso di Manfredi, and hope you will continue to share the journey with us.