Hello my beautiful learners…
…and coffee lovers. This post is for you! Being a coffee lover myself, I’m excited to show you everything you need to know about coffee in Greece. Since it is one of the top coffee-consuming countries in the world, there are many ways to ask for your favorite brew.
Today, we’re going to see the most common of them so you can learn exactly how to order coffee in Greece like a local!
The Secret to Ordering Coffee in Greece
So, you’ve landed in Greece, you’ve just left your luggage in the hotel or an airbnb and you’re ready to take a walk. While walking you see a cute cafe (yes, we have plenty in Greece) and you decide it’s time for a break and a coffee.
You sit at a table and the waiter is coming to take your order. You’re feeling confident because you know how to say it in Greek and you give your order:
– Έναν καφέ, παρακαλώ! (énan kafé, parakaló!) — A coffee, please!
Right? Wrong
The waiter will probably roll his eyes and ask you:
–Τι καφέ; (ti kafé?) — What (kind of) coffee?
And now you’re feeling terrified because you were sure you knew how to order and the phrase you used is actually correct according to your Greek books. Well, here’s the thing, although the phrase is correct and “by the book”, it actually doesn’t reflect how Greeks really order their coffee.
In Greece we have many types of coffee and different ways of making it, so you need to be more specific while ordering.
Let’s see how you can order your favorite coffee by starting with the most popular ones nowadays in Greece and closing with the least popular ones. You’re going to be surprised which ones are at the bottom of that list.
Espresso & Cappuccino – The Superstars
These coffees have been dominant in recent years and they are pretty simple to order because we order them by their authentic name when we want them hot.
Espresso
You just add the number of espressos you want. For example:
– Έναν εσπρέσσο (énan espréso) — One espresso
– Δύο εσπρέσσο (dío espréso) — Two espressos
– Τρεις εσπρέσσο (tris espréso) — Three espressos
It is very likely you will be asked if you want it μονό (monó) — single or διπλό (dipló) — double. So, it’s good to also know these words.
Cappuccino
It follows the logic of espresso. You just add the number:
–Ένα καπουτσίνο (éna kaputsíno) — One cappuccino
Cafes usually bring the sugar for you to add if you like or if it’s a take away they have portions of sugar οn the self for you to take.
The Cold Side of Coffee in Greece: Freddo
In the land that invented φραπέ (frapé) — frappe, it was impossible to leave espresso and capuccino untouched. We invented the Greek cold versions but we were gentle enough to give them italian names.
These are also very easy to order because we just added “freddo”in front of them which means κρύος (kríos) — cold.
How to Choose Your Sweetness Level
But because they are cold and the sugar is added during preparation you need to tell them how sweet you want it.
People usually ask for:
– Σκέτο (skéto) — plain/no sugar
– Μέτριο (métrio) — medium
– Γλυκό (ghlikó) — sweet
So your order will look like this:
– Ένα φρέντο εσπρέσο σκέτο (éna fréndo espréso skéto) — One freddo espresso, plain
– Ένα φρέντο καπουτσίνο μέτριο (éna fréndo kaputsíno métrio) — One freddo cappuccino, medium
– Δύο φρέντο εσπρέσσο γλυκά (dío fréndo espréso ghliká) — Two freddo espressos, sweet
My Personal “Freddo” Disaster in Italy
Freddo capuccino is my favorite and let me tell you about my “eye-roll” moment.
I was in Italy and I thought, “hey, they must have freddo capuccino here, too.” I mean capuccino, Italy…they should make freddo, right…? So, I went to a cafe and gave my order I was confident because I knew exactly how to order it.
Un cappuccino freddo medio, per favore – Ένα καπουτσίνο μέτριο παρακαλώ.
The moment I said that i felt like the waitress’s head was ready to explode. She simply said: We don’t have that, giving me a weird look.
Because the situation wasn’t already awkward enough, I asked for a capuccino and a glass of ice cubes. She unwillingly gave me the ice cubes. I was sure I was the crazy customer of the day…
So, I took the coffee and the glass of ice cubes, I sat on a table outside and I poured the coffee into the glass of ice cubes, thinking that I would drink something similar to a Greek freddo capuccino… Well, no. I had just ruined a coffee. Lesson learned.
And I’m sorry, my Italian friends, i will never do that again!
Filter Coffee
This is the french or filtered coffee. In Greece you can order it αs γαλλικό (ghallikó) or as καφέ φίλτρου (kafés fíltru).
You need to say if you want milk or sugar with it. In many cafes they will bring the sugar and the milk, if you ask for them, for you to add as you please. In some cafes and for takeaway, you need to be more specific because they will add them for you.
Let’s see some examples:
– Έναν γαλλικό μέτριο (énan ghallikó métrio) — One French, medium.
– Ένα γαλλικό γλυκό με γάλα (énan ghallikó ghlikó me ghála) — One French, sweet with milk.
– Ένα καφέ φίλτρου σκέτο (énan kafé fíltru skéto) — One filter coffee, plain.
Popular Flavors for Filtered Coffee in Greece
Most cafes have different flavours of filtered coffee so it’s good to know the most popular ones.
