☕ Coffee guide

Cafecito vs Cortadito

Both are sweet, Cuban, and small — the difference is simply milk.

If cafecito and cortadito blur together, here's the good news: the difference is genuinely simple. They start from the same place — sweet Cuban espresso — and split on one ingredient: milk.

Cafecito — the sweet shot

A cafecito (Cuban espresso) is a small, intense, sweet shot. Sugar is whipped with the first drops of espresso to make espumita, the caramel-colored foam on top. No milk — just sweet, syrupy coffee. It's the afternoon pick-me-up knocked back at the counter.

Cortadito — a cafecito with milk

A cortadito is a cafecito "cut" with a little steamed or evaporated milk. Same sweet Cuban base, now softer and creamier. If a cafecito is the espresso, the cortadito is its mellower, milkier sibling.

The one-line difference

Cortadito = cafecito + a splash of milk. That's really it.

Which should you order?

Want the pure, punchy sweet jolt? Cafecito. Want it softer and creamier? Cortadito. Want a bigger, milky morning version? A café con leche. Sharing with a group? A colada. More terms in our coffee glossary and Little Havana guide.