When you hear the name ‘Balzer’ in Bergamo, you immediately think of long walks under the trees of Sentierone, the beautiful porticoes of the Piacentinian Centre and to the tables that decorate them, an ideal place to enjoy a relaxing break.
Coffee at Balzer is closely linked to the life and heart of the Bergamasco people. A historical place whose brand was born in 1850, for a century it has been a real point of reference for the social life and taste of citizens. Here we find ourselves enjoying a coffee or something sweet after a stroll in the street which – not surprisingly – has been nicknamed the ‘path’ of Bergamo.
Like its predecessor Caffè Isacchi, before being taken over in 1936, Balzer specialises in the production of sweet and savoury pastries, ready to take away or to be consumed in the elegant setting of its rooms. From the early hours of the morning, artisan croissants, fagottini pastries and Venetian pastries are baked. Here you can start your day in the best way while enjoying the classic Italian breakfast, or pampering yourself with mignon pastry, pralines and oven-baked cakes.
And speaking of cakes, at Balzer you can find all of Bergamo’s typical sweets: the Donizetti Cake, the Donizetti Panettone and the iconic Polenta and Ösei, produced in different shapes and sizes. From April to September, homemade ice cream is also made, in unique flavours as per tradition. Ideas for a special break during the day as well as gift ideas are endless!
But that is not all. For over a year, Balzer has been an even more eclectic place, open seven days a week, with a non-stop kitchen. It awaits you at all hours to serve you aperitifs, lunches and dinners. The menus are always accompanied by a surprise dish by chef Vittorio Fusari. The first floor of the historic venue is dedicated to private, corporate and family events. For wedding parties, it is possible to order wedding cakes directly in Balzer’s workshop, where ideas are transformed into confectionery works.
Café, patisserie, bistro and ice cream shop: nothing is missing in the welcoming heart of Bergamo… don’t miss it!
The brand was born in 1850, when the Balzer family (originally from the principality of Liechtenstein) opened their first store in Palazzolo sull’Oglio. It was followed a few years later by a patisserie in Treviglio. In the wake of economic success, in the late 1930s the Balzers decided to expand into Lower Bergamo. In 1936, therefore, the premises of the historic, prestigious Pasticceria Isacchi was taken over. This is how the Caffè del Balzer was born under the central arcades of the Sentierone.
In the 1950s, the venue was one of the elegant ‘promenade cafés’, where it was easy to meet famous people such as Maria Callas, Marcello Mastroianni and Vittorio Gassman, guests of the Donizetti Theatre. An aperitif at Balzer before and after the show was an essential ritual. It also produced the famous Panettoni del Balzer, counted among the most celebrated Milanese brands.
In that same period the Balzers took over the management of the other famous café on Sentierone, Nazionale. They decided to resume production of the dessert created in 1907 by Alessio Amadeo of the Milanese patisserie (Viale Roma, Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII): the sweet version of the typical Bergamasco dish, ‘polenta e ösei’.
Despite being nearly one hundred years old, Balzer is timeless. Like all charming places, it adapts to every era, appreciated by every generation for its environment and products. Over time, it has been able to pass on many traditional recipes, now proposed with the same care as then.