Italian cuisine seems to have a deeper understanding of bitter flavors than other common Western cuisines. They understand bitter vegetables like chicory and agretti, they understand bitterness in chocolate, and the coffee I had there always had the faintest hint of bitterness that enhanced rather than detracted from the flavor.

It probably also helps that they are downing a demitasse in a minute or two instead of a giant venti size beast that lasts for an hour.