[Luc]

The whole Italian espresso culture is something quite recent in e.g. Belgium. Twenty years ago it was all drip coffee, and a cappuccino was a drip coffee with a dollop of Chantilly cream on top. I don't think there's anything wrong with that especially, it's just a regional variation.

A coffee salesman once told me they had to use different way of burning the beans between the Flemish north and the Walloon south (generally the more south you go in Europe, the more bitter the taste, according to him).

Also, Caffenation in Antwerp is pretty good.

[liedra]

I'm in the south so Antwerp is a bit far to go for a good coffee :) But yeah, it's definitely an expansion area here I'm sure. I don't know about regional variations on bean roasting between the north and south but you're right on the bitterness: the stuff I've bought locally is quite bitter! But I found a shop that sells a reasonable blend that's been freshly roasted, so I enjoy my good coffee at home :D