PortuTalk Mascot
PortuTalkBetaLearn to speak like a local.
A1 · Beginner

Ordering Coffee in Portugal

Order coffee like a local — bica, galão, meia de leite — plus the pastel de nata and the polite phrases Portuguese cafés actually expect.

📝 Vocabulary

PortugueseEnglishNotes
Um caféA coffee (espresso)Ask for 'um café' and an espresso is what you get
Uma bicaAn espressoLisbon's word for it
Um cimbalinoAn espressoPorto's word for it
Um galãoA tall milky coffeeServed in a glass — the closest thing to a latte
Uma meia de leiteCoffee with milk in a cupHalf coffee, half milk
Um café pingadoEspresso with a drop of milk
Um pastel de nataA custard tartThe mandatory companion
Uma torradaToast with butterA classic café breakfast
Queria..., se faz favorI'd like..., please
A conta, se faz favorThe bill, please

Advertisement

💡 Grammar Notes

Polite Requests: Queria and Pode

The two workhorses of café Portuguese:

  • "Queria um galão, se faz favor." (I'd like a galão, please.)
  • "Pode trazer um copo de água?" (Can you bring a glass of water?)

Locals also soften orders with "Pode ser..." (literally "it can be..."):

"Pode ser uma bica e um pastel de nata." (I'll have an espresso and a custard tart.)

Um vs. Uma: Gender at the Counter

Every drink has a gender, and the word for "a/one" agrees with it:

  • Um (masculine): um café, um galão, um pastel de nata
  • Uma (feminine): uma bica, uma meia de leite, uma torrada

Order two and the same rule applies: dois cafés, but duas bicas.

"Se faz favor" — the European Portuguese Please

In Portugal you will hear "se faz favor" at least as often as "por favor" — both are correct, but "se faz favor" instantly marks you as someone who learned European Portuguese. To call the waiter, a simple "Desculpe!" (Excuse me!) does the job:

"Desculpe! Quanto é?" (Excuse me! How much is it?)

Advertisement