Cafeography
Trieste · Piazza Goldoni & Barriera Vecchia

Cafés in Piazza Goldoni & Barriera Vecchia

Largo Barriera Vecchia and Pirona, the 1936 covered market, Piazza Goldoni and the early bakeries of Via D'Azeglio.

Photo: Regina Tommasi, Pexels License

East of the Borgo Teresiano, the streets run from Piazza Goldoni up to Largo Barriera Vecchia and Piazza Garibaldi. The covered market at the end of Via Carducci, a rationalist building by Camillo Jona with a triangular plan and a spiral ramp, began trading in November 1936.12

Cafés here keep market hours. Scagnol on Via Massimo D'Azeglio opens at 06:00, Caffè Umberto Saba and Panetteria Giugovaz at 06:30, and most counters close around 20:00. Bar F on Via dei Piccardi works the other shift, from 17:30 to 01:00.

Local tip: Pair a capo with a pastry at Pirona on Largo Barriera Vecchia, then walk through the covered market at the end of Via Carducci, trading since 1936.

At a glance

27Cafés listed
9With opening hours
06:00Earliest opening
01:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Scagnol, from 06:00 (Mon–Sat 06:00–15:00).
  • Closes latest: Bar F, until 01:00 (Daily 17:30–01:00).
  • Most common features: smoke-free indoors (15%), bakery café (7%), brunch (7%).

Panetteria Giugovaz

Giugovaz bakery

  • Via Antonio Canova, 30
  • Mon–Sat 06:30–20:00 · Sun 08:00–13:00
  • +39040 360678
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Pirona and Joyce on Largo Barriera Vecchia

Alberto Pirona opened his pastry shop at Largo Barriera Vecchia 12 in April 1900, and its Liberty-style glazed wooden shelves are original.3 The same management runs the Viezzoli Pirona bakery on Via della Cassa di Risparmio.4 James Joyce lived opposite, at Via della Barriera Vecchia 32, on the third floor above the Picciòla pharmacy, from August 1910 to September 1912, and was a regular at Pirona; a portrait of him hangs inside.53

The square has three more coffee counters within a few doors: Caffè Impero at 1c, Il Macinino at 16 and Urban Caffè at 17, which opens 07:00–20:00 Monday to Saturday and closes on Sundays.

The covered market and Piazza Garibaldi

The market replaced two open-air markets, on Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza Goldoni, and was paid for with a legacy that Sara Davis, daughter of an English merchant, left to the city's street sellers.1 A clock turret marks its sharp corner, and its usable area is 2,378 m².1 Since 2019 the association AIDIA Trieste has worked from a first-floor space under an agreement with the city, on a plan to make the building a living museum of the region's food.2

On Piazza Garibaldi, Bar Felix and Bar Gelateria Ali Baba share number 9, and Bar dei Leo is on Via dei Leo. Caffè alla fermata is on Via San Giacomo in Monte.

Piazza Goldoni and Via del Toro

Joyce wrote articles on Irish politics for Il Piccolo, the daily on Piazza Goldoni, through his friendship with its editor.5 Caffè Goldoni is at number 3 on the square, Twins at 4, Gran Bar Italia at 6 and Bar Venier at 11.

Up Via del Toro, Lala Bar is at 13a and Tiffany Cafè at 16b, and VOG Bar is on Via delle Settefontane. Bar Avant Garde is on Via Giacomo Matteotti, and La tazzina, on Piazza dell'Ospitale, opens 07:00–20:00 Monday to Saturday.

Bakeries and early counters

Caffè Umberto Saba, at Corso Umberto Saba 30, carries the name of the poet, born in Trieste as Umberto Poli on 9 March 1883; he bought a second-hand bookshop in the city in 1919.6 The café opens 06:30–19:00 Monday to Saturday.

Scagnol, at Via Massimo D'Azeglio 2, runs 06:00–15:00, and Sircelli at number 1, smoke-free with tables outside, 07:00–20:00. Panetteria Giugovaz, on Via Antonio Canova, opens at 06:30 and serves brunch, and on Sundays it closes at 13:00. L'Angolo Del Caffè on Via Gatteri also serves brunch, and Biancatosta is on Via Luigi Frausin.

Sources

  1. Covered Market of Trieste, Architectuul, accessed October 2026
  2. Scheda Mercato coperto Trieste (Lucia Krasovec-Lucas), Italia Nostra (December 30, 2021), accessed October 2026
  3. Historical Cafés (Purple itinerary), Comune di Trieste, city itineraries (updated November 23, 2020), accessed October 2026
  4. The many ways to say "coffee". The Trieste variants and the 11 best coffee bars where to find them, Gambero Rosso International (October 27, 2023), accessed October 2026
  5. The Trieste of James Joyce, Comune di Trieste, city itineraries, accessed October 2026
  6. Umberto Saba, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
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FAQ

Piazza Goldoni & Barriera Vecchia cafés: questions

When did Pasticceria Pirona open in Trieste?

Alberto Pirona opened it in April 1900 at Largo Barriera Vecchia 12, and its Liberty-style glazed wooden shelves are original. James Joyce, who lived opposite at Via della Barriera Vecchia 32 from 1910 to 1912, was a regular, and his portrait hangs inside.

What is the covered market near Largo Barriera Vecchia in Trieste?

It is a rationalist building by Camillo Jona at the end of Via Carducci, with a triangular plan, a spiral ramp and a clock turret. It began trading in November 1936, replacing open-air markets on Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza Goldoni, and was funded by Sara Davis's legacy to the city's street sellers.

Which cafés open earliest around Piazza Goldoni and Barriera Vecchia in Trieste?

Scagnol on Via Massimo D'Azeglio opens at 06:00 Monday to Saturday. Caffè Umberto Saba on Corso Umberto Saba and Panetteria Giugovaz on Via Antonio Canova open at 06:30, and Urban Caffè on Largo Barriera Vecchia at 07:00.

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