How to drink coffee at a bar in Italy

 

I recently took a very informal poll of Villaggio Tours’ Facebook followers, asking what they were curious about when it comes to life in small-town Italy. The most lively response and discussion centered around what it’s like to get coffee at a bar in Italy. Well, the short answer is: it ain’t Starbucks.

The long answer is a little more interesting than that, though.

Drinking coffee in Italy is every bit a ritual as it is in the US, except we just observe our rites a lot differently. Here are some guidelines that will get you through your coffee-ordering and drinking experience here in Umbria or elsewhere, plus a brief primer on what coffee drinks to order in Italy.

How to order coffee at an Italian bar

For most Italians, the bar is a quick morning stop for a caffè and cornetto, what in English we’d call an espresso and a croissant. (For the majority, it doesn’t become a “bar-bar” until later in the afternoon or evening.) There are a few distinctions between a bar you’d find in a city like Rome, or one you’ll find in Allerona or similar small towns. But in both, start with a friendly greeting of “buongiorno” and a smile when you walk in—it’ll usually go a long way.

Ordering a coffee in Italian cities

• • Pay first. To ensure no one dines and dashes, in most big-city bars, you pay first, then order. Tell the cashier what you want and he or she will ring up your order. Keep in mind that cappuccino, plain espresso, double espresso, etc., all have different prices. So be specific about what you’re ordering.

• • Place your order. Take your receipt to the bar, set it on the bar and place your order. In bigger bars, you might have to order your coffee from one person and request your cornetto or other pastry from another.

• • Be appropriately assertive. If the bar is crowded, like in the early morning or right after lunch, the people clamoring to order their caffè may or may not observe an honor system. Fortune favors the bold here, so if you know you are ahead of someone who tries to jump in front of you, it’s okay to speak up. Likewise, wait your turn if there are people ahead of you.

• • Be decisive. Now is not the time to debate the merits of cappuccino or caffè macchiato. You should already know what you want (this goes for coffee and pastry) when it’s your turn to order.

• • Get out of the way. If you’ve gotten your order and you plan to drink it at the bar, depending on the size of the bar, you may need to step to one side so that the next person can order.

• • But look before you sit. Some bars with inside or outside tables may charge extra for table service. So before you take your coffee and go sit down, assess the situation. If you see others taking a seat with their orders, then it should be okay to follow suit. But if tables, inside or out, are being served by waitstaff, then those customers are paying more, and you shouldn’t sit down. Drinking a coffee while standing at a bar is something of a rite of passage in Italy, so down your tiny little cup of espresso and get back to sightseeing!

 

Ordering a coffee in small towns in Italy

• • Place your order. In most cases, you won’t have to pay first, then order, but if you do, the barista will either tell you so, or make an exception since they know you ain’t from around here. Unless it’s very crowded, it’s okay to linger a little over your choice before ordering.

• • Stand or sit. Unless you’re in a very touristy small town, there probably won’t be two sets of prices for sitting or standing, inside or out. At both our bars in Allerona, we order then sit, or as often, sit and yell our order to the barkeeps, since we know them. But when in doubt, get your order and ask if it’s okay to sit down with it — it almost always will be. Depending on how busy they are, they may bring your order to your table.

• • Pay on the way out. Once you’re done, go ahead and pay your tab. If you’ve had a little chitchat with another customer and are feeling generous, you can quietly pay their tab, too.

In cities or small towns, hanging out at the bar for long periods, as you might do with your laptop at a Starbucks, isn’t really a thing here, though that is changing. My rule of thumb, and I think it’s a solid one, is that if you’re going to stick around and use the free WiFi, then every so often, you should buy something, even if it’s just another coffee, a can of soda or a candy bar. If you see that a bar is crowded and seating is limited, then do a quick check or your email and then vacate your seat until next time. Some larger bars do have enough space for smart working, but many just have a few, closely packed in tables that are not made for occupying for hours at a time.

Coffee drinks in Italy

Here’s a rundown of the most common coffee drinks made in Italy. Other than a double espresso versus a normal one, there are no different drink sizes. They all come in ceramic cups — small for espresso and teacup-sized for cappuccino and similar.

Un caffè. This is an espresso, a strong, mini-coffee served in a tiny cup. Most people drink it with sugar, though many like it black. Remember, if you go into any bar anywhere in Italy and order a “coffee,” you will get an espresso. There are many variations on the theme, but here are the main ones:

• • Caffè macchiato, which is an espresso that’s “stained,” or macchiato in Italian, with a dollop of steamed milk.

• • Espresso doppio is a double espresso, if you need some rocket fuel to start your day.

• • Caffè americano is what you need to order if you want a cup of black coffee, American-style. It’s usually an espresso served in a larger cup, with a small pitcher of hot water on the side so that you can water it down as much or as little as you’d like.

• • Caffè corretto is an espresso that’s been “corrected” with a small shot of sambuca or grappa. It’s often ordered after lunch, to help with digestion.

 

Un cappuccino. The archetypal coffee order of many a visitor to Italy, a cappuccino is an espresso with steamed milk served in a large cup. You may have heard or read that it’s something of a crime in Italy to order a cappuccino after 11 am or so. This is not because Italians are opposed to making you one (they will make one at any hour of the day if you ask), but because Italians just don’t drink cappuccino once the morning has passed. This is based on the idea that milk impedes digestion, so you don’t want to drink milk after lunch. But really, if you want a cappuccino after dinner, go ahead and order one. Just don’t blame us if you get a stomachache!

Coffee drinks you won’t find in Italy

Apart from at bars and restaurants (often in hotels) that are really trying to woo the American market, these are some of the coffee drinks you won’t find in Italy:

• • Latte. If you order a latte in Italy, you will get a glass of milk, as the coffee drink known as “latte” doesn’t exist here. If you want the equivalent, order a caffè latte, which is an espresso with hot, but not steamed, milk, served in a large cup.

• • Mocha. Nope. A fancy bar might sprinkle some powdered cocoa over your cappuccino, though.

• • Frappuccino. Don’t even go there.

• • Any flavored coffee drink. You can get coffee-flavored coffee drinks in Italy.

• • Iced coffee. The bar would have to make a caffè americano and then find a tall glass and enough ice. It’s probably not gonna happen. In the summertime, you can order a shakerato, which is a sugary espresso shaken with crushed ice and served in a small glass.

With all these rules, I’ve probably made going to the bar in Italy sound more like a punishment than a pleasure. But as I hope my recent Instagram reel demonstrates, getting breakfast or a caffè at the bar is sort of second nature for us in Italy, and it’s an integral, pleasant part of life here. It’s a way to socialize, get out of the house or office, and break up a morning or afternoon. And like most things in Italy, it’s just a little easier and more fun to join in on if you know the basic rules of the game.