Are you a “but first, coffee” kind of person? If the answer is yes, then you need to know how to order coffee in Barcelona to enjoy the city with your eyes wide open (and awake!). So beyond the “Americano” or the “Latte”, get ready to discover the passwords that will lead you to try coffee in the most diverse forms ;-)
Types of “coffee” in Spain
Café con leche
How to order a cafe latte in Barcelona (and also in Spain in general)? Don’t forget these three words: café con leche, which means “coffee with milk”. As simple as that. We usually order café con leche in the morning for breakfast, or even for “merendar” (that one extra meal that we love to have in Spain).
Cortado
Cortado is smaller than café con leche and also has a higher proportion of coffee. It is served in a smaller cup (or even in a little glass). We usually order cortados after having lunch.
Café solo
Just coffee, without adding milk. This is also usually ordered after having lunch and it is the smallest format when ordering coffee.
Café manchado
We order “café manchado” if we just want a couple of coffee drops and mainly milk. This is why we use the adjective “manchado” (which means stained). Just milk stained with a few coffee drops.
Café bombón
It is not that popular, but also a type of coffee you might want to order: coffee with condensed milk.
Carajillo
It is also ordered after having lunch and consists of coffee with whisky or brandy.
How to order coffee in Barcelona, but the American way?
“An Americano, please”. But if after trying coffee in many versions you want to stay true to the Americano, you can easily order it by pronouncing that same name: un americano, please. Coffee with (tones of water a Spanish would say) a high proportion of water. You can also use other words to order an American in Barcelona: un café largo, please.
Iced coffee: Café con hielo
We love this type of coffee especially during those hot summer days: coffee with ice cubes. But if you are looking for a specific “iced-latte” in Barcelona, there are cafeterias offering the American original version.
Specific demands
Corto de café
Specify that detail if you want your latte or cortado with less amount of coffee.
Descafeinado de máquina
If you want your latte decaf, add that you want it “descafeinado de máquina”.
Descafeinado de sobre
If you want your latte decaf, but adding yourself the coffee from a sachet.
When it comes to milk
I remember one of the first times I ordered a latte in the United States. The girl asked me this question regarding the type of milk I wanted: “2%?” I said yes but, you know, that kind of “yes” that you say quietly because you have no idea of what somebody is talking about? Exactly, that “yes”. Then I did some research and found out that the girl was referring to the milkfat. We have a different nomenclature here in Spain. So whether you order your coffee in a coffee shop or when you buy the milk at the supermarket, you will be glad to know these words meaning in advance:
How to order coffee in Barcelona with specific milkfats?
Knowing these three types of milk will help you when ordering or buying at the supermarket.
- Entera: 3,5%-4% milkfat.
- Semidesnatada: 1,5%-1,8% milkfat.
- Desnatada: Less than 0,5% milkfat.
As coffee lovers, we really hope this express coffee guide might help you get the coffee you have in mind when ordering at a coffee shop. Or at least, to answer “yes” meaning it ;-)