espresso in the Italian tradition

“…the best espresso in Portland, rich and mellow.”

- Matt Gross, New York Times

From the careful selection, roasting, and blending of coffee beans, to the hand-pulled extraction of the ristretto, Spella Caffè Coffee Roasters takes pride in serving “Tostatura Media Dolce®” espresso in the Italian tradition. Discover what Spella’s “Medium Sweet Roast®” is all about!

Brewing at home

While we think Spella coffee is exquisite with any brewing method, our preferred method is the stove-top moka pot — here is our step-by-step guide for making squisito espresso at home!

a childhood ritual

Raised above his grandmother’s European bakery in Chicago, Andrea Spella first knew espresso as the thick stuff brewed on a stovetop and drunk with pastry after school. This childhood ritual, steeped as it was in old-world tradition, isn’t far from the espresso experience Andrea has cultivated for nearly 20 years in his caffès.

time-tested preparation

Before the caffè, there was a cart. And before the cart, Andrea dedicated himself to learning all that he could about coffee and fine dining — and he studied with some of the best. He apprenticed with Kevin Knox and Paul Songer of Allegro Coffee in Colorado for many years, and considers the time that he spent training with these industry veterans to be paramount to his personal process of figuring out what he loved (and what he wanted to avoid) in the business of roasting and perfecting his “Medium Sweet Roast®.”

In committing to honoring the time-tested preparation of Italian espresso, Andrea is also constantly seeking and calibrating the best modern techniques available in order to keep this tradition alive. With one foot in the past and one foot in the present, his holistic approach includes taking great care with the product and respecting all of the hands it passes through on its way to the demitasse cup.

Learn about our process

our crew

Meet the team

Although he initially created and built Spella Caffè as a sort of one-man show (sourcing, roasting, distributing, brewing, and serving all on his own), Andrea sees his business — and the team who helps run it — as something much greater than any single person. It must be, in order to carry this rich tradition authentically into the future.

cultivating community

Meet our partners

We’re proud to be part of the fine dining and food communities of Portland! From collaborating on local craft beers to working closely with cafes and restaurants just taking off, we find the relationships we’ve developed with our partners and customers to be invaluable.

New Partner Highlight

The Portland Art Museum (PAM) recently announced a partnership with well-known Portland, Oregon, culinary marketplace Providore Fine Foods to open Coquelico (ko-KLEE-koh), the cafe for the Museum’s newly transformed campus that will be unveiled to the public this November. Coquelico will be an experiential, modern European bistro offering an inspired, simple menu with breakfast, lunch, and dessert, plus seasonal offerings and rotating dishes inspired by exhibitions at the Museum. It will also offer full coffee service all day, featuring iconic Portland roaster Spella Coffee, who has created a custom roast available only at Coquelico and Providore.

Spella Caffè

608 SW Alder Street
Portland, Oregon 97205