Sorso Café

500 Harborview Drive

Baltimore, MD 21230

by Ben Stump

Gelato, sorbetto, cappuccino, Pinot Grigio. Think you can’t get all these under one roof outside of Little Italy? Think again.

Sorso Café opened over the summer of 2009, with little fanfare, along the Harborview Promenade in Federal Hill. Located on the ground floor of the Yacht Club, the atmosphere is anything but what you might expect when you hear “yacht club.” Self described as a “home away from home,” it truly is a place where you’re likely to meet some of the neighbors stopping in for a quick sorso (Italian for “sip”) or a bite to eat.

If it’s the gelato that got everyone in Federal Hill to visit Sorso Café, it’s the coffee and espresso drinks that keeps them coming back. They use only 100% organic, Fair Trade coffee and espresso beans, and hormone free milk. And if that’s not enough, all the coffee beans are roasted in-house, so you won’t find a more magical tasting coffee anywhere in Baltimore.

The food is very simple, mostly an assortment of sandwiches, salads, and personal pizzas. But they also offer a selection of fresh fruits, yogurts, and pastries. And since they open at 6:30 each morning, 7 days a week, you can also get breakfast sandwiches or bagels with or without the works like cream cheese, lox, capers, red onion, and tomato. Their hours are generous, open till 8:00 each night during the week and till 10:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

The mood is relaxed, and the style is casual. It’s a good place to cozy up on one of the comfy sofas or loveseats. Enjoy the best gelato or sorbetto when it’s hot outside, or maybe a glass of wine or cup of cappuccino when the weather turns cold outside. Either way, the people at Sorso go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and welcomed while you listen to music, visit with friends, or just hang out. And when you’re done at Sorso, don’t forget to take that stroll along the promenade, where the view of the harbor is absolutely fantastic.

Map It