Italy's Bar Guide 2025: the search for the best in quality and sustainability begins

Gambero Rosso's Italy's Bar Guide, now in its 25th edition and always created in partnership with illycaffè, features a selection of establishments across the Peninsula that best represent Italians' favourite spots. The bars are evaluated with Chicchi (Beans) and Tazzine(Cups), which respectively judge the coffee offering and the overall quality of the service and environment. The top score, Tre Chicchi e le Tre Tazzine (Three Beans and Three Cups), is awarded to those excelling in both categories.

The illy Bar of the Year Award

The most virtuous bar will win the illy Bar of the Year 2025 Award: this prestigious accolade reflects illycaffè's commitment to supporting the increasingly responsible development of Italian cafés. The aim is to make the coffee ritual more sustainable in terms of impact, packaging care, and better waste management, as well as prioritising short supply chain foods.

In 2024, the award went to Paolo Griffa at Caffè Nazionale in Aosta, a venue where sustainability is the core of the entire project: electricity entirely sourced from renewables, 97% recyclable packaging, comprehensive waste reduction efforts, and supplier selection based on shared values, ensuring product quality and good working conditions along the supply chain. Additionally, the focus on local products from small Aosta Valley producers and wild herbs used in preparations gathered from a synergistic garden nearby.

The Jury for the illy Bar of the Year 2025 Award

The task of evaluating the finalists and awarding the most sustainable bar will be entrusted to a panel of experts, including Antonia Klugmann, illy Chef Ambassador and the soul of the restaurant L’Argine a Vencò in the province of Gorizia; Lorenzo Ruggeri, Editor-in-Chief of Gambero Rosso; Marina Savoia, Curator of Italy's Bar Guide; Moreno Faina, Director of the University of Coffee at illy; and Violante Avogadro, Chief Communication & Key Client Officer at illy.

“Today, we have access to all kinds of information. We cannot, therefore, ignore the impact our food system has on the Earth's ecosystem balance. The loss of biodiversity, deforestation, and climate change are, unfortunately, some of the consequences of adopting non-ecological and thus unsustainable food models. It is essential that each operator in the sector thinks ethically about the environment, building a more sustainable restaurant model over time and attempting to broaden their impact by communicating their work and values correctly to the public,” says Chef Antonia Klugmann.

The winner of the illy Bar of the Year Award will be announced during the presentation event for Italy's Bar Guide 2025, scheduled to take place in Milan on 26 September at the splendid Teatro Manzoni.