Order you Breakfast at the bar in Italian- Buona Colazione

Colazione al bar, as I mentioned in my previous post, is a very civilised Italian habit and a great way for visitors and burgeoning anthropologists to observe Italians first thing in the morning. It is also a perfect opportunity to practise your Italian. For a start if you make a complete fool of yourself (brutta figura) you need never return. However don’t be afraid to try out your linguistic skills. If the barista replies in English, which is very off putting, just persevere. It is more the Italian desire to be helpful or practise their English than a criticism. I haven’t ever found the Italians judgemental, unlike the French who are sticklers for grammatical correctness.

The Italian language is still quite formal and there is the formal lei meaning you or the informal tu. If in doubt go for the formal option or ask if you can use the tu form.

You will be greeted generally by buongiorno. Ciao is only used when you are known or to children. Teenagers and children will also address each other with ciao. After a couple of visit you could change from the formal buongiorno to my favourite greeting, Salve which literally translates as Hail a sort of Roman Hi, before moving onto ciao when you become a regular.

Now it is smiles all round especially if you are in a small place. So next you need to decide what you would like to order. Italy in my opinion rightly has shunned coffee bar chains like Starbucks or Caffé Nero. Sadly teenagers seem to think they represent all things hip so lets hope that after trying a poor imitation of what somebody incorrectly imagines is an Italian coffee, they will think again. Italian friends visiting the UK and US get totally confused that the Italian sounding words in theses chains bear little relation to the Italian language. The options may seem less but in fact there is a huge repertoire of variations on a theme of breakfast Coffee.

Your choices are likely to be:

Un caffè -a normal expresso, Italians don’t generally say espresso. This is the most popular form of coffee in Italy. Please note that in Italy we say espresso not expresso.

Un caffè doppio – a double espresso, only for real caffeine junkies. (An Italian would never order this!!)

Un caffè lungo - a long espresso, the water from the spout runs for longer giving you a longer weaker coffee but still in an espresso cup. If you are in Tuscany you can also say un caffè alto (a tall coffee!)

Un Americano - an espresso served in a cappuccino cup with added hot water.

Un macchiato - Literally translates as a stain or mark. An espresso with a dash of steamed cappuccino milk in it.

Un macchiato in tazza grande - this option is only available in certain regions. In Tuscany since last year, bars have charged an extra 10 cents for this type of macchiato believing it was a way the locals had for paying less for what is a small cappuccino in reality!

I however love this in the morning not too milky but a little less aggressive than a caffè first thing.

If you would like ordinary cold milk in your coffee you need to order a

Un macchiato freddo.

Un caffè ristretto also called in some areas un caffè corto, which literary translates as restricted coffee. The espresso cup is removed early form the spout of the machine meaning you are left with a sip of much stronger coffee.

Un cappuccino - one of the great Italian exports and deserving the famous Made in Italy label. This is an ordinary espresso served with steamed milk and as an option served with a sprinkling of cocoa powder on the top. Traditionally, only drunk at breakfast time but now drunk throughout the day even by Italians.

If you want a really hot cappuccino remember to ask for Un cappuccino ben caldo.

Un latte macchiato or un caffelatte is a glass (or sometimes a large cup) of hot milk with a dash of coffee. If you ask for latte you just get plain milk.

Visitors tend to think of Italian coffee as an unhealthy drink. I am told that an espresso has far less caffeine than a cup of filter coffee.

Now after you have made your choice you need to order it. 

If you have to pay at the cash desk you only need list your requirement

Un caffè,  for instance.

You will then be told the price. You can always take a peep at the cash register, if you are not sure. Take your receipt to the bar and give it to the barista. They will then tear your receipt and leave it on the counter. Your coffee will then appear.

In Tuscany we don’t tip but in Naples you would leave a few cents with your receipt. In Naples you are also automatically given a glass of water. In Tuscany you must ask for one (and usually pay for it).

It is always better as I have said to via towards formality. We have two forms of you in Italian and like in French there is also the polite form. In Italian the third person Singular is used as the polite form. If you need a pronoun use the female lei form even if you are addressing a man.

Like in English we use the conditional tense to be polite - for example.

Vorrei un caffè  - I would like a Coffee.

Or a simpler version would be:

Un caffè per favore  - meaning a coffee please.

Un caffè per piacere- you might think means the same, but with the nuances of the Italian language it can put a slightly harder edge on your request.

If you wish to make it plural:

Vorrei due cappuccini - I would like two cappuccinos or

Vorremo due cappuccini - We would like two cappuccinos

Cappuccino becomes cappuccini in the plural.

Caffè however stays the same.

Macchiato singular, Macchiati plural.

Due caffè doppi - Notice that though caffè stays the same, doppio becames doppi

Latte also stays the same

Due caffèlatte it can also be spelt caffèllatte but this is very unusual

The same rule works for un cornetto (singular), due cornetti (plural).

In other words if you have an o in the singular it becomes i in the plural and if have an a it becomes e in the plural.

Now I am certain you won’t be able to resist either un pezzo dolce (pastry) or un cornetto (croissant).

Some types of cornetti:

Cornetto con crema – filled with crème patisserie 

Cornetto con marmellata - filled with jam

Cornetto vuoto - just a simple plain cornetto with perhaps some glacé icing

Bombolone – similar to a  doughnut, round and filled with crème patisserie (or jam) sprinkled with sugar.

Pasta con mela or due paste con mele (plural) - apple pastry

Pasta con riso - pastry with a dessert rice filling.

Just to save any confusion, pasta means dough.

These are the names of our most common types of cakes in our local bars here in Tuscany but each region has its own specialities.

Thank you is not used as much in Italy and you can overdue it.  However in this case a nice smile and Grazie.

On leaving, either wish the barista buona giornata (have a good day), or a simple

Arrivederci  (good bye).

It only remains for me to say Buona Colazione al Bar.

related post: Breakfast at the Bar Italian style - Colazione al Bar