Caffè Caruso in Lugano

The 📍place where I return ❣️ for coffee or an aperitif when I'm in Lugano. PS: Neu ist auch Kartenzahlung möglich. Danke

This small bar is located directly on the main square of Lugano. The piadinas are excellent, especially the vegetarian one. Possibility to sit outside in summer. Good beer and aperitif.

Very good vegetarian piadina even if not very full, but you could feel the quality of the ingredients😋

Good food but you can only pay in cash because they have to clean. 🧹🧹🧹

We were not informed that you cannot pay by card, in the center of Lugano it seems absurd to me. Remember the trend of eliminating cash everywhere.

Good coffee, friendly staff and they even bring you some delicious praline peanuts to munch on. One of my favorite bars in Lugano.

It doesn't allow you to pay with the card, it doesn't give you a receipt, SMART!

A delightful place to enjoy the view of the Lugano square, you can comfortably stay outside even in winter as they are perfectly equipped with heaters and blankets. Pleasant drinks, the piadinas are highly recommended, excellent value for money!

It's a nice place to eat a great piadina (specially the vegetarian one), the coffee it's ok, nothing special, the service, it's not the best and they don't accept cards, only in cash. The piadina with nutella is quite nice but i would prefer ot with much more nutella like italians do. The place is clean and also the bathroom.

Was there with family (two small children). Menu and drinks - list only with QR code. After we still hadn't been served after 20 minutes, I went in to place the order. Answer: we should wait, someone will come. 10 minutes later that was really the case. Aperol without a tube! I then brought it inside. When paying: cash only! But it's not on the QR list, just on a yellowed A5 sheet near the entrance. When I pointed out that this should be on every table next to the QR code, I was insulted with swear words by the overwhelmed staff. Just for your information: there were 15 guests present and 3 or 4 people staff. Nevertheless, they were hopelessly overwhelmed. I don't think these people are cut out for this business.

our group of 21 lively women ventured into the inviting realm of Caffè Caruso, a hidden gem tucked away in the heart of Lugano. It was a challenge to find a coffee shop capable of accommodating our sizable group without prior notice, yet Caffè Caruso graciously opened its doors to us. The warmth exuded by the friendly staff was immediately evident as they welcomed us with delectable sweet bread, adorned with a delightful pistachio topping, a tempting treat that perfectly complemented our steaming cups of coffee and fragrant teas. Although we only ordered beverages, the hospitality extended to us was truly heartwarming. In a gesture that reflected their amiable demeanor, the staff offered to capture a group photograph of our lively conversations, a testament to their attentiveness and genuine care for their patrons. Amidst the delightful chatter of 21 women, the atmosphere remained vibrant and convivial, much like the sweetness that permeated the air, reminiscent of the delectable pistachio bread. Caffè Caruso’s exceptional hospitality and accommodating spirit undoubtedly set it apart. Their warm welcome and willingness to cater to our impromptu visit left a lasting impression. For anyone seeking a tranquil haven to savor aromatic coffee and delightful treats, Caffè Caruso in Lugano is an ideal destination, boasting a top-notch level of hospitality that is as heartwarming as their delightful offerings.

Best Piadine!! Service staff is nice as well and the place is cozy. Definitely recommend.

It was a nice location and the elevator to the toilet was especially a nice experience. What really disappointed me was that it was not possible to pay by card even though this was not clearly stated. This meant that I had to pay in Euros and therefore spent 32 euros for 2 folded pancakes and 2 red Rivellas. I won't be coming back here very soon.

I was last week with some friends at lunchtime, they had delicious stuffed piadina, spectacular, a very kind team, low prices, my sincere compliments, you are truly fantastic

Seemed like a good idea. Initial service was subpar, drinks were good (as all they did was open the bottle or serve coffee). Food was not great- salty and bit sickly. More problems arose when we were informed they don’t accept card. Which is highly unusual, had to go to atm around the corner where they have a minimum of 50 francs. Then the waiter has the audacity to take his time giving me change as to ask for a tip. Give the customer a stress free experience and perhaps you’ll get what you deserve. In the mean time your establishment deserves a 1 star.

Food wasn’t bad at all. Servers were nice. However, it is strange that a busy place like this does not accept card (only cash!) - this would have been good if they mentioned it before we put our order in.

