When visiting a French café, knowing how to order a coffee in French is essential for enjoying the local culture. In this blog post, we’ll cover the necessary vocabulary and phrases to help you confidently order your favourite beverages in French.

Whether you’re in a bustling Parisian café or a quaint village bistro, these tips will ensure you get exactly what you want.

Understanding coffee varieties

Before you get familiar with how to order a coffee in French, you must know the different types of coffee you can order in a French café:

• un café a coffee – This is typically a small, strong espresso.
• un café au lait a coffee with milk – Similar to a latte, it’s made with equal parts coffee and hot milk.
• le lait the milk – Essential for your café au lait.
• un café crème a coffee with cream – Espresso with a small amount of cream.
• un grand crème a large coffee with cream – Similar to un café crème but in a larger cup.
• un allongé a long coffee – An espresso with added hot water, similar to an Americano.
• un rallongé an extra-long coffee – Even more water than an allongé, making it a very weak coffee.

Other popular beverages in French cafés

Aside from coffee, you might want to order other beverages in French. Here are some popular choices:

• un thé a tea
• un thé au lait a tea with milk
• un thé au citron a tea with lemon
• un chocolat (chaud) a hot chocolate
• un jus a juice
  • un jus d’orange an orange juice
  • un jus d’ananas a pineapple juice
  • un jus de pomme an apple juice

• une limonadea lemonade
• de l’eau water
• de l’eau plate still water
• de l’eau gazeuse sparkling water
• une bière a beer
• un verre de … a glass of …
  • un verre de vin (a glass of wine)

• une bouteille de … a bottle of …
• le vin rouge red wine
• le vin blanc white wine
• le vin rosé rosé wine

Would you like to hear these phrases pronounced and used in context? Listen to episode 15 of Season 1 of the Coffee Break French podcast for more insights and useful expressions.

How to order a coffee in French: 3 essential phrases

The waiter might ask, ‘Vous désirez ?’ What would you like?, to which you can respond with your choice of coffee or beverage in French.

When you’re ready to order, use one of these three essential phrases to ensure you get the coffee you want:

• Je voudrais …  I would like…
• Pour moi … For me…
• Pour mon …,  For my…, – you can use this phrase when ordering a beverage for someone else.

Let’s check some examples:

1. Je voudrais un café. I would like… a coffee.
2. Pour moi, un café au lait. For me…, a coffee with milk.
3. Pour mon père, un grand crème. For my father, a large coffee with cream.
4. Pour ma mère, un allongé. For my mother, a long coffee.
5. Pour mon ami, un thé au citron. For my (male) friend, a tea with lemon.
6. Pour mon amie, un chocolat chaud. For my (female) friend, a hot chocolate.

Example order dialogue

To illustrate how to order a coffee in French, here’s an example dialogue:

• You: Bonjour, je voudrais un café au lait, s’il vous plaît. Hello, I would like a coffee with milk, please.
• Waiter: Bien sûr. Et pour vous, madame ? Of course. And for you, madam?
• Your Friend: Pour moi, un thé au lait, s’il vous plaît. For me, a tea with milk, please.
• Waiter: Très bien. Vous désirez autre chose ? Very well. Would you like anything else?
• You: Oui, un jus d’orange pour mon père, et un grand crème pour ma mère. Yes, an orange juice for my father, and a large coffee with cream for my mother.
• Waiter: Parfait. Je vous apporte ça tout de suite. Perfect. I’ll bring that to you right away.

Knowing how to order a coffee in French is a valuable skill that enhances your café experience. By familiarising yourself with the different types of coffee and other beverages in French, you can confidently place your order and enjoy your time in any French-speaking café.

Remember to practice these phrases, and soon you’ll feel right at home ordering your favourite drinks in French. Whether it’s how to order a coffee in French or any other drink, you’ll be well-prepared for your next visit.

Do you want to keep improving your French skills and learn how to order snacks in French? Then check the article we prepared to help you ask for what you want to eat at a French café!