Atmosphere: Tucked into the Public Ledger Building just to the right of the entrance, it's a quaint spot that, while not conducive to leisurely dining, serves the larger purpose well. There are outside tables, which are in a prime location for watching all those Chestnut Street flaneurs strut their stuff. If you've ever been to a small-town train station in Western Europe, Academia del Caffé will give you flashbacks of the experience; without the cigarette smoke, of course.

Crowd: During a recent early-afternoon visit, I was the only person there, aside from the two girls behind the counter. But it was a little after 1pm--far too late for the desk-jockey crowd. I'd imagine that, an hour or so earlier, it may have been packed to the branchia-er, gills-with local office workers in search of a decent bite to eat.

Service: Last time I stopped by a place like Academia del Caffé, I was passing through the train station in Albufeira, Portugal. And I can say with certainty that the service here was far more competent. While they didn't offer me a glass of port here, they were friendly, enthusiastic about the food, willing to explain anything I wasn't familiar with and insistent on my bringing home a chocolate biscotti for Ms. Martini. (They knew what they were talking about; because of them, I spent the rest of the afternoon in Ms. M's good graces.)

What to Get: The Praga panini, a perfect portion of prosciutto, brie and artichoke sauce (it was halfway between chopped chokes and a puree, blissfully messy and a decidedly Euro addition to the sandwich). The Praga is served on Metropolitan Bakery bread, which is never a bad thing. Desserts were solid, too. The chocolate-filled biscotti weren't too sweet and the linzer bar, from local favorite Miel Patisserie, was a nice, rich end to the meal. Plus, you can convince yourself that it's healthy. The raspberry filling is, after all, fruit-based--sort of.

What Not to Get: I've never been a huge fan of Hausbrandt's coffee. It's smooth, sure, but always leaves me just a little bit disappointed. The cappuccino, though, was better. Academia also has a selection of Italian iced teas and sodas, and while I wasn't crazy about the San Pellegrino Chinotto (like a non-alcoholic, oddly sweet Campari), some people swear by it and will defend it to the death.

Verdict: I dislike Starbucks with the passion of a thousand glowing suns, and even after years of contemplation I still cannot fathom why otherwise sensible people would subject themselves to the Seattle-based hydra's chemical-tasting and grossly oversized food-stuffs. Academia del Caffé, however, is the anti-Starbucks. The food is decent, the service is friendly, the portions are reasonable and even if the coffee won't change your life, the sum of the parts is actually rather pleasant. It's definitely worth a try.

Academia del Caffé, 620 Chestnut St., 215.238.9195, www.hausbrandtusa.com

Other locations: 1039 Chestnut St., and 2400 Market St.