Fee for milk in Espresso revolts coffee connoiseurs

 ROME – Locals in the Eternal City have taken umbrage after the price of macchiatos in the city centre has increased and for the first time in centuries now costs Italian coffee addicts more than a fix of Espresso, Il Messaggero reported.

 Cafes and bars in the city centre of Rome have begun to charge extra for the drop of milk that turns an espresso into a macchiato. Most cafes are now charging an "extortionate" 20 or 30 cents for one teaspoon of milk to be added to the coffee. While to tourists this may seem normal, as many countries charge extra for the milk, for some Romans this has caused outrage. While the average price of a black Espresso is now 1 euro 20 cents, some extortionate bars have started charging as much as 1.50 for a macchiato, which still may be a bargain for foreign tourists who may regularly pay 3 pounds for an espresso in London or dlrs 10 in New York. 

 Speaking to Il Messaggero, one Roman local, Ilaria, compared charging for milk in a macchiato to a restaurant charging extra for parmesan on top of pasta or charging for whipped cream on ice cream.

 Both paying for milk in a macchiato and paying for whipped cream on ice cream has been a trend in richer northern Italy for several years and now has spread to the tourist traps of Rome.

 Yet locals of the Eternal City evidently are hoping that in voicing their outrage, prices will return to normal.

 khg