Greek Coffee Vocabulary: How to Order Coffee in Greece
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Coffee is a huge part of Greek culture, and in my opinion, it is something you should experience on your trip to Greece.
To a visitor, coffee orders in Greek can sound confusing and a little intimidating. But once you understand the different components of an order, it’s actually pretty easy.
You don’t need to speak fluent Greek to order coffee, but knowing a few words will help you understand what you’re being asked and confidently order what you actually want.
Because at the end of the day, you’re really just answering a few questions: What kind of coffee do you want? How sweet do you want it? Do you want milk? Maybe some cinnamon on top?
That’s it.
Well… until you start listening to some of the extremely specific coffee orders being rattled off around you. Then you may realize that Greeks can get very particular about their coffee.
But don’t worry. By the end of this guide, you’ll know the Greek coffee vocabulary you actually need to order with confidence.
First, Understand How Greek Coffee Orders Are Built
Most Greek coffee orders follow a similar formula. You start with the type of coffee you want, then add details like:
- How sweet you want it
- Whether you want milk
- How much milk or foam you want
- Any additional preferences or toppings
For example, you might order a freddo espresso or freddo cappuccino, then specify whether you want it glykó (sweet) or skéto (unsweetened).
For some coffees, you may also specify whether you want milk or foam. And if you’re ordering a freddo cappuccino, you might be asked if you want cinnamon or cocoa powder on top.
Suddenly, what sounds like one long, complicated Greek coffee order is really just a series of preferences.
The Greek Coffee Vocabulary You'll Hear Most Often
Here are a few words that will come up throughout this guide:
- ζεστό (zestó) — hot
- κρύο (krýo) — cold
- σκέτο (skéto) — plain or without sugar
- μέτριο (métrio) — medium sweetness
- γλυκό (glykó) — sweet
- γάλα (gála) — milk
- αφρόγαλα (afró gala) — frothed milk or milk foam
- κανέλα (kanéla) — cinnamon
- κακάο (kakáo) — cocoa
One quick thing to know: freddo is the name used for popular cold coffee drinks like freddo espresso and freddo cappuccino. The Greek word you’ll hear for “cold” more generally is krýo.
The Most Common Coffee Drinks in Greece
Greek Coffee
Greek coffee, or ellinikós kafés (ελληνικός καφές), is one of the most traditional coffees you’ll find in Greece.
It is made with very finely ground coffee and prepared in a small pot called a bríki. You can think of it as a concentrated coffee that you’re meant to sip slowly.
The coffee grounds settle at the bottom of the cup, so whatever you do, don’t drink the very last sip.
Think of it a little like reaching the bottom of a bottle of red wine and getting all of the sediment. You can technically drink it, but you probably won’t enjoy it.
Greek coffee is commonly ordered based on how sweet you want it, which we’ll get into more below.
Freddo Espresso
A freddo espresso is one of the most popular cold coffee drinks you’ll see in Greece.
It is made with espresso and ice, then shaken or blended until it becomes cold and develops a layer of foam.
If you like iced coffee but want something stronger and less milky, this is probably the coffee for you.
You can also customize the sweetness level by ordering it:
- Skéto — no sugar
- Métrio — medium sweet
- Glykó — sweet
For example:
Έναν φρέντο εσπρέσο μέτριο, παρακαλώ.
Énan frédo espréso métrio, parakaló.
“One medium-sweet freddo espresso, please.”
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Freddo Cappuccino
My personal favorite summer coffee drink is the freddo cappuccino.
It starts with cold espresso served over ice and is topped with a thick layer of cold, frothed milk. You can also add a dusting of cinnamon or cocoa on top.
My go-to order is:
Freddo cappuccino glykó me kanéla.
Or, in English: a sweet freddo cappuccino with cinnamon.
You may hear people specify me gála, meaning “with milk,” but with a freddo cappuccino, the milk foam is already a defining part of the drink. Your café may ask about your preferences if there are different options available.
A Funny Story About the Greek Word for Milk
Speaking of gála, I learned at a young age that maybe I wasn’t the most trustworthy Greek translator.
One time when I was little, my grandparents on my non-Greek side of the family came to visit us in Greece. My grandpa wanted some milk in his coffee, so my grandma, who doesn’t speak Greek, asked the waitress for some “lala.”
The waitress immediately busted out laughing.
Apparently, I had told my grandma that lala was the Greek word for milk.
Which isn’t entirely wrong.
It’s more of a baby word for milk because little kids can’t always pronounce the hard g sound in gála. So naturally, my grandma started asking for lala in Greece.
From that point on, she never trusted my Greek translation skills again.
Honestly? Fair.
Frappé
You may have seen Greek frappé referred to on TikTok as “whipped coffee,” and I can see why.
A traditional Greek frappé is made with instant coffee, water, and optional sugar, then shaken or blended until it becomes thick and foamy. It is served over ice and can be made with milk depending on your preference.
