Why It's Weird To Drink Cappuccino With Lunch In Italy

Whether you're just passing through on a greater European tour or it's a dedicated trip to Italy, your senses will be assailed, in the best way possible, by the beauty of the landscape and cities, the art and architecture, and most of all, the food and drink. While there's a strong grappa tradition in Italy, Italians also love their coffee, but unlike Americans, they have some strict customs they follow when drinking the caffeinated beverage. Namely, no cappuccinos after the breakfast hour. What's up with that?

It would be considered a serious faux pas — and out you immediately as a tourist — if you tried to drink a cappuccino with your lunch or dinner in Italy, because Italians stop drinking them after 11 a.m. The reason? Cappuccinos, while an espresso drink, are also comprised of milk, which Italians believe can cause digestive issues as the day gets on. So, they get the milk-based beverages out of the way in the morning, and enjoy purely espresso-based drinks throughout the rest of the day.

Also, Italians tend to drink their cappuccinos before they eat breakfast (though there are some exceptions to that), rather than with. This is because of their cultural tendency to treat coffee as a reason for recess or downtime from the day, and an opportunity to engage with each other — it's not just something you drink with a meal.

Italians take their coffee pretty seriously (hey, it has some serious health benefits), and along with no cappuccinos after 11 a.m., there are no variations in size — you're always going to get a small, about 200 grams of liquid — and it's almost always going to be made with whole milk, though in some locations you might get some non-dairy options. To drink it like an Italian, you must give it a stir, moving your spoon top to bottom just a few times, and then place the utensil on the accompanying saucer.

More generally, you can expect not to receive a to-go cup for your coffee (again, Italian culture is about savoring the food and drink in front of you), it's totally normal for Italians to enjoy their espresso beverages standing at a bar, and you should always strive to pay in exact change. Also, Americans are used to ordering lattes, but if you do that in Italy, you will get a glass of milk (it's the Italian word for milk, after all). To order an espresso drink, you'll want to say "caffè," as that is the Italian word for coffee.