On August 15, the piazza and the café are quiet.

Friendly service, excellent wraps! Nice location !

1. Underwhelming service: they were so slow …. it was unbearable- ; we had to wait 30-40 min before anyone even came to our table, and keep in mind that the place was even half empty. I can understand being absent-minded, however this was a really awful experience. 2. They were taking only cash which is appalling to say the least, especially since we are in Switzerland

2023, no POS, only cash payment, without being notified before getting a drink, they ask to go and withdraw from the ATM... with a certain arrogance, moreover, it will happen that I go away to go and withdraw but then I don't come back 😘

Delicious piadina 😋 crunchy and tasty like in Romagna. Excellent prices. External area with many tables directly on Piazza della Riforma. Service not so present and unfortunately you can only pay in cash.

Excellent piadina! Aperitif 🍻 in the ideal place in the square! Friendly and efficient staff.. good price.

The price-performance ratio is great and the piadines are very tasty. The vegetarian ones are also very good!! For example, small canapés are available free of charge for Aperol Spritz (see picture). The staff is very nice and helpful. Attention: only cash payment possible!!

I find it absurd and sad that with a Jamboorie festival this venue which is right behind the stage plays hause music. A real absurdity, it would be nice if for this 4 days they used 50's style music to differentiate themselves. Of course this is the sad reality of people who don't understand anything.

Nice place on the edge of the piazza. Fine piadine, friendly service. Unfortunately only cash payment is possible today. But since the machine is just around the corner, no problem.

Hearty little restaurant, a bit away from the hustle and bustle. The view of Piazza Riforma invites you to linger. The aperitif included nuts and chips at no extra charge. At our request, the piadina were prepared without cheese/vegan. NO card payment possible, only cash.

Fast service, good vera piadina, quiet on the square.

I'm giving one star because you can't give less.

They make good piadinas friendly service. keep it up.....👏

🔝 🔝 🔝 🔝 🔝 🔝. Always good atmosphere but the music is very loud.

Beautiful location Fast and friendly service. Piadina with Nutella was good. Friendly atmosphere

Bella la Bionda😄 very tasty piadina buonissime friendly gentilli I'll be back. The piadina is also ready to take away in 5 minutes. Piadina Romagnola highly recommended.

Very good experience. Although there aren't many seats inside, it's a nice place to spend a nice evening with friends. Welcome buffet appetizers, good, rich, just right to accompany the delicious drinks.

We clearly showed in the menu the wine we wanted but they brought us a different one, only to find out about it in the end when we asked for the bill. Also, they do not accept cards!!!! Something they did not bother to inform us about!

Delicious piadinas, honest prices in the historic center, excellent services and top staff!

Classic aperitif bar in the center of Lugano. Service was good, drinks too. The background music was appropriate. Nothing major, but it worked really well.

Nice place to have an Aperol Spritz, or a Crodino Speciale (analcolico)

We stopped by chance for a coffee and had a really good time. Excellent drink, very nice location of the bar and in the central square. We were welcomed by Sabrina who not only took the order but turned out to be very cheerful and helpful, also for a short conversation. Congratulations to the staff for their hospitality and service. I absolutely recommend.

One star less. You could only pay in cash.

be careful! cheating with the price when ordering drinks! The checkout bill is higher than what is on the menu. always check! I ask the manager to check the honesty of the cashier who worked on 16/10/22 in the afternoon!

Never experienced such an overwhelmed and unfriendly staff in Lugano. Probably racist. Avoid.

Good coffee, homemade orange juice!

Good place, well served, good coffee and excellent piadinas. Good location and accessible by public transport and on foot. In the middle of a square. Great variety of piadinas, all made fresh and fresh. Nice place for a coffee, breakfast, snack or aperitif.

I've been going to Caruso for years now and it's always one of the first places I go to when I return to Lugano. Nice bar in the square with excellent piadinas (my favourites!), the drinks are also very good. The staff has changed compared to a few years ago and is much more friendly and attentive!

I was there two days ago to have an aperitif with my friend, the appetizers were very good and served very well, very welcoming and kind staff especially the girl with curly hair who was really kind and smiling which is not something for everyone, we will definitely return, highly recommended place😍

Picturesque spot to grab an espresso and friendly staff!

