Espresso con Panna

Espresso con panna is exactly what its Italian name says: espresso “with cream”. A single or double shot is topped with a spoonful – or a swirl – of whipped cream. There is no added milk or water, so the coffee keeps its full strength, but the cold, sweet cream rounds off the bitterness and makes it feel like a small dessert.

The pleasure is in the contrast. The first sips pass hot coffee through cool cream; as it melts, the drink turns richer and smoother. Some people stir it in straight away, others eat a little cream with a spoon first.

It is found in Italian bars, though more as an occasional treat than an everyday order, and on café menus worldwide – it is a standard option at Starbucks, for example. In France and the UK a similar drink is sold as café viennois, a nod to the whipped-cream coffees of Vienna’s coffee houses.

Topping coffee with whipped cream is an old idea, closely associated with the coffee houses of Vienna, where drinks such as the Einspänner have long been served under a crown of cream. The espresso con panna is the espresso-bar version of that idea, under an Italian name.

No inventor or date for the espresso con panna is recorded. It became widely known internationally as espresso spread through cafés in the late 20th century, and it remains a standard menu option at chains such as Starbucks, while in France and the UK a similar drink is still sold as café viennois.