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Cup of fresh espresso coffee in a cafe with a view of Mount Vesuvius in Naples, Campania, Southern Italy

Italian Coffee Guide: How to Drink Coffee Like an Italian

Cappuccino, espresso, Americano — I’m sure you’ve heard of these Italian coffee drinks, but how about a lungo or marocchino?

In this guide to drinking coffee in Italy, Anna Kay, editor of Med Cruise Guide, shares five Italian coffees with which you may not be familiar.

Plus, this post contains an infographic about the cultural rules around drinking coffee in Italy. So, grab a cup of joe, and let’s learn a bit more about the coffee culture in Italy!

Disclosure: This guide to Italian coffee contains some affiliate links. When you click on or make a purchase from one of these links, I may earn a small commission. Of course, this is at no extra cost to you.


Five Italian Coffees to Order in Italy

Espresso, cafe latte, and cappuccino aren’t new terms for coffee drinkers around the world. But you might not have heard of a few Italian coffees. Order one of these in Italy, and you’ll look like a true coffee connoisseur.

Hag

HAG is originally the name of a brand of decaffeinated coffee from Germany, but it is now commonly used to order decaf coffee in Italy. In fact, you can add the tag to any of your favorite coffees, e.g. an espresso hag or a cappuccino hag. Pretty cool!

Lungo

The literal meaning of the word “lungo” is “long.” When you order a lungo, you are basically asking for a drink where, once the espresso is poured in the cup, water is passed through the coffee grounds used for making the drink. This means that additional hot water is not added later and what you get is a longer and slightly weaker form of espresso.

Shakerato

Italian breakfast table in a cafe. Caffè shakerato in a tall glass. Cold shaked coffee with a foam made with ice. A sfogliatella, or lobster tail, or coda d'aragosta, shell-shaped filled pastry with cream in Italy
During breakfast at a café in Italy, you can pair your coffee, such as a shakerato, with Italian pastries like the sfogliatella here. (© Olga/Adobe Stock)

Now, this is a very interesting name, isn’t it? If you’re curious to know what a “shakerato” is, it is essentially an iced coffee beverage. It features freshly ground coffee beans shaken with ice before being decanted in a stylish martini glass. When you’re sweating it out on a hot day in Italy, this is the drink you need to get your hands on!

Corretto

Looking for the perfect post-dinner coffee? Well, you will probably love the corretto. This coffee is a variation of the espresso, but it has a dash of liquor, typically Sambuca, Baileys, or grappa. But don’t worry, you can get any sort of alcohol added to your corretto (no rules apply here!).

Marocchino

Here is an espresso topped with a sprinkling of pure cocoa powder and a layer of hot milk. A marocchino is a spicy and creamy form of espresso. It’s ideal for drinking on winter mornings.

Coffee Etiquette in Italy

Now that you’ve learned about these five types of Italian coffee, you can explore the infographic created by Med Cruise Guide below and learn the unwritten rules of how and when Italians enjoy their favorite drink!

About the Guest Blogger

Anna Kay is an avid traveler, photographer, and editor at MedCruiseGuide.com. She loves exploring and island-hopping across the Mediterranean and enjoying local food specialties.

Planning to travel to Italy?

Gondolas and boats on the Grand Canal near the Rialto Bridge in Venice, Italy
Gondolas and boats on the Grand Canal with the Rialto Bridge in the distance in Venice, Italy (© Erin Klema)

If you will be visiting Italy, below are some helpful resources for planning your trip. I’ve thoughtfully selected travel guidebooks, tours, and activities for you — all of which I would use myself.

Italy Travel Guidebooks

Just starting to plan your trip? I like to browse guidebooks for handy tips as I plan my trips, and I often reach for Lonely Planet.

For Italy, Lonely Planet offers guidebooks covering the country as well as individual cities and regions, including Rome, Florence and Tuscany, Southern Italy, Venice and the Veneto, Sicily, and Naples, Pompeii, & the Amalfi Coast.

Tours and Activities in Italy

Rome Cooking Class — Once you’ve learned to drink coffee like an Italian, learn to cook like one, too! In this Italian cooking class right off Piazza Navona in Rome, you’ll learn how to make fettuccine, ravioli, and tiramisu.

Trastevere Evening Food Tour — When in Rome, eat as the Romans do on this twilight food tour of Trastevere! In this picturesque, bohemian neighborhood, you’ll savor favorites of Roman cuisine — pizza, porchetta, and fried artichoke — with sips of Italian wines at some of Rome’s most famous restaurants. Of course, this evening of Roman dining ends with gelato!

Tuscany Winery Tour — Set off from from Florence, and explore the Tuscan countryside’s scenic vineyards and olive groves on this Tuscany wine country tour. During your day trip from Florence, you’ll taste wines, olive oils, and Italian charcuterie as you visit two highly-rated wineries in the Chianti Classico region.

Looking for more things to do in Italy? You can book more activities on Viator and GetYourGuide!

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Save this post to your Italy travel or coffee Pinterest board(s) to reference later!