Always hospitable bar in the center of Lugano. Piadine made to perfection and the friendliness of the girls who work there always make this place a little special and in fact always my first choice for a quick and tasty lunch.

Good cocktails, fast service, very kind staff, Alessia my favorite.

Good cocktails accompanied by quality appetizers: fresh stuffed focaccias, bruschetta, vegetables and salami. Personally, I also really liked the service and kindness of the staff as well as the location which enjoys a beautiful view of the main square of Lugano. The only flaw is that you only pay in cash!

Excellent piadinas at a price appropriate to the place. The only flaw is that payment is only in cash.

Come on, not very nice but good cocktails 👍🏻👍🏻

Too bad you can only pay in cash... I'm sorry, but in 2022 it's unacceptable.

A terrace on the square in Lugano and very kind staff even just for a coffee (with free water)

Disappointment, the blonde waitress passed in front of our table 5 times with the empty tray and didn't even bother to remove the dirty plates and glasses that were already on the table before our arrival... let alone bring a menu or ask for the ordering. Not recommended.

Very welcoming place..professional and very friendly staff....it was a real pleasure to meet you...greetings from little Francesca❤

For being the First, I would say excellent.

Rosa is the most bellisima and the nicest! They make food later so if you are hungry come here! Drinks are good and strong! Caffè Caruso is 10/10!

High quality coffee right on the piazza. The prices are very affordable and the quality is excellent! Again and again!

Small cozy and nice. Gladly again.

Piadinas and cocktails are delicious. If you are looking for a place to eat (good price), the Caffè Caruso is the ideal place in Lugano. Only downside, they only accept cash and we were informed that at the end.

Nice atmosphere right on the piazza. Staff is super nice. What's just annoying - no card payment. But it was solved well yesterday by a lady with long black hair (braid)

Great location, close to the lake, Piazza della Riforma and Piazzeta della Posta. Excellent service and menu options.

D.O.C. Service Excellent cocktails accompanied by unique and well-presented appetizers. The friendliness and friendliness are equal to the cheerful musical atmosphere😍😋☺

It depends on the day.... a few days ago we drank a good beer, but when we returned it didn't go well: after almost 3 quarters of an hour of waiting from when we sat down at the table we left without consuming anything, the the wait had become excessive, despite having interacted twice with the staff to communicate our order request (we wanted to drink a beer again, nothing to prepare in the kitchen). It's not nice to see the customers at the adjacent table being served before us who were waiting even though we had been seated 30 minutes before them.

Nice location, but rather slow service.

Lots of staff, few customers and service that needs to be significantly improved. Waiting and almost listless.... How sad.... where have the services of the past gone??????

The operation that has already been criticized in other reviews is effective. On the 3rd order we finally received our drinks. Inconsistent concept as to which guests are offered a “goodie” (taralli, antipasti).

You can pay in €, but you will receive Swiss francs back

Very good mojito and super friendly bartender :)

Good welcome and always smiling staff. Well done girls 👍 carry on like this

Payment in cash only, announced only at the time of payment. Very long service. In short, the place capitalizes on its tourist trap location. Damage.

Great coffee and good croissants! Super friendly serving staff.

Fantastic place and very friendly and helpful waitresses!! I recommend it to everybody!! Also because to be honest I tried going to other bars in the area but friendliness would seem to be an optional...

We just wanted to have a little drink. We wanted to order two baileys, the glass stood for a total of 30 minutes empty and none of the waiters took care of it. After that she wanted to make an interim payment and we asked for two baileys and the baileys never came after 15 minutes. We got up and left. I don't know what we did wrong, maybe because of the color of the skin.

Really nice location and good music. Really friendly waitresses and quck service. Highly recommending it.

Wow…. First we waited 15 minutes until we were served. When the waitress came, you could tell that she didn't feel like working and unfortunately she was also unfriendly. You can recognize a person's attitude immediately, and it's no different with her. After ordering, we had to wait another 20 minutes until a second waitress asked us what we would like to order. Apparently our order didn't even make it to the bar... we decided to leave! If you look at the other reviews, the boss should perhaps question himself when hiring staff and hire competent staff instead of young, “good-looking” women...

the Negroni Sbagliti are wonderful

Even though one person was very nice from the condition, I was unfortunately dissatisfied with the service. The reason for this was that they never asked if you wanted something more to drink and you had to try very hard to get the attention of the guests, even when not all the tables were occupied. One of my orders was also forgotten. The drinks weren't the best, but they were okay. I think we were polite guests who weren't difficult to serve and the conditions when paying were also rather rude. I'm sorry to give such a bad review for the one service person who tried hard, but my overall impression was not good.

