The Caffè Cova is one of Milan, Italy's oldest pastry shops, delicatessens and coffeehouses,[1][2] today property of the French group Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

[3] Founded by veteran Antonio Cova in 1817, the Caffè was an important place for socialization and the meeting of the Milano bene, or the Milanese upper-class citizens, and it was a haunt for intellectuals, artists, musicians, academics, writers, politicians and journalists.

[3] During World War II, the Cova establishment and the nearby La Scala were devastatingly affected by the 1943 bombings of Milan.

[5] In 1997, the Caffè Cova opened a delicatessen aboard the American Celebrity Cruises, further spreading the institution's influence around the world.

Today, the Milan Caffè Cova still maintains its aristocratic atmosphere, and remains common place for the wealthier Milanese to drink an espresso or cappuccino, but it has also become popular with tourists and shoppers on the Via Montenapoleone alike.