How To Order Coffee In Spanish: 21 Types Of Coffee In Spain And Other Spanish-Speaking Countries
This will be quite the personal type of blog post because I can’t contain myself. (Immediately sorry for this, haha!)
So, what’s all this about?
Besides learning languages, my other hobby is making coffee. I’m a huuuge coffee enthusiast, a home barista, always on the lookout for the best specialty coffee beans, and beside learning how to order coffee in Spanish, I also started a project with my father, Jean-Luc Van Vyve.
He spent his work life in the food industry – so basically knows everything about product development, regulatory compliances, business operations, bean varieties and education.
Our project is called Emergent Brew – and you’re welcome to check it out!
But enough of this marketing, let’s switch to the main subject which is: how to order coffee in Spanish. Spring Spanish (another one of my other projects) made a video on how to order coffee in a coffee shop & elsewhere:
And now, let’s have the ultimate coffee guide!
1. Types of coffee in Spanish – All Spanish-speaking countries
Many of the globally renowned coffee types are also available in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking countries. Let’s categorise them!
| Coffee Type | What is it |
|---|---|
| Espresso | A concentrated coffee brewed by forcing hot water through finely-ground coffee beans. |
| Americano | An espresso shot diluted with hot water. |
| Latte | A shot of espresso with steamed milk and a small layer of milk foam on top. |
| Cappuccino | Equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam, often topped with cocoa or cinnamon. |
| Macchiato | An espresso “stained” with a small amount of milk foam. |
| Flat White | Similar to a latte, with a higher ratio of espresso to milk and a smoother milk texture. |
| Mocha | An espresso with added chocolate syrup and steamed milk, often topped with whipped cream. |
| Affogato | A dessert coffee where hot espresso is poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. |
| Iced Coffee | Chilled coffee served over ice; variations include Iced Latte and Iced Americano. |
| Cold Brew | Coffee grounds steeped in cold water for 12-24 hours, served over ice. |
| Nitro Coffee | Cold brew coffee infused with nitrogen gas, giving it a creamy texture and foamy head. |
| Cortado | An espresso “cut” with a small amount of warm milk. |
You probably know most of these, or perhaps even all of them! It’s no big deal but it’s the first step you have to know if you want to order the best cup of coffee in Spanish. This is certainly not all, so, it’s time to take a look at the special coffee beverages made in Spanish-speaking countries.
Different coffee types in Spanish-speaking countries
One thing is common – or one coffee is common in all of this: café con leche can be enjoyed in every Spanish-speaking country.
How people prepare their coffees is different in Europe, Central and South America. Check out the next table!
| Country | Coffee Type | What is it |
|---|---|---|
| Spain 🇪🇸 | Café Solo | Essentially an espresso, a small, strong shot of coffee served without milk. |
| Carajillo | Espresso with a shot of liquor, usually brandy or whisky. | |
| Café Bombón | Espresso mixed with sweetened condensed milk, often served in a glass to show the layered effect. | |
| Mexico 🇲🇽 | Café de Olla | Traditional Mexican coffee brewed with cinnamon and piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar), often made in a clay pot. |
| Colombia 🇨🇴 | Tinto | A small, strong black coffee, somewhat similar to an Americano but typically stronger in flavor. |
| Argentina 🇦🇷 | Café en Jarrito | Similar to a long black coffee or an Americano, it’s served in a larger cup. |
| Cuba 🇦🇷 | Espresso cubano | A strong, sweet espresso shot, often sweetened with demerara sugar during the brewing process. |
| Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 | Café Cortadito | Similar to a cortado, it’s an espresso with a small amount of steamed milk. |
| All Spanish-speaking countries | Café con Leche | Equal parts espresso and steamed milk, similar to a latte. |
2. How to order coffee in Spanish
The next Spanish phrases should help you when ordering coffee in any Spanish-speaking country. If you just take a quick glimpse on the sentences, you can immediately see that por favor is the common word in all of these chunks.
If you want to learn alternatives to por favor, I advise you to check another blog post on Spring Languages.
Here are the phrases in Spanish and translations in English, so you don’t get lost!
| Phrase in Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Quisiera un café, por favor. | I would like a coffee, please. |
| Me pone un café solo, por favor. | Can I have an espresso, please? |
| Un café con leche, por favor. | A coffee with milk, please. |
| Un cortado, por favor. | A cortado, please. |
| Me gustaría un café con hielo, por favor. | I would like an iced coffee, please. |
| ¿Me puede traer un capuchino, por favor? | Can you bring me a cappuccino, please? |
| Un café americano, por favor. | An Americano, please. |
| Quiero un café de olla, por favor. | I want a Café de Olla, please. |
| Un café bombón, por favor. | A Café Bombón, please. |
| Un carajillo, por favor. | A Carajillo, please. |
| Un latte, por favor. | A latte, please. |
| Un café cortadito, por favor. | A cortadito, please. |
| Un café sin azúcar, por favor. | A coffee without sugar, please. |
| Quisiera un café descafeinado, por favor. | I would like a decaffeinated coffee, please. |
| ¿Me puede traer un café con leche de soja? | Can you bring me a coffee with soy milk? |
Let’s imagine a short conversation in a restaurant between the waiter and you:
- You: ¡Buenos días! [Good morning!]
