Drinking coffee in Europe

From a genuine Italian espresso to a creamy French café au lait: every country has its own coffee specialty. We’re touring Europe with you and listing them all. What’s your favorite vacation coffee?

Italian espresso

First stop: Italy. There, you order a piping-hot, hazelnut-brown caffè with a robust flavor and perfect crema (foam layer). You always get a small glass of water with it. You drink your espresso at the bar and, if possible, eat it with sfogliatelle with custard or another sweet Italian pastry. In case you find it too strong: adding sugar is absolutely not forbidden. Are you a real fan? Then order a caffè ristretto: a super-strong espresso made with even less water by the barista while brewing it.

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Spanish cortado

In Spain, preferably during breakfast, you drink cortado: an espresso variant with warm, steamed milk added to make it a little less bitter. Important detail: there is no foam layer on the milk. Don’t confuse cortado with koffie verkeerd: that uses regular coffee, not espresso.

Greek frappé

In Greece, you order frappé: instant coffee whipped with water, then poured into a glass with crushed ice and shaken well. So you drink this coffee cold, which makes it, unlike all other coffees, a perfect summer drink. Does the coffee taste a little watery to you? Next time, choose a frappé gala – which also contains milk. In Greece, you can often order other varieties as well: the glikós is super sweet, while the skétos contains no sugar at all. 

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Irish coffee

There are countless variations, but a genuine Irish coffee is made with brown sugar, a splash of Irish whiskey and dark coffee. It also needs to be piping hot, while the dollop of unsweetened cream on top should still be deliciously cold. You drink the coffee from a glass, and stirring it is an absolute not-done. That’s why you won’t get a spoon with it either.

Swedish kaffe kask

Around eleven o’clock, all of Sweden takes a fika – a coffee break. It’s a little early, but you can already choose a typical Swedish kaffe kask: a dark and strong coffee with a splash of vodka in it. Hungry? Then be sure to have a cinnamon bun or kardemummabullar (slice of cardamom cake) with it.

French café au lait

In France, you roll out of bed and order café au lait: a mild morning drink with one layer of coffee and one layer of steamed milk. It’s actually just the French version of koffie verkeerd. Naturally, you drink it with a fresh, warm croissant.