The Thousands

A quick bit of art history for you. In the 19^th century there were these painter dudes called the Pre-Raphaelites who basically believed in two things: Firstly, that Raphael (the painter, not the ninja turtle) was a douchebag whose style should be avoided like the plague, and secondly that it was only through communion with the natural world that man could achieve his full moral, spiritual and intellectual potential. These are the reasons why their paintings tended to look a bit like this.

I’m not sure what Casa Bianchi’s stance on Raphael is but I’m pretty sure they would agree with the Pre-Raphaelites about the importance of natural world. When the sun is shining the walls of Casa Bianchi dissolve, allowing the lush greenery, mismatched garden furniture and soothing bubbling of the coy pond in this nursery cum cafe to come into their own. The coffee and edibles are all well-done but the real strength of this place is its ability to turn your quick caffeine fix into an Arcadian escape from the urban hustle bustle of everyday life.