How to Read a Korean Cafe Menu: 아메리카노, 라떼, 아이스, 샷 추가 and 포장

If you are trying to figure out how to read a Korean cafe menu, the hard part is usually not the word coffee. A lot of menu items are borrowed from English: latte, mocha, vanilla, ade, smoothie, decaf.

The hard part is the compact menu format.

A Korean cafe menu can show drink sections, hot and iced prices, sizes, extra shots, milk changes, syrup, decaf, takeout, dine-in, kiosk prompts, dessert names and pickup instructions in a few short lines.

Start with the questions that matter most:

• Is the drink HOT or ICE?
• Is it coffee, non-coffee, tea, ade, smoothie or dessert?
• Is the price written as 4.5, 4,500 or 4500?
• Does iced cost more than hot?
• Can you add a shot: 샷 추가?
• Can you choose decaf: 디카페인?
• Are there milk options like 오트밀크 or 두유?
• Does the menu say 포장, 테이크아웃, 매장 or 드시고 가세요?
• Are you ordering at a counter or kiosk?
• Does the cafe give you a 진동벨 for pickup?

Once you know the main Korean cafe words, a menu board stops feeling like a wall of similar-looking drink names.

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This guide explains the Korean cafe menu words you are most likely to see in coffee shops, bakery cafes, dessert cafes, chain cafes, independent cafes, kiosks and takeout counters in Korea.

This article is for reading and vocabulary help. Menus vary by cafe, so use the words here as a practical reading map, not a promise that every shop writes things the same way.

The most important Korean cafe menu words

Start with these words. They carry most cafe menus.

If you only remember seven terms, remember 아메리카노, 라떼, 아이스, 따뜻한, 샷 추가, 포장 and 매장.

Read the menu in this order

Do not start by translating every drink name. Read the menu like someone trying to place an order.

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First, check whether the menu separates HOT and ICE. Many Korean cafe menus list two prices, with iced sometimes costing more.

Second, find the drink category: 커피, 논커피, 티, 에이드, 스무디, 디저트 or 베이커리.

Third, read the drink name: 아메리카노, 카페라떼, 바닐라라떼, 말차라떼, 초코라떼, 자몽에이드.

Fourth, check size and price. A menu that says 4.5 usually means 4,500 won.

Fifth, scan add-ons and changes: 샷 추가, 시럽 추가, 휘핑 추가, 디카페인 변경, 오트밀크 변경.

Sixth, read ordering and pickup wording: 매장, 포장, 테이크아웃, 진동벨, 주문번호, 픽업대.

HOT, ICE, 아이스 and 따뜻한

Temperature is one of the first choices you make.

Examples:

In casual speech, 아이스 아메리카노 is often shortened to 아아, but a menu will usually use the full form or ICE 아메리카노.

Coffee drinks: 아메리카노, 라떼, 모카

Many Korean coffee drink names are loanwords, but they are written in Hangul.

Examples:

Korean cafe menus often use English letters, Hangul, or a mix. You may see Vanilla Latte, 바닐라라떼, or both.

Non-coffee drinks: 논커피, 티, 에이드, 스무디

If you do not want coffee, look for 논커피.

Examples:

Some drinks with 라떼 do not contain coffee. 말차라떼, 초코라떼 and 고구마라떼 are usually milk-based drinks, not coffee lattes.

Prices: 4.5, 5.0 and 원

Korean cafe menus often shorten prices.

Examples:

If the menu has separate columns for HOT and ICE, read the price under the temperature you want.

Size words: 레귤러, 라지, 벤티

Size words can be Korean, English, brand-specific, or simply S / M / L.

Examples:

If there are no size options, the cafe may serve one default size.

Add-ons: 샷 추가, 시럽 추가, 휘핑 추가

The word 추가 means add or extra. It appears constantly on cafe menus.

Examples:

The opposite idea is usually 빼 주세요, meaning "please leave it out." For example: 휘핑 빼 주세요 means "no whipped cream, please."

Milk and sweetness words

These words are useful if you want to adjust a drink.

Useful order phrases:

At a kiosk, the same ideas may appear as option buttons.

Desserts and bakery words

Korean cafes often put desserts on the same menu board.

Examples:

품절 is one of the most useful non-drink words. If you see it next to something, it is sold out.

매장, 포장, 테이크아웃 and dine-in wording

When you order, staff or a kiosk may ask whether you are staying or taking it out.

Examples:

For drinks, 마시고 갈게요 sounds natural. For food or dessert, 먹고 갈게요 works.

Kiosk and pickup words

Many Korean cafes use kiosks, order numbers and pickup counters.

Examples:

If a staff member hands you a 진동벨, keep it until it buzzes, then go to the pickup counter.

Common cafe phrases

These are practical phrases for ordering without overthinking the grammar.

The phrase 한 잔 means one cup or one drink. For two drinks, use 두 잔.

A fictional Korean cafe menu, read line by line

Imagine a menu says:

If you want an iced latte with oat milk to go, the order could be:

카페라떼 아이스로, 오트밀크로 변경해서 포장해 주세요.

That means: "An iced cafe latte, changed to oat milk, to go, please."

Common mistakes when reading Korean cafe menus

Quick checklist

Before you order, make sure you can answer:

• Which section is the drink in?
• Is it hot or iced?
• What is the drink name?
• What is the price?
• Is the price different for iced?
• Do you want a size change?
• Do you want an extra shot?
• Do you want decaf?
• Do you need a milk change?
• Are you staying or taking it out?
• Do you need a receipt?

FAQ: Korean cafe menus

What does 아이스 mean on a Korean cafe menu?

아이스 means iced. You may also see ICE.

What is 아아?

아아 is casual shorthand for 아이스 아메리카노, iced Americano. It is common in conversation, but menus usually use the full drink name.

What does 샷 추가 mean?

샷 추가 means extra espresso shot.

What does 포장 mean in a cafe?

포장 means takeout or to go.

What does 매장 mean?

매장 means the store. In cafe ordering, 매장 이용 means dining in or drinking in the cafe.

What does 품절 mean?

품절 means sold out.

Does 라떼 always contain coffee?

No. 카페라떼 contains coffee, but drinks like 말차라떼, 초코라떼 and 고구마라떼 are usually non-coffee milk drinks.

Sources

• National Institute of Korean Language
• National Institute of Korean Language: cafe menu spacing answer
• Visit Korea: Tailor Coffee menu examples
• Visit Korea: YOUTH COFFEE menu examples