How to order a coffee in Italy
Do you want to drink a coffee in Rome? It’s no easy: caffè macchiato caldo, macchiato freddo, corto, lungo, doppio, ristretto, corretto, decaffenaito, ecc. ecc.
There are many different ways to order a coffee in our Belpaese, everyone has his/her favourite coffee, but it’s very important to know the correct formula to ask for our coffee.
Let’s learn how to order a coffee in Italian language!
Voglio un caffè – I want a coffee NO!
It’s not good, it’s too direct. When we go to the bar we have to be more kind with the barman. For that reason, we need to choose the right words. Few words, very easy, but everything will be different:
Vorrei un caffè – I would like a coffee
Vorrei instead of Voglio. We have to say VORREI in order to create a politer sentence; what a nice smile from your barman!
Last thing to remember, don’t’ forget the magic word to be very very very kind:
PER FAVORE!!
Finally, you have the complete sentence for your coffee in a bar of Rome, Milan, Turin, Genoa, Bari, in every part of Italy:
Vorrei un caffè, per favore!
So, you are ready. Gustatevi il vostro caffè! Enjoy your coffee!
P.S.
A short list of the most common types of coffee in Italy:
Espresso: Italian traditional short coffee
Caffè Macchiato: coffee with hot milk (macchiato caldo) or cold milk (macchiato freddo)
Lungo: a less strong, less concentrate espresso
Ristretto: a very short and strong espresso
Doppio: double espresso
Corretto: espresso with alcool (usually you can drink it with Grappa or Sambuca)
Caffè freddo: iced coffee, perfect for summertime
Cappuccino: espresso with steamed milk foam