Tiamo Coffee

It translates to I love you – and the locals couldn’t agree more. In fact, this little Italian joint on Lygon Street has become so popular over the years that it opened a little sister Tiamo 2 right next door to focus on the pizza aspect. But there’s still something about the dog-eared original that draws regulars back.

Dating from the seventies, it’s a family run venture that has stood the test of time. The black and white checkerboard floor, dim, secluded tables and coffee bar by the front door are brought alive with the cheerful banter of staff as they ferry huge pasta dishes to and from the kitchen cubbyhole.

There are bowls of brodo delivering mildly sweet broth, speckled with pillowy ravioli and fresh parsley, mopped up with mountains of buttered, crusty white bread, or vibrant, ruby red plates of Napoli pasta peppered with verdant green basil – lunchtime treats worth plotting into your day.

Ever popular as a dinner destination, there’s often a queue for tables, but with efficient staff, it’s not a long wait and one that’s eased by a tumbler of gutsy house-red while you run your finger down the menu.

Clusters of mature Italian men lounge at the bar in the front window, taunting the young barista with friendly jeers as the coffees roll out. You might not get to Italy, but you can get damn close.