Inspired by modern Paris bistros, Caffè Stern's new menu changes weekly and is structured like an Italian trattoria menu with a small selection of antipasti, primi, secondi, contorni and dolci. Chef Mattiuzzi selects the best seasonal ingredients to prepare signature Alajmo dishes like Dill tagliolini with pistachio sauce and shellfish, Risotto with white truffle (when in season), Venetian-style veal liver with fried polenta and the irresistible panettone to finish.

Stern, originally founded as a letterpress in 1834, was converted into a cafè and restaurant in 2014 by the Alajmo brothers upon the suggestion of their dear friend Gianni Frasi, renowned coffee roaster of Laboratorio Torrefazione Giamaica in Verona. Frasi created a specific blend for Stern, which is roasted over an open flame in an original Vittoria roasting machine designed by GIovanni Erbisti in 1950, the only one still in use.

Caffè Stern is located inside Passage des Panoramas, the oldest of seventeen arcades in Paris to have survived Haussmann's urban renovation of the mid-1800s when most of these ornate walkways were replaced by grands magasins (department stores). The space that now houses Caffè Stern was originally opened as a letterpress in 1834 by Moïse Stern and Anselme Aumoitte. In 2008, Maison Stern moved from Passage des Panoramas to 131 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the 8th arrondissement. On July 10, 2009, Maison Stern, including its interiors and furnishings was named a Historic Monument of France. The space remained closed to the public until September 2014 when it was reopened by the Alajmo brothers. Today, Caffè Stern is an Italian-style coffeehouse and bistro, allowing the public to enjoy a part of French history.