The Oldest Coffee Shop In The US Is Still Open — And It Was The First To Introduce This Iconic Italian Drink To The Country

While coffee has been popular for hundreds of years in both Europe and coffee houses in the United States, what we think of as modern coffee shops didn't start appearing in America until the 20th century. The rise of coffee shops was mostly due to the invention of the espresso machine in Italy in 1884, which made coffee brewing much faster. And in 1927, an Italian immigrant named Domenico Parisi took advantage of the growing trend in Europe and brought the first espresso machine to the United States to start making cappuccinos in a shop that he christened Caffe Reggio.

Not only is it the first coffee shop to introduce cappuccino to America, but it is the oldest in the U.S. that's still standing. Caffe Reggio, located in New York's iconic Greenwich Village on MacDougal Street, has been serving cappuccinos to patrons for almost a century. 

Named after Parisi's home region of Reggio Calabria in southern Italy, Caffe Reggio wasn't originally a coffee shop. Parisi was actually a barber, serving a clientele of Italians in the neighborhood. Cappuccino had just become popular in Italy in the decades prior, and his customers would request an espresso while they waited. Parisi eventually realized that coffee was much more profitable than the 10-cent shaves and decided to turn his shop into a full-time cafe.

The centerpiece of Caffe Reggio to this day is its iconic espresso machine, which was made in 1902. Domenico Parisi spent his entire life savings of $1,000 to purchase it from Italy. It was a prototype that was first designed for the 1900 Paris World's Fair to show off the technology, and it was so old that it actually ran on coal. It wasn't until the '70s that it was converted to gas, although now it's no longer in use for making drinks because of the difficulty working with it compared to modern espresso machines. 

However, the espresso machine still serves as the jewel of Caffe Reggio's charming old-world decor. It's a towering chrome and bronze object that is topped with an angel statue and ringed with metal dragons around its base.

That's also just the start of Caffe Reggio's old-school charms. The coffee shop also boasts an authentic 16th-century painting by a student of the famous Italian painter Caravaggio, which was restored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art over 40 years ago. There is even a bench that is supposedly 600 years old from the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence that bears the crest of the famous namesake family. The unique decor of Caffe Reggio has made it a popular filming spot in the Village, being featured in movies like "The Godfather Part II" and "Inside Llewyn Davis."

While the history is a big draw, Caffe Reggio wouldn't have remained a neighborhood staple without continuing to be a great place to relax and grab a cup of coffee. The cafe was a part of New York's famous bohemian and Beat culture of the '40s and '50s, and it retains that vibe today, with lots of young locals and artists sitting around reading, talking, and sipping cappuccinos and lattes. The decor is interesting, of course, but even without the more famous pieces, Caffe Reggio still exudes an old European feel that is ideal for relaxing with a warm drink. It's a relief compared to the more hectic atmosphere of many modern coffee shops that feel like they're pushing you out the door the second you order.

And Caffe Reggio isn't just a tourist spot resting on its laurels. The cappuccino and other coffee drinks are still made with care and get great reviews from visitors. The Italian pastries and baked goods like sfogliatella and cannoli are also highly recommended. Beyond that, the menu includes simple paninis, pastas, soups, and salads. And if you drop by in the afternoon and don't want a caffeine hit, there is also a wine menu for a bit of late-day relaxation. It may be the oldest coffee shop in the U.S., but the things that make Caffe Reggio special are timeless and should probably be relearned by some of its modern competitors.