Ordering coffee in Italy, language lesson

Super article! Thank you for posting. I have just one correction. Frequently you must pay first, then bring your receipt to the barista who will then make your coffee. He may ask, “con zucchero?” (With sugar?” You say si or no ( or senza zucchero, per favore). Italian coffee, the best!!!

The coffee ordering process can vary depending on location and size of the coffee shop. More often than not, you'll be expected to tell the cashier what you want and then tell the barista again (or show them your receipt). Best rule of thumb is to watch what "locals" are doing and do that. If you order "un caffé," you'll get an expresso. If you want something different, you'll need to specify as, as one can see from the article, there are many different types of caffé. And while the list in the article is good, it isn't comprehensive. You're usually expected to add your own sugar or sweetner if desired. If you're in a pastry shop, you sometimes need to go to two different counters to get your coffee and pastry. All very straight-foward (lol).

The payment depends on the bar, some request payment first, but in many you can pay after.
Never in my life have I been asked if I want sugar or not. Different types of sugar (sugar cane sugar, other sugar, sweetener) are available around the bar, and you decide what and how much you want

I’ve never been asked about sugar when I’ve ordered at a coffee bar in Italy. Besides the occasional cappuccino instead of my normal espresso, another important one is un cafe doppio- a double espresso. ; )

Asking in advance if you want sugar seems to be a Neapolitan thing. Never seen out of Naples.

Maybe the mono-culture of Starbucks will be a success in Italy after all.

The most important thing to remember for many Americans is that if you order a "latte" you might get only a cup of milk. What you want is "caffe' latte."

I traveled all over Italy from Milan to Stresa to Rome, and places in between/ most have “Cafe Americano” which is coffee with cream- “Cappucinno” is only for breakfast- but I ordered coffee everywhere and never had a problem- most people speak a little English everywhere we went-

Happy Travels💫✨

Caffè americano is an espresso and a cup of water for you to add to your coffee and water it. It's like they can't stand to do that to coffee themselves!

Cafe Americano is 3oz. of espresso and 3oz. of hot water served in a 6oz. cup.

The glass of cold water sometimes served with an espresso is to cleanse your pallet. Don’t add that cold water to your hot espresso!

Good point! If you don't order an Americano, don't add the water!
But if you do, many times it's served as I said, an espresso and a glass of hot water, for you to add it!

you'll get an expresso

You'll never get an eXpresso

Agness, my husband always orders an “expresso”. (Sigh!)

Kathleen

I feel your pain. My wife insists on pronouncing Bruschetta "brooshetta" instead of "broo sketta" and insists I am saying it wrong when I order the dish...….

If you want a sugar alternative (artificial sweetner) and don't see it, you'll have to ask for diet sugar. This threw me the first time! It took me a few minutes to get them to understand what I wanted, and then it was "OOOHH! You want diet sugar?" They have plenty of that! :)

Also, if you are like me, and the cappuccino is so good that just one won't do. You need to order due cappuccini, not due cappuccino. I found this out very quickly! Cappuccini is the plural form of cappuccino.

"Diet sugar" is "dolcificante" (sweetener). All bars have it, but sometimes you have to ask for it.

How would you order an American coffee with LOTS of cream/milk? and do they ever serve actual cream or half and half, or is it just warmed milk? (I like my coffee with double cream, but gave up trying to ask for it, just "settled" for an amazing cappuccino)

And let's not even talk about my mornings in the air bnb's, trying to use the teeny tiny mocha pot to make the above...lol, had to heat 3 different things on the stove in my hazy state! But that Italian coffee, so good, so rich....Finding half and half in the grocery was pretty much impossible, whole milk is the closest I could find....what's that product called? My first time in France, I purchased sour cream in a tube lol, imagine that morning staring at a cup of very dark coffee with blobs of sour cream floating in it...not funny!

Whenever I ordered caffe americano, it was always brought to me with the hot water already added in. From airports, cafes to restaurants.

Joan, yes, you had to choke down a delicious cappuccino. Ha! If you’re in a pinch, order a crema gelato, and pour an espresso over it! Yum!

Joan, I've only seen milk here, never seen any cream or half and half served... In fact, I have to say that I don't even know what cream is, exactly... But maybe someone knows more than I do!

A simple caffe corretto is the answer to all coffee debates.

I recently replaced my aging Keurig with this Bialetti Moka Express stovetop espresso maker. In the process, I learned that there's a difference between moka and espresso centered on the amount of pressure on the grounds, so it doesn't make "real" espresso. But, being a person who doesn't like to be able to see through my coffee, this simple pot works fine for me.

Scroll down the link to learn more, especially if you love strong, flavorful coffee. I heat a cup about half full of 1% milk in the microwave, add the coffee and some kind of sweetener. It's just as good as any coffee drink I've had in Italy and takes me right back there.