Yes, the coffee world has its own etiquette as well…how much do you know about it? Depending on where you are while enjoying your coffee, does and don’ts differs! Read on, there’s so much to learn!
Enjoying coffee at home or at the restaurant: how you should do it
You certainly know that Italians are picky, right? That’s why, even when simply enjoying a coffee, we decided to throw in a few “rules of conduct” in. Don’t you believe us? Check it by yourself, on the Italian Academy of Galateo’s website, there’s a lot about how one should drink coffee.
But let’s dive into these rules and learn more. We’ll start with how coffee should be served.
Serving coffee at the bar
The first rule is: coffee at the bar must come into its specific espresso cup. The cup needs to be on its saucer and it should come with a coffee spoon. When the server gives it to you, he/she should put in on your right side, the cup’s handle should be facing you. Actually, the handle shouldn’t be facing you at a 90 degrees angle, but at a 40 degrees angle, the perfect position for you to pick it up.
If treats are being served as a coffee pairing, they shouldn’t be anything else than a small biscuit, a chocolate or a piece of cake or pastry, and they will have their own plate which the server will put on your left side.
You can request, of course, some milk. The server should pour fresh milk into a small creamer and put on the counter for you to use it.
Serving coffee at home
If you have guests over, and you are very aware of etiquette, you probably have some servers hired to serve the meal. But you should know that you, as the host, will have to be the one to serves coffee at the end of the dinner.
Just like at the bar, never bring the espresso cup without its own saucer: that would be a really bad start!
Use a tray to bring the empty cups to the table and distribute them among your guests. You will then serve coffee directly at the table from the coffee pot (which will be sparkling clean!).
You can also take a small creamer with milk in it at the table and a small tray with pastries or chocolates.
Leave the tray you brought the cups with at the table centre: empty cups after drinking will be put on the tray again and sent back to the kitchen.
Coffee drinking rules (no matter where you are)
Might you be at home or at the restaurant, there are a few rules you simply cannot ignore.
First of all, never (we mean NEVER) put down the cup outside of its little plate.
If you use sugar in your coffee (which, by the way, is frowned upon by some) you must stir it with a precise movement. It has to go from the bottom to the top of tue cup – do not use a circular movement. This will also help not to spoil the creaminess of your coffee.
Now it’s time to actually drink the coffee. It’s not easy, so pay attention: pick up the saucer with the cup on it with your left hand. Then pick up the cup with your right hand, while holding the saucer a few inches beneath it. Bring the cup to your mouth, and while sipping, tilt your head back just a little bit (doing this too much would be very unpolite).
If you are at home, however, you are allowed not to pick up the saucer and leave it on the table.
Now about the spoon: never put it in your mouth and never leave it in the cup once you are done. Just put it back on the saucer, on the right side.
Remember that when you pick up the cup, you should do it by the handle and using your index and middle finger on one side and your thumb on the other side. The other fingers should be curled in the palm of your hand.
We know, that is quite a lot to figure out. But now you are all set for etiquette-ly perfect coffee moment.
