Piccolo Latte
Piccolo latte (usually just “piccolo”) Say PIK-koh-loh LAH-tay
An Australian café drink: one ristretto shot (≈ 15–20 ml) topped with about 60–70 ml of steamed, lightly foamed milk in a small glass. It tastes like a latte with the volume turned down and the coffee turned up.
- ServedHot
- In EnglishSmall latte
- TastesBalanced, Creamy, Smooth
About Piccolo Latte
A piccolo latte – usually just called a “piccolo” – is a miniature latte from the Australian café scene. It is made with a single ristretto shot, the short, concentrated espresso, topped with silky steamed milk and a thin layer of microfoam, and served in a small glass of roughly 90–110 ml.
Compared with a full-size latte, a piccolo uses about a third of the milk, so the coffee comes through much more clearly while the texture stays smooth and creamy. The ristretto base keeps it sweet rather than harsh. It sits somewhere between a macchiato, which has only a spoonful of milk, and a flat white, which is larger and usually built on a double shot.
Despite the Italian name – piccolo means “small” – you won’t find it on menus in Italy. It is a standard order in Australian cafés, especially in Sydney and Melbourne, and has spread to speciality cafés elsewhere.
In the cup
- Microfoam 20%
- Steamed milk 60%
- Ristretto 20%
Ingredients
- Freshly ground espresso coffee≈ 7–10 g for a single ristretto (or half a double)
- Whole milk, cold≈ 80–100 ml (to steam ≈ 60–70 ml)
How to make it
You needEspresso machine with steam wand, burr grinder, tamper, small milk jug, 90–110 ml glass
RatioAbout 1 part ristretto to 3–4 parts steamed milk (≈ 15–20 ml coffee to ≈ 60–70 ml milk)
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Pull a single ristretto shot (≈ 15–20 ml) directly into a small warmed glass.
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Steam the milk to about 55–65 °C, stretching it only briefly so the foam stays thin and silky.
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Tap and swirl the jug so the milk is glossy.
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Pour the milk into the ristretto, finishing with a thin layer of foam – small latte art is possible if you tilt the glass.
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Serve straight away.
Origin & history
The piccolo latte is usually credited to Australia, and most often to Sydney’s café scene, though no inventor or date is recorded. A commonly told story is that baristas started making mini lattes to taste-test new coffee blends and their milk-based drinks without drinking a full latte each time – it is plausible and widely repeated, but not documented.
What is clear is that the piccolo became an established order in Australian cafés over the 2000s and 2010s, alongside the flat white and long black, and has since spread to speciality cafés in other countries.
Variations
- Double-shot piccolomade with a double ristretto for a stronger cup (Australia)
- Flat whitelarger, usually built on a double shot (Australia / New Zealand)
- Cortadoespresso cut with a similar amount of warm milk (Spain)
- Gibraltara double shot with steamed milk in a 4.5 oz glass, a similar idea (USA)
Good to know
Order it in Australia as just “a piccolo”.
Don't expect it in Italy – there “piccolo” is just the adjective “small”.
Some cafés make it with a full espresso or a double ristretto; ask if you want it stronger.
It's a good afternoon choice if a full latte feels too milky but an espresso too strong.
