It all began in 1838, when Lazzaro Canepa, who emigrated from Lavagna (near Genoa), opened a small meeting place to which he gave his name. In 1855 the restaurant changed its name and appearance: It became, in fact, "Caffè Genovese", an elegant meeting place for artists and the crème of the city. An old photograph of the ancient Caffe in Cagliari, then known as Caffè Genovese..
The club lived a new life in the early twentieth century with the banner of Liberty, with appliques and mirrors hung on the walls, thonet-style chairs, tables in cast iron and white marble, two walnut counters and a valuable cancelled forged by the inmates of the penal colony of St. Bartholomew, which still borders the terrace today. The local owes much of its charm to the events that has now left behind; Here Sibilla Aleramo awaited her sweetheart sitting at a table near the counter; With her, Grazia Deledda, Emilio lussu, D.H. Lawrence, Gabriele d'annunzio, Salvatore Quasimodo, Elio Victoriani and Beniamino Gigli, are just some of the illustrious personalities who have frequented and loved him.
In 1998, thanks to the restoration work desired by the Ruggieri family, also the owner of the prestigious Sardinia Hotel, 4 stars, of Cagliari, the coffee (which went through the bombings of the Second World War) was reported to the ancient Splendors and lives today a second youth. The ancient coffee has thus rediscovered its true nature: it is again an elegant center of the social life of the city, which faithfully testifies the traditional aspect of the coffees of 1800, where beverages and aromas are often a pretext for the reading and the Rites of the life Social Here you can taste products of fine pastry and delicious culinary specialties. The coffee, a veritable institution for the Cagliaritani, is also under protection from the Ministry of Cultural heritage and represents an important piece of history of the city.