How to order coffee in Greek

The simplest order

Begin with a complete, compact request

If you want a straightforward first phrase, GreekMate’s Sand stage teaches:

• Έναν καφέ, παρακαλώ.

  Énan kafé, parakaló.A coffee, please.A natural, compact café order.

At a real counter, you will usually name the coffee you want. For example, this order asks for a cold espresso drink:

• Έναν φρέντο εσπρέσο, παρακαλώ.

  Énan fréndo espréso, parakaló.A freddo espresso, please.A natural complete order at the counter.

Useful coffee words

Make the order yours

• καφέςkafés
  coffee
• νερόneró
  water
• ζάχαρηzáchari
  sugar
• μέτριοmétrio
  medium sweet
• σκέτοskéto
  no sugar
• γάλαgála
  milk

A barista may ask how you take your coffee. Use μέτριο and σκέτο as short replies to that question. In a complete order, use έναν καφέ (énan kafé), rather than the dictionary form καφές (kafés). The ending changes because it is the thing you are requesting.

Common follow-ups

Sweetness, milk, and takeaway

• Μέτριο, παρακαλώ.

  Métrio, parakaló.Medium sweet, please.Use when the barista asks how sweet you take it.

• Σκέτο, παρακαλώ.

  Skéto, parakaló.No sugar, please.A short reply when you do not want sugar.

• Με λίγο γάλα.

  Me lígo gála.With a little milk.Add a small amount of milk.

• Για πακέτο, παρακαλώ.

  Ya pakéto, parakaló.To take away, please.A practical Natural Greek café phrase.

Mini interaction

Put the order into a café exchange

Curated from GreekMate’s approved coffee lessons, Natural Greek, Greek Ear, and the native-reviewed Order Coffee mission. Greek can be phrased in more than one natural way; this is the GreekMate interaction, not a claim that it is the only possible order.

Practise the question as well as your order

Cover the learner’s lines and answer the barista aloud. Πώς τον πίνετε; asks how you take your coffee; here, reply with your sugar preference. If you want takeaway, add that before the order is prepared. The Latin-letter cues mark stress but cannot capture every Greek sound, so pair them with short Greek listening practice.

For lunch or dinner, continue with Greek restaurant phrases and the free restaurant PDF. For other situations, browse the Greek travel phrase guide.