Italy is a beautiful country rich in art, landscapes and…delicacies! One of them being our world-famous espresso for sure! If you are an espresso lover but traveling to Italy every time you want one is too complicated, here’s a guide about how to order a great espresso everywhere else in the world!
If you’ve spent some time in Italy you know that, when you enter a bar you just have to say “caffè!” and you’ll be presented with a perfect Espresso. It’s not always the same when you order coffee outside of Italy: you might get a long/watery/not-espresso kind of drink. There is only one way to make sure to get what you want: order an espresso in the proper way accordingly to the country you are in!
With this guide, you’ll never have the same problem again! Are you ready to travel? Let’s go!
How to ask for an espresso in the UK
“One single espresso”. This is the magic sentence that will get you the espresso you wanted! If you don’t specify “single” you might get a longer coffee that will lose some of its body because of the water.
How to ask for an espresso in Germany
“Eine Café”. Germany is quite a safe place for espresso as this simple sentence should get you what you are looking for. But we are never too cautious when it comes to coffee, so you might add the magic word “espresso” as well.
Be careful: when saying “café” stress the last letter, if the server understands “kaffe” you’ll get a long coffee.
How to ask for an espresso in France
“Un café court” or “un café serré” will make the trick. If you don’t specify “court” or “serré” the risk is always the same: ending up with a long coffee that doesn’t taste as good as an espresso!
How to ask for an espresso in Spain
“Uno café solo” is what you should say in Catalonia. There, Italian products and traditions are greatly appreciated, so if you order this way, they’ll have extra care in delivering what you asked for. If you are traveling around Spain however, and you leave Catalonia, you might ask for a “cafè cortido”!
How to ask for an espresso in Portugal
“Uno café expresso” is the best way to order there, even though you might ask for an “italiana cafè”. This second option anyway, will get you what we call a “ristretto” in Italy, which is even more concentrated and rich than the usual espresso. If you think that this would be too much for you, go with the expresso and you won’t be disappointed!
How to ask for an espresso in USA
If you just got home from Italy and you already miss your espresso at the bar, you can simply ask for “one espresso”. Just by using the “espresso” word you should be offered what you are looking for instead of the classic American Coffee.
How to ask for an espresso in Canada
Same same for Canada, “one espresso” will get you the kind of coffee you are craving for!
How to ask for an espresso in Australia
Ordering a coffee in Australia is almost always safe, as they have a taste that is very close to the Italian one. The special spell for an espresso is simply “A short black”, they’ll know what you mean!
So, we covered some of the most common destinations, but what if you are travelling to Japan, South Africa or…the North Pole? Don’t worry, a new piece about those destinations will be out soon and you’ll know how to ask. We will always make sure you are able to have the best coffee around the world!
