Australian Café English Glossary

AeroPress

A small hand brewer that presses water through coffee grounds.

You hear: “Do you want it ground for AeroPress?”

You say: “Is this good for AeroPress?”

Affogato

Espresso poured over a scoop of ice cream. A dessert-style coffee.

You hear: “Would you like it with vanilla ice cream?”

You say: “Could I get an affogato, please?”

💡 It is a dessert and a coffee in one, so you eat it with a spoon.

Arabica

A widely grown coffee species, often described as smoother and sweeter.

You hear: “This one is 100 percent Arabica.”

You say: “Is this Arabica or Robusta?”

Babyccino

Warm frothed milk for children, with no coffee, often in a small cup.

You hear: “Would the little one like a babyccino?”

You say: “Could I get a babyccino, please?”

💡 A babyccino has no coffee. Prices vary by café. Ask.

Barista

The person who makes the coffee in a café.

You hear: “Hi, I am your barista today.”

You say: “Sorry, could you say that again?”

Batch brew

Filter coffee made in a large batch and served from a jug or pot.

You hear: “Batch brew is on today, no wait.”

You say: “What is on batch brew today?”

💡 Batch brew is quick because it is already made.

Big brekkie

A large cooked breakfast. “Brekkie” is short for breakfast.

You hear: “The big brekkie comes with toast.”

You say: “I’ll have the big brekkie.”

💡 “Brekkie” is a casual word for breakfast. Use it with friends and on menus.

BYO cup

Bring your own cup, instead of using a disposable one.

You hear: “Did you bring your own cup?”

You say: “Could you fill my own cup, please?”

💡 Some cafés give a small discount. Ask if you are not sure.

Cabinet food

Food kept in the glass display at the counter, such as pastries and toasties.

You hear: “Everything in the cabinet is fresh today.”

You say: “Could I get that one, please?”

Cappuccino

Espresso with steamed milk and a thick layer of foam on top.

You hear: “Would you like chocolate on top?”

You say: “Could I get a cappuccino, please?”

💡 It has more foam than a flat white or a latte.

Chai latte

A spiced tea drink made with steamed milk.

You hear: “Which milk would you like in your chai?”

You say: “Could I get a chai latte with oat milk, please?”

Coffee run

Fetching coffee for your workmates or friends.

You hear: “I am doing a coffee run. Want one?”

You say: “I’m doing a coffee run.”

💡 It is friendly to offer and to say thanks. You may take a turn next time.

Cold brew

Coffee brewed slowly with cold water, then served cold.

You hear: “The cold brew is on tap.”

You say: “Could I get a cold brew, please?”

Decaf

Coffee with most of the caffeine taken out.

You hear: “Do you want regular or decaf?”

You say: “Could I get a decaf latte, please?”

Dirty chai

A chai latte with a shot of espresso added.

You hear: “A dirty chai has a shot of espresso in it.”

You say: “Could I get a dirty chai, please?”

💡 “Dirty” here is only a menu word. It means with coffee added.

Doppio

A double shot of espresso.

You hear: “Do you want a doppio?”

You say: “Could I get a doppio, please?”

Espresso

A small, strong coffee made by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee.

You hear: “One shot or two?”

You say: “Could I get an espresso, please?”

💡 In Australia people also say “short black”.

Espresso tonic

Espresso poured over tonic water and ice.

You hear: “An espresso tonic is cold and fizzy.”

You say: “Could I get an espresso tonic, please?”

Extra hot

A drink served hotter than usual. Ask politely.

You hear: “Do you want it extra hot?”

You say: “Could I get it extra hot, please?”

Extra shot

One more shot of espresso in your drink. It usually costs extra.

You hear: “Do you want an extra shot?”

You say: “Could I add an extra shot, please?”

💡 An extra shot usually costs more. Ask “Is that extra?”.

Flat white

Espresso with smooth, steamed milk and very little foam.

You hear: “Is that regular or large?”

You say: “Could I get a flat white, please?”

💡 Many people order this in Australian cafés. Cafés may make it slightly differently.

Grind size

How fine or coarse the coffee is ground, which depends on the brew method.

You hear: “What are you brewing with?”

You say: “What grind size do I need?”

Having here

Telling the café you will eat or drink inside.

You hear: “Is that to have here or take away?”

You say: “Having here, thanks.”

Hollandaise

A buttery egg sauce served on eggs benedict.

You hear: “Would you like extra hollandaise?”

You say: “Could I have the hollandaise on the side?”

💡 Hollandaise has egg and butter. Ask if you have an allergy.

House blend

The café’s regular mix of coffees.

You hear: “Our house blend is a mix of three coffees.”

You say: “What’s in the house blend?”