– Φουντούκι (το) (fundúki) — Hazelnut
– Βανίλια (η) (vanília) — Vanilla
– Καραμέλα (η) (karaméla) — Caramel
Instant Coffee and the Iconic Frappe
Hot
Instant coffee in Greece is called στιγμιαίος (stighmiéos) . But Greeks rarely use the term. We call it νες (nes) . A bit strange, right? Well, there is an explanation for that. The most famous brand for instant is Nescafe. So, Greeks have connected instant with this brand.
And if you want to order it, you just say:
– Ένα νες σκέτο (éna nes skéto) — One nes, plain.
– Ένα νες με γάλα (éna nes me ghála) — One nes with milk.
– Δύο νες μέτρια (dío nes métria) — Two nes, medium.
Cold
You’ve probably heard the name of the cold instant coffee. It’s the famous φραπέ! Frappé was a trademark for Greece and it probably still is abroad. But in Greece, it is not so popular anymore. There are even cafeterias that don’t serve it anymore.
If you wish to order it, you need to be very specific with milk and sugar if you want any:
– Ένα φραπέ σκέτο (éna frapé skéto) — One frappé, plain.
– Ένα φραπέ γλυκό χωρίς γάλα (éna frapé ghlikó horís ghála) — One frappé, sweet without milk.
– Δύο φραπέ μέτρια με γάλα (dío frapé métriα me ghála) — Two frappé, medium with milk.
Traditional Greek Coffee in Greece
Another trademark of Greece which has declined.You hardly find it on menus in big cities, anymore. It’s easier to find it in villages and areas that keep tradition vivid.
Here’s how you can order it:
– Έναν ελληνικό σκέτο (énan ellinikó skéto) — One Greek (coffee), plain.
– Δύο ελληνικούς διπλούς (dío ellinikus diplus) — Two Greeks, double.
– Έναν ελληνικό βαρύ γλυκό (énan ellinikó varí ghlikó) — One Greek, “heavy” and sweet.
Asking for the Bill After your Coffee
Once you’ve enjoyed your coffee in Greece and you are ready to go, you need to ask for the bill.
You can catch the waiter’s eye and say:
– Το λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ! (to loghariasmó, parakaló!) — The bill, please!
– Θα ήθελα να πληρώσω. (tha íthela na pliróso.) — I would like to pay.
A Little Greek Grammar Secret
You might notice something interesting here: although ο καφές (o kafés) is masculine, when we order, we drop the -ς from the end of the adjectives. For example, we say έναν καφέ μέτριο (énan kafé métrio).
Why does this happen?
It’s all about the Accusative Case (Αιτιατική). In Greek, adjectives always follow the case of the noun. Since your coffee is the “object” of your order, it moves from the Nominative (Ονομαστική) (the name) to the Accusative (the action).
If you’re curious about how these cases work and why Greek words change their endings, I’ve explained everything in my guide to Greek Cases.
Don’t Be Surprised If You Hear This!
Once you spend some time in a Greek café, you might hear regulars ordering in a very specific, “sweet” way. We love using diminutives (making words smaller) to sound more friendly and casual.
You don’t have to use these yourself yet, but don’t be surprised if you hear a local saying:
– Θα μου κάνεις ένα εσπρεσάκι; (tha mu kánis éna espresáki?) — Will you make me an espresso?
– Θα μου φτιάξεις ένα φραπεδάκι; (tha mu ftiáxis éna frapedáki?) — Will you fix me a frappe?
– Θα ήθελα ένα καφεδάκι. Ένα καπουτσίνο μέτριο. (tha íthela éna kafedáki. éna kaputsíno métrio.) — I would like a coffee. A cappuccino, medium.
It’s just our way of showing that coffee isn’t just a drink, it’s a small joy!
Quick Reference:
Vocabulary for Coffee in Greece
I have gathered all the words that accompany coffee to have them handy. And since adjectives in Greek have three genders, I’ve included all the forms so you can recognize them anywhere!
με γάλα (me ghála) — with milk
χωρίς γάλα (horís ghála) — without milk
με ζάχαρη (me záhari) — with sugar
χωρίς ζάχαρη (horís záhari) — without sugar
σκέτος, -η, -ο (skétos, -i, -o) — plain
μέτριος, -α, -ο (métrios, -a, -o) — medium
γλυκός, -ιά, -ό (ghlikós, -iá, -ó) — sweet
πολύ γλυκός, -ιά, -ό (polí ghlikós, -iá, -ó) — very sweet
μονός, -ή, -ό (monós, -í, -ó) — single
διπλό, -ή, -ό (diplós, -í, -ó) — double
βαρύς, -ιά, -ύ (varís, -iá, -í) — heavy
ελαφρύς, -ιά, -ύ (elafrís, -iá, -í) — light
Last Coffee Note
If you like coffee, Greece is heaven. Sitting outside and drinking coffee is what we adore doing.
Just remember one last tip: always add παρακαλώ (parakaló) — please at the end of your order. It’s the “golden word” of Greek politeness and will definitely get you a smile!
Knowing how to order your coffee will not only surprise the locals, but you will be sure that you get a perfect cup every time.
And since you can’t have coffee on an empty stomach forever, you might also want to see My 10 Best Greek Foods & How to Order Them so you’re ready for your next stop at the taverna.
What’s your favorite coffee? Can you tell me in Greek, in the comments?
