Spanish Coffee Culture and How to Order Like a Local

One of the first spanish lessons I like to teach as a coffee lover is about ordering coffee. The Spanish love their coffee and as a Spanish woman, I can boast that we have some of the best coffee in the world. As one of the basic interactions you're bound to have in life, ordering coffee is a the perfect way to learn to express what you want while simultaneously being polite and direct. I believe it's the first step to a wonderful language journey.

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When you find yourself in Madrid and see one of the numerous coffee shops lining the streets, you may want to order a coffee and not look too much like a tourist. Well, here are a few types of coffee you can order and a few phrases to help.

To start:

• Quiero (I want...)
• Me pones (Put me or give me)
• Me gustaría (I would like)

Three common types of coffee:

• Café Manchado (More milk than coffee)
• Café con leche (Basically standard coffee and milk mix)
• Café Cortado (More coffee than milk)

End:
Say por favor (please) to put some politeness into to it. It's not necessary but politeness always is appreciated.

A complete sentence:

• Quiero un café con leche por favor.
• Me pones un café manchado por favor.
• Me gustaría café cortado.

So now when you go to the coffee shop, you will blend in and order like a true local. There are many types of coffee and you can start with one of the basics and learn to say it in Spanish.