What is Italian Coffee Culture? How to Drink Espresso? Italian Coffee Culture

Italian Coffee Culture: Six Things You Must Know

For many people, coffee is our daily source of productivity. Without a cup each day, we feel lifeless. According to statistics, over 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide every day, making it one of the most popular beverages in the world.

However, in Italy, coffee is not just a pick-me-up beverage—it's a lifestyle attitude. Their coffee-drinking habits are quite different from ours. As travelers, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Here are six local coffee cultures you must pay attention to.

1. To Sit or to Stand?

There are two ways to drink coffee in Italy. You can choose to enjoy it at the counter (al banco) or at a table (al tavolo). Choosing the counter, for just 1 euro (1.06 USD), you can get a cup of cappuccino and drink it standing up.

If you prefer to sit in a restaurant or café, waiting for a waiter to take your coffee order, it costs 2 euros (although not all cafés have tables), which is twice as expensive as standing.

Whether you drink coffee standing or sitting, Italian culture allows you to pay after drinking, letting you slowly enjoy your coffee.

2. Don't Bring Work to the Café

In Italy, you won't see people using mobile phones or laptops in cafés, typing furiously on keyboards. For Italians, cafés are sacred places. They need time to enjoy their drinks and share feelings with friends, not to improve their work efficiency.

3. A Country Without Coffee Chains

First, "bar" in Italy is what we understand as "café"—a place to drink coffee. Italian coffee has a long history, so coffee chain brands have not yet been able to penetrate the local market.

4. If You Want to Order Espresso, You Should Actually Order...

"Caffè"—that is, espresso coffee made with a pressure machine, with a layer of crema on top. Unlike our daily espresso, Italian caffè is usually not bitter, but rather has a light roasted aroma and sweetness. If you've always found espresso too bitter, you should try it in Italy—it might change your mind.

However, regarding espresso, FrontStreet Coffee believes that if you can accept strong coffee, it's actually a good choice. After all, espresso amplifies the flavor of coffee, and in espresso, you can more clearly taste the acidity, sweetness, and bitterness of the coffee. FrontStreet Coffee uses a blend of Colombian + Brazilian beans—bright but gentle fruity acidity is quite charming, with nutty flavors emerging in the middle, and a persistent caramel aftertaste at the end. If you like milk coffee, this formula is also a good choice. This coffee, which tends toward sweet and sour, has its sweetness enhanced when milk is added, and the cookie biscuit flavor when cooled is quite surprising.

5. Only Drink Cappuccino in the Morning

Italians only drink cappuccino before 11 AM, because milk is part of breakfast for them. If you order cappuccino in the afternoon, you're likely to get disapproving looks from locals. Additionally, "latte" is just milk—if you want to order coffee with milk, it should be "caffè latte."

6. Coffee is Not Takeaway

Italians don't like to take coffee away. In Italian cafés, you cannot get coffee as takeout because there are no paper or plastic cups. In Italy, nothing is more important than coffee. If you want to drink coffee, you must sit down peacefully in the café and enjoy it.

Coffee culture reflects the Italian lifestyle: no one is in a hurry, and everyone needs time to settle their minds and experience life.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473