Like the local gelataria and pizzeria the coffee shop, or bar in Italy, is often a local and personalised choice. I have my preferred one in Reggio Emilia and know the owner well. This makes for a much more friendly experience and even if you are only in a particular town or city for a few days the barista will quickly get to know you. For many Italians breakfast consists of a coffee with a pasta (not the spaghetti type). A pasta is a small piece of food like a cornetto (a croissant not an ice cream), each area will have something different on offer. As with many things with the Italian people they like to be individual and each with have their preferred type of coffee. Here are some of the options.

Espresso – Like anywhere around the world this is intense coffee served in a small cup. One shot is what you will get unless you order espresso doppio, then you will get two shots.

Cappuccino – This is what many Italians will take for breakfast, it is very uncommon to order a cappuccino later in the day. I was once told that the further south you go the later you can order a cappuccino. This is made with milk, espresso, steamed milk and milk foam.

Caffè Ristretto – This is a variation of the espresso and only has half the amount of water. It is very useful for those on the move and offers a strong caffeine kick.

Caffè Lungo – This is the Italian version of an Americano, the main difference is that there is not as much water in it so the drink is stronger.

Lattè – This is often an odd one in Italy, some places will serve lattè with coffee like many of us are use to. Technically speaking if you ask for a lattè you will be given hot milk only.

Caffè Corretto – This is an espresso with a shot of alcoholic spirit with it. Popular choices to go with the espresso include grappa, sambuca, brandy and brandy but you can choose what you prefer. You can either add the spirit to the coffee, drink it separately or a bit of both.

Alternatives – Ginseng coffee and Caffè d’oreo (barley) are very popular and are available in most bars if you prefer an alternative to the typical coffee available.

The Italians will drink coffee throughout the day and in the evenings you will see groups of people congregating at the bars enjoying a coffee together. The price for a coffee will be much cheaper than other countries so make sure you find a local bar rather than one looking to attract tourists. The barista will also have many other drinks on offer from water and ice tea at one end to beer, wines, prosecco and spirits at the other end.