We got some bruschetti and small sandwiches for free with the beer. The piadina are very tasty. You take the elevator to the toilet 😆 Actually, more stars would be possible, but none of the waitresses were particularly friendly or personable. A pity. 😕

unfortunately it hasn't yet arrived in the 21st century: cash only, no credit cards.

Thank you very much to Rosa, a very attentive and friendly waitress. As soon as we arrived she served us immediately and even afterwards she made sure that everything was fine. Thank you 🙏 Rosa

Great location, good cocktails, great atmosphere in the middle of Lugano. We were served very well and felt comfortable! Can only recommend and again GRAZIE ROSA 🙂

The tables in the square attract, unfortunately the service is poor and really slow. Advice, it takes a shot of life.

Rarely have I experienced such catastrophic service as in this restaurant!! A shame for the Ticino gastronomy... The operator of this Caffè Caruso is definitely not interested in sales This is probably guaranteed for him due to the great location?! The unfriendly and unmotivated employees would be better off staying at home. Absolutely no interest in the business! Or maybe revised…..

Really nice little place in the square in Lugano, shame about the staff, who were unhelpful and annoyed at our request to accompany some prosecco with some chips. Truly a more than poor service👎

Dopo aver speso almeno 100 fr di drink sono stata trattata malissimo da una cameriera con i capelli neri (lunedì sera,,31 maggio). Non era la prima volta. Peccato che con tutta la gente che in questo periodo è a casa e avrebbe voglia di lavorare al servizio di un bar in pieno centro Lugano ci sia un personale così scortese. Ci andavo spesso, non mi vedranno più (come suggerito sgarbatamente dalla stessa cameriera).

The best thing is the location. Customer service with upward potential.

Very good piadina and cocktails 😊

Abbiamo atteso molto per ordinare. Dopodiché, abbiamo pagato, e non sono tornati per darci il resto. Abbiamo aspettato ancora, infine sollecitare la cameriera per il resto. C’è da puntualizzare che non era affollato.

Boring affair with the order, delivery and then until the invoice came. Also unfriendly and arrogant. But what happened next was ok

Very unfriendly service. And if you want to pay, you need a lot of time. We started three attempts. After 45 minutes it still worked. Let's not even talk about the prices.

Personale gentile e Professionale , composto da quattro donne , che si destreggiano dai Coctail alle meritevoli Piadine. Nella Piazza principale di Lugano , un angolo di relax. Confermo , quanto sopra scritto , ma Sono le 17.30 , avrei gradito un piccolo assaggio delle loro prelibatezze , ma ho ordinato una Piadina . L'Aperitivo incomincia alle 18.00 e termina alle 23.00 , super , direi considerando la chiusura forzata a causa del C19. Per altro squisita , che dire , resta un Locale dove sia il Servizzio , che i Coctail sono seguiti adeguatamente. Caldamente consigliato

Un po' lenti, ma ottimo servizio

Posto molto carino, la barista con il fular è molto simpatica e cordiale. Consigliato

Hip. Nichts für Familien und das ist auch mal gut so.

Il servizio potrebbe migliorare..

Piccolo ma molto accogliente proprio in Piazza Riforma

Lo spazio interno è limitato, ma nonostante questo hanno preparato uno spazio esterno adibito anche per l'inverno, utilizzando i funghi che scaldano. Disponibilità di avere delle coperte. Sono molto gentili, simpatici e attenti alle richieste dei clienti. Nonostante non fosse stato l'orario dell'aperitivo, ci hanno portato qualcosa da mangiare, aspettando l'aperitivo. I prezzi sono normali al posto dove si trova il bar.

Gestito da fffanciulle fin troppo golose ma inquinate

Bar carino con prezzi molto più onesti rispetto agli altri bar che si trovano in piazza. Camerieri presenti e cordiali. Molto consiglito