The most famous café in Trieste is the Caffé degli Specchi, in Piazza Unità d’Italia. The inauguration, which took place back in 1839, was followed by financial problems that led the owner to sell the entire building to Assicurazioni Generali, and in 1945 the Anglo-Americans used it as headquarters for the Royal Navy (the British Navy). Until 1954, the year in which Trieste was annexed to Italy, the café allowed the entrance to Trieste only if accompanied by British soldiers.
Coffee was loved by men of letters such as Joyce and Kafka. The name of the café derives from the mirrors hanging on the walls, each one was engraved with a historical fact, today only three original mirrors remain on display, while the others are kept in a protected place.
