This historical shop's legend begins in 1875 when Giovanni (Jon) Notegen, grocer from the village of Tschilin in Switzerland, decides to go seek his fortune in Italy and stops in Rome. Jon's encounter with the eternal city's beauties was decisive and plunged him from his native Engadine valley into a magical dreamworld. Notegen opened a grocery store in Via Capo le Case. Shortly the shop's success was granted by the dealer's abilities and, besides his evident skill, an inborn simpathy, kindness and plenty of unaffected solicitude.
In 1988 his clients' favour encouraged Notegen's move to Via del Babuino 159. The grocery was enlarged with the addition of a coffee shop, coffee roasting, as well as a small jam factory located in the spacious underground floor used to store products - apparently the first in Rome with the features the resourceful Notegen had brought from Switzerland. In 1915 Jan's son Nicola took over. In the thirties the Café Notegen strengthened its position as haunt favoured by artists, following its call to culture. In 1937 Nicola's eldest son Tommaso entered the grocery, eager to take an active part in the expansion of the family enterprise.
Tommaso - Notegen's third generation together with his brothers Reto and Giovanni - proved intuitive by investing in liquors to be served in the café. After having obtained a license as importer, he secured supplies of rare whiskies which he sold below market price. He didn't have to submit to the increased costs determined by agents' high expenses. Artists endorsed the café and Mario Mafai, Cesare Zavattini, Ennio Flaiano, Mino Maccari, Carlo Levi, Renato Guttuso, Schifano, Novella Parigini, Ugo Attardi were some of its clients. In 1985 Tommaso Notegen left the café, tired and worn out, and moved to Spain. Notegen then became a company, with Reto and Teresa Notegen as partners. Notegen is now a café in the French sense of the term, where warm and cold dishes can be simply and readily eaten and savoured. It provides 100 seated places and a very good service, in perfect continuity with a great tradition.