To order coffee in Italy, walk up to the counter at a bar and say Un caffè, per favore: you will get a single espresso, usually drunk standing. Cappuccino is a breakfast drink most Italians skip after late morning and after meals. In busy bars you pay at the register first, then hand your receipt to the barista.
The first surprise for Americans is the word itself. An Italian bar is the neighborhood café: coffee and pastries in the morning, sandwiches at lunch, a spritz in the evening. People stop in several times a day, often for less time than it takes to read this paragraph.
The second surprise is that coffee is mostly not a sit-down, take-it-with-you drink. Most Italians drink it standing at the counter, al banco, in a few sips, then leave. Sitting at a table, al tavolo, is table service, and many bars charge more for it, sometimes much more in tourist squares. The price list behind the counter often shows both. Ordering at the counter and then carrying your cup to a table can annoy the staff, so pick one and stick with it.
It depends on the bar, and the quickest way to tell is to watch for a few seconds. In busy city bars there is often a register, la cassa, near the door. You tell the cashier what you want, pay, and get a receipt, lo scontrino. Then you go to the counter, place the receipt on it and repeat your order to the barista. In smaller bars and quiet villages, you order first and pay on the way out, saying what you had: Un caffè e un cornetto.
A small coin left on the counter with the receipt is a common courtesy at busy places, but it is not expected the way a tip is in the United States.
| Say this | What arrives |
|---|---|
| un caffè | a single espresso, the default |
| un caffè macchiato | espresso with a spot of milk foam |
| un caffè ristretto | a shorter, stronger espresso |
| un caffè lungo | espresso pulled with more water |
| un caffè americano | espresso topped up with hot water |
| un caffè corretto | espresso with a shot of liquor, often grappa or sambuca |
| un cappuccino | espresso with steamed milk and foam, in a cup |
| un latte macchiato | a tall glass of hot milk with espresso poured in |
| un caffellatte | coffee and hot milk, often at home or at breakfast |
| un decaffeinato, un deca | decaf espresso |
| un caffè d'orzo | a caffeine-free drink made from roasted barley |
| un caffè shakerato | espresso shaken with ice and sugar, a summer favorite |
You can adjust almost any of these. Macchiato caldo or macchiato freddo means a spot of hot or cold milk. In vetro means served in a small glass instead of a cup, a preference some Italians have. Senza schiuma means no foam, and con latte di soia asks for soy milk, which many city bars now stock.
You will also meet regional drinks. In Sicily and much of the south, summer means granita al caffè, often with whipped cream. In Piedmont and other northern cities, look for the marocchino, espresso with cocoa and milk foam in a small glass. Names and recipes vary from town to town, so if a word on the board is new to you, ask: Che cos'è?
Italians generally treat milky coffee as breakfast. Many will tell you that a cappuccino after a big meal is too heavy on the stomach, and ordering one after a plate of pasta marks you instantly as a visitor. It is a custom, not a law. No barista will refuse you a cappuccino at four in the afternoon, and in tourist areas they make them all day. But if you want to blend in, have your cappuccino in the morning and switch to un caffè after lunch and dinner.
After a restaurant meal, coffee comes at the very end, after dessert, and it is an espresso. A cup of coffee served alongside dessert is not the Italian habit, though most places will bring it if you ask.
The classic Italian breakfast is quick and sweet: a cappuccino and a pastry at the counter. The croissant-like pastry is called a cornetto in Rome and most of central and southern Italy, and a brioche in much of the north. Both words are understood everywhere.
| Say this | Meaning |
|---|---|
| un cornetto vuoto | a plain one |
| un cornetto alla crema | filled with custard |
| un cornetto alla marmellata | filled with jam |
| un cornetto al cioccolato | filled with chocolate |
| un cornetto integrale | made with whole wheat, often with honey |
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Buongiorno! Un caffè, per favore. | Good morning! An espresso, please. |
| Mi fa un cappuccino? | Could you make me a cappuccino? (very common at the counter) |
| Vorrei un cornetto alla crema. | I'd like a custard cornetto. |
| Al banco o al tavolo? | At the counter or at a table? (what the staff may ask you) |
| Da portare via, per favore. | To go, please. |
| Un bicchiere d'acqua, per favore. | A glass of water, please. |
| Quanto le devo? | How much do I owe you? |
| Posso avere lo scontrino? | Can I have the receipt? |
Greet the staff when you walk in, Buongiorno until early afternoon and Buonasera after that, and say Grazie, buona giornata on your way out. Many bars put a small glass of water next to your espresso, or will give you one if you ask; you can ask for it naturale (still) or frizzante (sparkling). Takeaway cups exist, but asking for one is still the exception rather than the norm in many towns.
The counter is one of the best places to practice Italian, because the script is short and you get to repeat it every morning. If you rehearse the exchange out loud first, with a tutor like Polly in PollyStop or simply by yourself on the walk over, the words come out on their own when the barista looks at you.
Yes. Nobody will refuse you, and in tourist areas bars make them all day. Most Italians just drink milky coffee in the morning and switch to espresso after lunch and dinner.
You will usually get a glass of milk, because latte means milk. Ask for a latte macchiato or a cappuccino for the milky coffee drink.
Drinking al banco means no table service. Many bars charge more for al tavolo, especially in busy squares, and price lists often show both.
In busy city bars you often pay at the cassa first and show the scontrino at the counter. In smaller bars you order first and pay on the way out.