Coffee in Italy: What you need to know to drink like an Italian

Editor’s Note: Photo credit for lead image (© Ekaterina Pokrovsky/Adobe Stock)

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Written by:
Erin Klema
Published on:
October 3, 2023
Thoughts:
24 Comments

Categories: Coffee, ItalyTags: Italian Coffee

About Erin Klema

Erin Klema is the founder and editor of The Epicurean Traveler, combining her journalism background with her passion for culinary travel. When she isn't exploring the world through unique, local culinary experiences, she enjoys cooking with her husband, planning her next trip, and reading or watching a good rom com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carmen Edelson

    March 9, 2018 at 11:56 am

    Oh wow, I didn’t know about most of these! I’ve only had a Marocchino before and it’s delicious. Thank you for all the tips 🙂

    Reply
    • erinklema

      April 13, 2020 at 5:13 pm

      You’re welcome, Carmen! Perhaps you’ll get to try another of these Italian coffee drinks someday soon. I know I’m hoping to try a shakerato!

      Reply
  2. Susan R

    March 9, 2018 at 7:42 am

    This was so informative, I’ll have to try a shakerato out! I never knew that hag was a decaff either

    Reply
    • erinklema

      April 13, 2020 at 5:11 pm

      I also am interested in trying a shakerato the next time I visit Italy, Susan. I’m also glad you found the post so informative and hope this information comes in handy someday!

      Reply
  3. Tami

    March 8, 2018 at 1:54 pm

    We learned the rule about standing vs sitting the hard way in Italy. We were shocked at how much more it cost to eat a meal or even a gelato while sitting at a table!

    Reply
    • erinklema

      April 13, 2020 at 5:09 pm

      As a fellow American who travels abroad, I totally understand that shock, Tami. I didn’t realize there was an up-charge for sitting at gelato shops though. I only ever got gelato to go. 😉

      Reply
  4. Carolina Colborn

    March 8, 2018 at 8:58 am

    Love this post even if I don’t drink coffee. My husband is a coffee connoisseur though and I have shared this post with him. Thanks lots!

    Reply
    • erinklema

      April 13, 2020 at 5:04 pm

      I’m glad you enjoyed the post and shared it with your coffee-loving husband, Carol!

      Reply
  5. Jerome Shaw

    March 6, 2018 at 1:57 pm

    It takes me at least a month after I return from a trip to Italy to get the beautiful taste of Italian Espresso out of my mind and return to drink American Coffee. On my last trip to Italy I brought back coffee beans from Lecce and this helped ease my transition from Italian Coffee. Though even with beans, my machine didn’t make the same caffeinated nectar as I enjoyed in all over Italy. I’ll be buying an Italian Espresso Machine on my next visit.

    Thanks for education in coffee.

    Reply
    • erinklema

      April 13, 2020 at 5:03 pm

      I bet! I wasn’t much of a coffee drinker when I visited Italy at age 20, but now I’d love to drink espresso in Italy. Having an Italian-made espresso machine at home would certainly be a treat, Jerome!

      Reply
  6. Shannon | Shannie Chic

    March 5, 2018 at 11:49 pm

    I LOVE coffee and I didn’t know any of this! Thanks for the knowledge share!

    Reply
    • erinklema

      April 13, 2020 at 5:00 pm

      You’re welcome! I hope you get to put this knowledge to use in Italy someday, Shannon!

      Reply
  7. Mila

    March 5, 2018 at 10:24 pm

    You just blew my mind! So much I didn’t know about italian coffee. I think this is my new guide!

    Reply
    • erinklema

      April 13, 2020 at 4:59 pm

      Even though I had traveled to Italy, much of this information was new to me too! I guess I wasn’t much of a coffee drinker at age 20, but trust me, this will also be my go-to guide for my next visit. #coffeeaddict

      Reply
  8. Samantha Kresz

    March 5, 2018 at 9:47 pm

    Wow such an awesome post! I didn’t know any of these. You can’t order a milky coffee after 11 am I don’t if I would like that haha

    Reply
    • erinklema

      April 13, 2020 at 4:57 pm

      Right! It’s usually when I’m traveling that I want a mid-day latte, but when in Rome …

      Reply
  9. happylifeblogspot

    March 5, 2018 at 3:53 pm

    I would love to go to Italy someday! I always instantly think pasta but now I’ll be dreaming about the coffee too!!

    Reply
    • erinklema

      April 13, 2020 at 4:55 pm

      I, as well, always think of pasta when I daydream of traveling to Italy again. But, pizza, wine, gelato, and coffee are also tasty reasons to visit someday!

      Reply
  10. Momma To Go

    March 5, 2018 at 3:15 pm

    I LOVE ITaly the coffee and this post! We were introduced to marrochino last trip, it was awesome! PS They take this very seriously. The people will LITERALLY laugh at you if you order a cappucino after 11, maybe noon

    Reply
    • erinklema

      April 13, 2020 at 4:53 pm

      I’ve made a mental note to only order my foamy coffee in the morning on my next trip to Italy!

      Reply
  11. Courtney

    March 5, 2018 at 1:01 pm

    Love this! We want to go to Italy someday and we do love coffee!! ☕️

    Reply
    • erinklema

      April 13, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      I hope you get to travel to Italy someday to enjoy a coffee there, Courtney!

      Reply
  12. Julie Ap

    March 5, 2018 at 10:10 am

    Love everything about this post! Just makes me want to go back to Italy for another shakerato now!

    Reply
    • erinklema

      April 13, 2020 at 4:51 pm

      I’m also dreaming of the day I can return to Italy for these coffee drinks, Julie!

      Reply

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