How to Order Coffee Like a Local in Spain (Without Saying ‘Please’)
Spanish coffee culture is fast, no-frills, and deeply ritualistic. It’s not about latte art or oat milk options but about routine, familiarity, and knowing exactly what you want.
Before we dig into the do’s and don’ts of ordering coffee in Spain let me unpack my favorite misunderstood Spanish coffee term and the answer to why you can still find coffees for less than €1.50 everywhere in Spain: torrefacto.
Torrefacto refers to a process where sugar (sucrose) is added during the roasting of coffee beans, typically up to 15% of the total weight. It was originally used as a preservation method during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and post-war years; sugar acted as a protective layer, extending shelf life. But what you did not know is that these mass-market coffees are made with Robusta beans which are cheaper, more bitter, and have more caffeine than Arabica. Nowadays there are also blends of natural roast and torrefacto called mezcla.
In Spain torrefacto is a flavour people grew up with and a possible explanation for our fondness of manchados, the popular milk with a splash of coffee, also known whimsically as nube (cloud) or sombra (shadow). Don’t be deceived by fancy names reminiscent of Taiwanese oolong teas.
Spain has a strong coffee culture but it’s more about the connections it fosters than about the quality of the brew. Never served in big glassware or cups, they are the types of coffees you drink standing up in the morning rush. This is changing: in the big cities you can find dedicated coffee shops serving high quality coffees with English menus for €3.50 and also the new kid on the block: bakeries pronounced ba-que-ris where you can get a muffin, avocado toast and a flat white.
The Bar de Toda la Vida, your classic old school café/bar, is where this knowledge counts. If the camarero or waiter knows half the customers by name and doesn’t look up when you order, you’re in the right place. Don’t overthink your order. A simple Buenos días will do. Please and thank yous? Optional. Spain is a country of strong feelings and hidden rules (Latin Americans get the side eye when they order with overly flowery language and a smile). If you feel uncomfortable about the awkward ordering leave a big tip (which is by the way not the custom).
Having ridiculously thin napkins and sugar packets printed with proverbs are also a dead giveaway you are in someone’s local but bit by bit napkin dispensers are getting sleeker, and even the sugar packets are starting to sport Instagram handles and fancy branding.
At the bar control what you can-like the glassware (glass vs. cup) or whether your milk is hot or cold. Madrileños have a penchant for glass. What you can’t control? The blend. Spoiler: it’s probably torrefacto or mezcla.
Here is a list of all the possible things you can order at the Bar de Toda la Vida and the things you can’t:
Solos y Dobles
Single or double espresso. Ordering a doble is a bit of a macho move, think Javier Bardem in the movie Jamón Jamón. Can also be largos or long (made with extra water). In Màlaga they use the terms semilargo and solo corto.
Manchados/ Nubes or Sombra
Fancy regional names for the eccentric but totally acceptable milk with a splash of coffee served in a glass. This drink might have the same name as macchiato but it is the polar opposite. It is your way of joining the cool guys from the office ordering dobles. But make no mistake it’s the equivalent of ordering zero-percent alcohol beer in a pub. They will talk. Spaniards love their milky drinks and you can find cinnamon milk, meringue milk and horchata tiger nut milk at many ice cream shops.
Descafeinados
Spain is possibly the only country where decaf is its own subculture.
Descafeinado de sobre: Decaf instant coffee, served with hot milk in a glass if you know the secret password: Descafeinado de sobre con leche en vaso. You’ll get a red Nescafé sachet, a spoon, and that smug feeling of being in the know. A marketing triumph for Nestlé.
Descafeinado de máquina: Decaf from the machine. But plot twist: it could be torrefacto.
Cafe con leche and cortado
Coffee with milk, a safe bet. Order in the morning. In Madrid it is regularly served in a glass.
Cortado is a coffee with milk in between a macchiato and cafe con leche. The strength levels vary wildly but it is suitable all day and in most situations.
Hot and cold chocolate milk
This is especially important with children (who might be your travel companions and the reason you need the caffeine in the first place). Hot chocolate milk is best ordered as “Cola Cao” the Nesquik of Spain. If you are looking for a cold-flavored milk order a batido, which should not be confused with a smoothie (for that go to a ba-que-ri). A batido normally comes in a glass bottle in lurid tones.
Not to be confused with chocolate a la taza: the super thick concoction that accompanies churros more appropriate to order in a churrería.
Carajillo
Carajillo: coffee spiked with brandy, whiskey or other spirits.
Best ordered before 9 a.m. in the company of construction workers. That's when you’ll really blend in.
Café con Hielo
Espresso + glass of ice. The DIY iced coffee of Spain. Mix in the sugar with the hot coffee first, unless you want a grainy bitter iced mess. Pour with flair, avoid splash damage to your clothes and dignity. Your dexterity with this manoeuvre will highlight if you are a tourista or a local.
Vending Machine coffee
Many drinks come pre-sugared and dispensed with a wooden stirrer. You will need a programming degree to figure out how to “unsugar” the drinks. Ask your colleagues if there is an alternative machine as many pitch in to buy capsule machines as few have cracked the less sugar code.
Tea and Infusions
Tea: Skip or BYOT if possible.
Infusiones: Safer, but know what you’re ordering.
Manzanilla (chamomile): Calming, unless you accidentally get manzanilla sherry. It happens.
Menta Poleo: Peppermint. You’re subtly announcing, “My stomach’s not quite right.”
Tila / Valeriana: Use with caution. May suggest a nervous breakdown. Avoid in work and romantic settings unless you are going for a Pedro Almódovar Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown vibe.
Sweet Coffees for Insta
Most coffees in Spain are not insta-worthy if that is what you are after, rather than posting latte art from your trip to Barcelona find that crazy coffee locals really drink.
Mediterranean Coast
Café Bombón: Coffee with condensed milk. Best avoided in places full of cows like Asturias.
Cartagena
Asiático: Coffee, condensed milk, brandy, and Licor 43 in a curvy glass. Licor 43 is a top-secret liqueur made with a blend of herbs, fruits, and spices and which contains 43 natural ingredients. It is made in Cartagena and one of Spain’s most popular liqueurs.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Barraquito: If you have made it this far south and if you hiked in El Teide, Spain’s tallest mountain/extinct volcano you are allowed to order a barraquito Tenerife’s over the top coffee layers made up of condensed milk, espresso, Licor 43, and foamed milk, topped with lemon zest and cinnamon. García Sanabria Park is a great place to grab one.
Almería
Americano: One of Spain’s most niche drinks is an americano in Kiosko Amalia which is not coffee related at all but a pink concoction made with cola liqueur and cinnamon milk. Will delight your most geeky foodie friends.
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Whether you’re downing a carajillo at 8 a.m. or quietly decoding or translating your sugar packet proverb, remember this: in Spain, coffee is less about the caffeine hit and more about going out. And if you can order it in a bustling cafe without a ‘please,’ you’re halfway to passing for a local.
Omg- leave it to you to write a Spanish coffee thesis! Amazing.
Excellent article, Blanca. I’m looking forward to experiencing Spanish coffee culture in person with you someday! Coffee and sugar packets with proverbs :)