How to order a coffee in Italian like a true aficionado

Beware, herbal tea drinkers, chamomile lovers, and chai addicts: we are entering the realm of caffeine! Also named: Italy.

Italians drink every day more than 26,000,000 coffees in the 150,000 cafes all over the country, not to mention the many many cups we drink at home, straight out of our moka, or at restaurants, offices, trains, planes, gyms, libraries, gas stations and the list simply doesn’t stop.

We drink coffee to:

• wake up as part of a good morning ritual;
• to take a “pausa” during work;
• to end a delicious meal;
• to enjoy a chat with a friend; or
• a moment of blessed solitude.

And Italian coffee, we proudly affirm, is the best in the world.

Well, while this is certainly a matter of personal taste, you should definitely include multiple coffees in your Italian experience.

Otherwise, start with learning how to order a coffee in Italian and discovering all the terms, expressions and habits that make up the Italian coffee culture.

How to say coffee in Italian

The Italian word for coffee in Italian is pretty similar to the equivalent terms in many other languages, since they all come from the Arabic word “qahwa”. But there are tens of variants you can actually order for your pleasure and discovery. Let’s check them out.

Types of coffee you can order in Italian

Now you’ve probably realized that Italians are wild for coffee. But the wildness doesn’t stop here, since many regions have their own specialties. Let’s check some of them out:

More notable coffee vocab

The coffee world is much bigger than the beverage itself, so let’s take a look at its most important terms and expressions.

How to order coffee in Italian

Now that you know all the possibilities and terms you’re going to encounter in your Italian coffee experience, let’s discover how to order coffee in Italian like a true native aficionado.

A short guide to coffee history and culture in Italy

Let’s admit it – we Italians love our traditions and specific cultural rules. Especially when they concern what we put on the table, even a café table in a nice terrazza. They make us feel safe and give us a sense of collective identity, beyond the hundreds of little things (including region, dialect, football team) that separate us.

Moreover, it’s important to remember that Italy, and particularly Venice, was the gate through which coffee - an ancient beverage that was known and loved by the majority of Muslim populations - entered Western Europe. In Italy, it sparked enthusiasm from the bottom to the top of society – after tasting it, Pope Clement VIII affirmed that coffee was so good that leaving its consumption to “infidels” only should have been considered a mortal sin.

Indeed, the love story between Italy and coffee dates way back and has ignited a burning passion that still lasts today.

Now, let’s discover some of the most interesting - and weird - rules of this special relationship:

• First of all, a little bit more coffee-related terminology. Since almost all cafes in Italy also serve alcohol, the term “bar” has become a synonym for “café”. That’s why when Italians, at least during the day, say they’re going to the bar, this does not mean they’ll be having a glass of wine or a beer, but more likely a good ‘ol cup of Joe. The actual terms for café, which are “caffè” or “caffetteria” are not as common.
• In Italy, you can have your coffee while standing at the counter, you can take the cup at the counter and bring it to the table with you, or sit at the table and be served. While the price is usually the same for the first two options (1€-1.30€), it might be higher for the third.
• Many foreigners are astonished by how little coffee there’s actually in an Italian coffee, and how strong it is. But we like it exactly that way. The smaller the better.
• Want to really blend in? Never order a cappuccino in the afternoon. And please, never order it at the end of a meal.
• To some people, the cup containing the coffee is very important. Some connoisseurs, for example, swear that coffee tastes better in a glass cup and specifically ask for a “caffè in vetro” (a coffee in glass).
• One of the nicest coffee-related traditions was born in Naples and is called “caffè sospeso” (pending coffee). You can go to a cafè, drink a coffee and pay for two. You’ll be offering one to a complete stranger.

Now that you’re well awake, keep on learning

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