Iced coffee

In Australia, often a sweet, milky cold coffee drink. Cafés may make it differently.

You hear: “Do you want ice cream in that?”

You say: “Could I get an iced coffee, please?”

💡 Cafés differ on what “iced coffee” means, so ask.

Iced latte

Espresso with cold milk and ice.

You hear: “Do you want an iced latte?”

You say: “Could I get an iced latte, please?”

Latte

Espresso with a lot of steamed milk, often served in a glass.

You hear: “Would you like a glass or a cup?”

You say: “Could I get a latte, please?”

Long black

Espresso poured over hot water. No milk.

You hear: “Do you want room for milk?”

You say: “Could I get a long black, please?”

💡 “Is that black or with milk?” is a common question.

Loyalty card

A stamp card or app that gives rewards for repeat purchases.

You hear: “Do you have a loyalty card?”

You say: “Do you have a loyalty card?”

💡 Offers change by café. Ask staff what the card really gives.

Macchiato

Espresso with a small spot of milk foam.

You hear: “Is that a short or a long macchiato?”

You say: “Could I get a macchiato, please?”

Magic

A small, strong milk coffee popular in Melbourne.

You hear: “Would you like a magic?”

You say: “Could I get a magic, please?”

💡 It is a Melbourne favourite. Not every café sells it.

Matcha

A powdered green tea, often served as a latte.

You hear: “Would you like matcha with milk?”

You say: “Could I get a matcha latte with oat milk, please?”

Mocha

Coffee with chocolate and steamed milk.

You hear: “Would you like whipped cream?”

You say: “Could I get a mocha, please?”

Moka pot

A stovetop brewer that makes strong coffee.

You hear: “Do you need it ground for a moka pot?”

You say: “Is this good for a moka pot?”

My shout

“It is my turn to pay.” A friendly Australian phrase.

You hear: “It is my shout.”

You say: “Okay, thanks.”

💡 “Shout” means to pay for someone. It is friendly to take turns.

Name for the order

The barista asks your name so they can call it when the drink is ready.

You hear: “What name for the order?”

You say: “My name is …”

💡 Spell your name if it is hard to hear.

Piccolo

A small, strong coffee in a small glass, with milk.

You hear: “Would you like a piccolo?”

You say: “Could I get a piccolo, please?”

Plunger

A coffee jug with a plunger, also called a French press.

You hear: “Do you want it ground for a plunger?”

You say: “Could you grind this for a plunger, please?”

💡 Plunger is another word for French press.

Pour-over

Coffee made by pouring water slowly over grounds in a filter, such as a V60.

You hear: “This is brewed as a pour-over.”

You say: “Is it brewed as a pour-over?”

Regular

The normal cup size. The size name can vary by café.

You hear: “Regular or large?”

You say: “Regular, please.”

💡 Size names can differ by café. Check the cup sizes.

Ristretto

A short, concentrated espresso shot.

You hear: “Would you like a ristretto?”

You say: “Could I get a ristretto, please?”

Roast date

The day the beans were roasted. It helps you judge freshness.

You hear: “The roast date is on the bag.”

You say: “When was this roasted?”

Robusta

A coffee species that is often stronger and more bitter.

You hear: “It has a little Robusta in the blend.”

You say: “Is this Arabica or Robusta?”

Single origin

Coffee from one place, such as one farm or region.

You hear: “This is a single origin from Ethiopia.”

You say: “What beans are you using?”

Smashed avo

Mashed avocado on toast.

You hear: “Do you want an egg on your smashed avo?”

You say: “Could I swap that for avocado?”

💡 “Avo” is short for avocado. It is a famous Australian brunch dish.

Surcharge

An extra fee added to the bill, such as for card payments or public holidays.

You hear: “There is a surcharge on card payments.”

You say: “Is that extra?”

💡 Check the sign before you pay. You can often ask to pay another way.

Takeaway

A drink or food you take with you.

You hear: “Is that takeaway?”

You say: “Takeaway, thanks.”

Tasting notes

Words that describe flavours in coffee, such as “chocolate” or “fruity”.

You hear: “The tasting notes are chocolate and orange.”

You say: “What are the tasting notes?”

Toastie

A toasted sandwich, hot and melted inside.

You hear: “Do you want your toastie heated?”

You say: “Could I get a ham and cheese toastie, please?”

Washed, natural, honey

Three ways coffee fruit is processed, which changes the taste.

You hear: “This one is a washed coffee.”

You say: “How was this coffee processed?”

💡 These words describe how the coffee fruit was handled. They change the flavour.

Whole beans

Coffee beans that are not yet ground.

You hear: “Do you want whole beans or ground?”

You say: “Do you have this as whole beans?”