Villa Meola Coffee

Downtown Gilbert just got a coffee shop built by parents who were tired of having nowhere good to take their kids. Villa Meola Coffee is that place and it is worth the trip.

Michael and Callen Meola are the couple behind it. Before this shop existed, they spent years searching for places with enough space for their two young daughters to roam around without anyone losing their mind. Instead of just accepting that nothing quite fit, they built the place they always wanted.

The name "Villa Meola" is what they always called their own home. The whole idea is that you feel invited the same way a friend would invite you over. Walking around the space, you get that.

They ended up partnering with Mario Cimmino of Gelato Cimmino, the authentic Italian gelato shop right there in Downtown Gilbert. The two businesses now share the space which gives the whole place a strong Italian character that goes well beyond the menu.

And speaking of Italian character, the espresso here comes out of an Astoria machine with a manual lever. There are maybe a handful of shops in all of Arizona running human powered manual levers. Unlike modern pump-driven machines, the lever puts the extraction entirely in the hands of the barista. It is harder to master but produces a creamy texture that a pump-driven machine simply struggles to replicate. Even the pressure profiler expensive machiens with all the fancy electronics strugle to replicate a pull like a human would. The beans are from Momentto Coffee roasters and is a medium roasted blend with a full body and zero bitterness. That combination shows in the cup.

The drinks are named after Italian classics. Limoncello, Cannoli, Caffe Forza, Spumoni. We got the Spumoni, named after the molded Italian gelato. It is deeply chocolatey with pistachio pieces at the bottom and a subtle cherry note running underneath. If the cherry had a bit more presence, this drink would be almost unfairly good. We also got the Cannoli Latte, which uses house made almond milk and actual cannoli cream on top in place of cold foam. Gentle cinnamon notes, everything done right.

All drinks come out half sweet by default, which is the right call. Every drink also arrives with a small piece of biscotti (noticeably better than anything from a store shelf). You can buy extra pieces and you probably should. They are that good!

The space is big. There is indoor and outdoor seating, a large patio with umbrellas, a play area for kids and a little iron fence around the patio with a self closing gate so the kiddos do not wander into the street. There are books, games and plenty of reasons for a small kid to stay happily occupied while you actually enjoy your drink.

Gilbert needed a spot like this. A family friendly space with genuinely great coffee, Italian inspired drinks and gelato all under the same roof is not something you just stumble across. The Meolas built exactly what they were looking for. As it turns out, a lot of other people were looking for the same thing.