Frappé is probably what many people picture when they think of traditional Greek iced coffee. But today, you’ll also see plenty of people ordering freddo espressos and freddo cappuccinos.
Like other Greek coffees, you can customize your frappé based on sweetness and whether you want milk.
For example:
Ένα φραπέ μέτριο με γάλα, παρακαλώ.
Éna frapé métrio me gála, parakaló.
“One medium-sweet frappé with milk, please.”
Espresso
Espresso is pretty self-explanatory, and you’ll find it on coffee menus throughout Greece.
A couple of useful words to know are:
- μονός (monós) — single
- διπλός (diplós) — double
So if you want a double espresso, you can ask for a dipló espresso.
How Sweet Do You Want Your Coffee?
If there are three Greek coffee words worth remembering before your trip, they are probably skéto, métrio, and glykó.
These words tell the person making your coffee exactly how much sweetness you want.
Skéto: No Sugar
Σκέτο (skéto) means plain or without sugar.
If you order a coffee skéto, you’re saying you don’t want sugar added.
This doesn’t automatically mean you don’t want milk. The sweetness level and milk preference are two separate things.
So you could order a coffee skéto me gála: no sugar, with milk.
Métrio: Medium Sweet
Μέτριο (métrio) is your middle-ground option.
If you don’t want your coffee completely unsweetened but also don’t want it especially sweet, métrio is probably the word you’ll want to remember.
Glykó: Sweet
Γλυκό (glykó) means sweet.
If you have a sweet tooth, this is the option for you.
You may recognize the word glykó from other Greek foods, too. After all, glykó is simply the Greek word for “sweet.”
Other Ways to Customize Your Coffee
Once you’ve chosen your coffee and sweetness level, you may want to add a few more preferences.
Here are some helpful Greek coffee words and phrases to know.
With Milk
Με γάλα (me gála)
Without Milk
Χωρίς γάλα (horís gála)
A Little Milk
Λίγο γάλα (lígo gála)
More Milk
Περισσότερο γάλα (perissótero gála)
Hot
Ζεστό (zestó)
Cold
Κρύο (krýo)
If you’re ordering a freddo coffee, the drink is already cold. But krýo is the Greek word for cold that you may hear or use in other situations.
What You Might Actually Hear When Ordering Coffee in Greece
Knowing individual vocabulary words is helpful, but what does an actual coffee order sound like?
Here are a few examples.
Example 1: Ordering at a Café
You order:
Έναν φρέντο καπουτσίνο, παρακαλώ.
“One freddo cappuccino, please.”
You might then be asked:
Σκέτο, μέτριο ή γλυκό;
“Plain, medium, or sweet?”
You can simply answer with your preferred sweetness level.
Skéto.
Métrio.
Or:
Glykó.
Example 2: Adding Milk
You may be asked:
Με γάλα;
“With milk?”
You can answer:
Ναι, με γάλα.
“Yes, with milk.”
Or:
Όχι, χωρίς γάλα.
“No, without milk.”
Example 3: Putting It All Together
Here’s what a more specific order might sound like:
Έναν φρέντο εσπρέσο μέτριο, με λίγο γάλα, παρακαλώ.
Énan frédo espréso métrio, me lígo gála, parakaló.
Let’s break that down:
One + freddo espresso + medium sweet + with a little milk + please.
That’s really all a Greek coffee order is.
It may sound complicated when someone says the whole thing quickly, but once you recognize the individual pieces, you can start building your own order.
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✨Ultimate Greece Travel Starter Guide!!!✨
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Useful Greek Coffee Phrases for Travelers
You don’t need to memorize an entire Greek phrasebook just to get coffee. These are a few simple phrases that can come in handy.
“One coffee, please.”
Έναν καφέ, παρακαλώ.
Énan kafé, parakaló.
“What kind of coffee do you have?”
Τι καφέ έχετε;
Ti kafé éhete?
“Without sugar.”
Χωρίς ζάχαρη.
Horís záhari.
“With milk.”
Με γάλα.
Me gála.
“Without milk.”
Χωρίς γάλα.
Horís gála.
“Hot.”
Ζεστό.
Zestó.
“Cold.”
Κρύο.
Krýo.
“Thank you!”
Ευχαριστώ!
Efharistó!
So, How Do You Actually Order Coffee in Greece?
You don’t need to memorize every Greek coffee term before your trip.
If you know:
- What type of coffee you want
- Whether you want it hot or cold
- How sweet you want it
- Whether you want milk or foam
…you can handle most coffee orders you’ll encounter in Greece.
And honestly, getting the coffee is only part of the experience.
The other part is taking your time with it.
Sit down. People-watch. Catch up with whoever you’re traveling with. Enjoy the view. Stay longer than you originally planned.
Because Greek coffee isn’t really meant to be something you grab, drink in five minutes, and immediately forget about.
The coffee is important, obviously. But sometimes the best part is everything that happens while you’re drinking it.
What’s your go-to coffee order? (Try translating it into Greek using the guide!)
Let me know↓🥰
