Scattered with contemporary cushions adding splashes of colour and glamour to the café opposite the Pitti Palace, JT Caffè has quickly become a new favourite spot for a coffee or bite to eat in the Oltrarno. The eatery run by fashion designer Jennifer Tattanelli, her brother Christopher and husband Giulio now boasts a new team of staff, too.
On a hot and humid mid-August day, it was a pleasure to dive into the coolness of JT Caffè to speak to the café’s newest additions to the team, bistrot manager Marzia Sassetti and general manager Alex Dumitru. Born in Siena and raised in Montalcino, Sassetti comes from a background of fine wine and country cooking. From her mother she learnt the art of understanding edible flowers and the importance of observing the seasons.
Her countryside upbringing was all about creating good food with genuine flavours and home-grown ingredients. ‘Fresh eggs, flour ground from our own wheat, vegetables grown in our garden and grapes from our vines made sure that we ate healthy, authentic food.’
On only her second day at the helm of the Bistrot, Marzia spoke enthusiastically about her love: ‘Making pasta isn’t just a job; it’s my passion.’ That passion stems from Sassetti’s childhood, too, when she used to watch her mother stretch out egg-yellow sheets of pasta on a large table next to the fireplace.
‘I was curious and would watch her work, but I’d only cause chaos if I tried to help.’ There is none of that mess today, of course, as Marzia has spent countless years developing her skills as a pasta maker while having fun doing so. Not that the menu at JT Caffè is limited to pasta—in addition to delights like vegetarian crispy lasagna with stracciatella cheese, you’ll find creamy pumpkin soup, tender Chianina beef tartare and swordfish carpaccio, making piazza Pitti a great lunch spot in the Oltrarno.
JT Caffè is proving equally popular at breakfast and at night, too. The new general manager, Alex Dumitru, is looking to continue the high standards already offered at piazza Pitti 32–33/R. Originally from the small town of Zărneşti in Romania, Alex started his hospitality career in Bucharest, working his way up the ladder until he met his Italian wife Alessandra and moved to Italy. Having mastered the language, he became the bartender and terrace manager at Florence’s Hotel Continentale overlooking the Ponte Vecchio. ‘I plan on adding an extra touch of personality to JT Caffè,’ Alex enthused. ‘How? Well, that’s going to be a bit of a surprise, but this much I can tell you: I’m working on it.’
Breakfast and brunch, lunch and afternoon snacks, aperitivo and dinner: JT Caffè and its new team will satisfy your thirst and appetite at any time of the day.
JT Caffè
Piazza Pitti 32–33/R, Florence
Open 7.30am to 10pm (extended hours upon request)