- Waiter: ¡Buenos días! ¿En qué puedo ayudarle? [Good morning! How can I help you?]
- You: Quisiera un café con leche, por favor. [I would like a coffee with milk, please.]
- Waiter: Claro, ¿algo más? [Sure, anything else?]
- You: Sí, me pone también un cortado. [Yes, I would also like a cortado.]
- Waiter: Perfecto. ¿Desea azúcar con su café? [Perfect. Would you like sugar with your coffee?]
- You: No, gracias. Sin azúcar. [No, thank you. Without sugar.]
- Waiter: Muy bien. Enseguida se lo traigo. [Very well. I will bring it right away.]
- You: Gracias. [Thank you.]
- Waiter: De nada. A disfrutar su café. [You’re welcome. Enjoy your coffee.]
In this Spanish conversation example, we used chunks. What are they? Well, they are the most common phrases and expressions used in Spanish. Native speakers don’t even realize that they’re using them without thinking about Spanish grammar. You could have the same feeling thanks to the Spanish Chunking Starter Pack.
Request it now, and learn how to talk Spanish like a native!
3. Order a coffee in Spanish with our without additives
Nowadays, more and more people are allergic to cow milk, or don’t want to consume too much sugar. So, we have different coffee additives – and they all help make coffee taste even better than it is normally.
You could say Un café con leche de soja, por favor if you want to order a coffee with soy milk; or if you want it with just a bit of honey, you could say Un café solo con un poco de miel, por favor.
Here’s all the Spanish vocabulary you have to know if you want something special:
| Additive in Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Leche | Milk |
| Leche de soja | Soy milk |
| Leche de almendra | Almond milk |
| Leche deslactosada | Lactose-free milk |
| Azúcar | Sugar |
| Azúcar moreno | Brown sugar |
| Edulcorante | Sweetener |
| Miel | Honey |
| Canela | Cinnamon |
| Cacao | Cocoa |
| Nata | Cream |
| Jarabe de vainilla | Vanilla syrup |
| Jarabe de caramelo | Caramel syrup |
| Jarabe de avellana | Hazelnut syrup |
| Jarabe de almendra | Almond syrup |
| Chocolate | Chocolate |
| Chantilly | Whipped cream |
4. Coffee lover coffee culture: how much do they value coffee in Spanish culture?
Depending on where you are, coffee culture can be energetic, wide-spread or maybe it’s undervalued compared to tea. What’s the case with it in Spanish speaking countries?
In Spain, for example, a lot of people usually start their day with a café con leche together with a breakfast. Throughout the day, they might have another café solo (espresso) or a cortado. Coffee breaks are known as “los descansos” and they are pretty common: people come together in cafés to chat, catch up with friends or just take a break from work.
In Latin America, coffee is even more important than this: some countries are very well known for their high-quality coffees, like Colombia. These regions drink a lot of coffee, enjoy a tinto, drink more during the day to stay energetic and healthy.
Coming together as a family or as a group of friends is common in both Spain and in Latin American countries. And this time, it’s not just about the drink; it’s about the company and the conversation.
Coffee is highly valued, but the appreciation for other beverages like matcha or mate tea is different in Europe and in the Americas.
In Spain, coffee is definitely more popular than matcha. In some American countries like Argentina, Paraguay, Mexico and Uruguay, mate (a traditional South American tea) is extremely popular and often enjoyed in social settings, similar to coffee.
5. Learn more coffee vocabulary with Conversation Based Chunking
Order coffee in Spain, enjoy a decaffeinated coffee just for the taste – no matter what, it’s good to know how to order a coffee in Spanish. And it’s best enjoyed in social gatherings; maybe in meetups with other language learners?!
Who knows where life will guide you? Right now, it presented you with a chance to learn Spanish with an effective method that has helped tens of thousands of students learn their target language: it’s Conversation Based Chunking!
If you request your first Spanish Chunking Starter Pack, you will get access to an essential Spanish chunking list, practice worksheets and many more. What do we want in exchange? Nothing!
It’s completely FREE!
What are you waiting for? Brew a perfect cup of coffee, and start your Spanish language learning journey!
