Short answer
A cafe latte is a milk coffee made from one or two shots of espresso, a large amount of steamed milk and a thin cap of foam. It tastes mild and creamy, and it is served in a tall glass or wide cup.
A cafe latte is a milk coffee made from espresso and a large amount of steamed milk, finished with a thin layer of foam. A standard cafe latte uses one or two shots of espresso, so it tastes mild, creamy and slightly sweet, and it arrives in a tall glass or a wide cup.
What is a cafe latte?
A cafe latte is an espresso drink in which hot, steamed milk makes up most of the cup. The name comes from the Italian caffe latte, which means coffee and milk. Spellings and short forms include caffe latte, caffellatte, cafe latte and simply latte.
The drink is Italian in name, but the tall latte served in cafes in Canada and the United States developed as a café menu item in the English-speaking world. In Italy, caffellatte is also a breakfast drink made at home, often with moka pot coffee and warm milk. Cafes in Montreal also use the French form, cafe au lait, for a similar idea made with brewed coffee instead of espresso.
What is in a latte and what is the ratio?
A latte contains espresso, steamed milk and a thin layer of milk foam. A common ratio is one part espresso to three or four parts steamed milk, plus about a centimetre of foam on top.
| Part | Typical amount in a 240 ml latte | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 30 to 60 ml (one or two shots) | Gives the coffee flavour |
| Steamed milk | About 150 to 180 ml | Gives body and sweetness |
| Microfoam | About 1 cm | Gives a smooth top and latte art |
These numbers are common starting points, not a fixed rule. Cafes size their drinks differently, so a small latte at one place can match a medium at another.
How is a latte made?
A latte is made by pulling espresso into a cup, steaming milk until it is hot and glossy, then pouring the milk over the coffee. The pour is what creates the layered look.
- Grind and dose the coffee, then pull a shot of espresso into a warmed cup.
- Pour cold milk into a jug, about a third full.
- Steam the milk until it reaches roughly 60 to 65 degrees Celsius, so it is hot but not scalded.
- Swirl the jug and tap it on the counter to pop big bubbles and make the milk look like wet paint.
- Pour the milk into the espresso in a steady stream. Pour closer to the surface at the end for a pattern.
Steaming milk well is the harder skill. The steam wand adds a little air at the start, which makes microfoam, then spins the milk to blend it.
How does a latte taste?
A latte tastes creamy and soft, with the espresso showing as a gentle roasted, slightly bitter edge under the sweetness of the milk. The milk contains natural sugars that taste sweeter once heated, so most people drink a latte without sugar.
Flavour changes with the beans. A darker roast gives toasted, chocolate notes. A lighter roast gives fruity, sharper notes that stay clear through the milk. A syrup such as vanilla or caramel moves the drink toward dessert.
Latte vs cappuccino vs flat white: what is the difference?
A latte has the most milk and the least foam of the three, a cappuccino has the most foam, and a flat white sits between them with a short, velvety milk layer. The espresso is often the same in all three.
| Drink | Milk | Foam | Cup size (typical) | Taste |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latte | A lot | Thin | 240 to 350 ml | Mild, creamy |
| Cappuccino | Moderate | Thick | 150 to 180 ml | Stronger, airy |
| Flat white | Moderate | Very thin, velvety | 150 to 180 ml | Coffee forward |
Menus vary, and some cafes make a flat white with two shots while others use one. When in doubt, ask how many shots the drink has.
What size and milk should you choose?
For a first latte, choose a small or medium size with whole milk, because that gives the creamiest, most typical result. Larger sizes mostly add milk rather than coffee, so they taste weaker unless the cafe adds an extra shot.
Milk alternatives change the drink. Oat milk steams smoothly and tastes slightly sweet. Soy foams well and tastes nutty. Almond milk is thinner and foams less. Many cafes sell barista versions of plant milks, which are made to steam better than the ones sold for cereal.
Can you make a latte at home?
You can make a good latte at home with strong coffee and frothed milk, even without an espresso machine. The coffee should be concentrated, so a moka pot, an AeroPress or a very strong French press works.
- Moka pot: brew about 60 ml and pour it into the cup.
- AeroPress: use a fine grind and a short steep for a small, strong cup.
- Milk: heat it on the stove or in a microwave until steaming, then froth it with a handheld whisk or by shaking it in a closed jar.
Pour the milk in slowly and spoon the foam on top. The texture is a little different from machine milk, but the taste is close.
What are the common types of latte?
The common types of latte are the plain latte, the flavoured latte, the iced latte and the latte made with plant milk. Each keeps the same espresso and milk base and changes one element.
- Plain latte: espresso and steamed milk, no extras.
- Flavoured latte: a syrup such as vanilla, caramel or hazelnut stirred in.
- Iced latte: espresso and cold milk over ice, with no foam cap.
- Matcha latte: matcha tea whisked with steamed milk, with no espresso.
- Chai latte: spiced tea concentrate with steamed milk.
A drink labelled latte on a menu is not always coffee. Matcha, chai and turmeric lattes use the milk method but replace the espresso with another base, so the word has become a general label for a milk drink in a tall cup.
How do you order a latte so it tastes the way you like?
To get the latte you want, say the size, the milk and the number of shots. Cafes use the same word for quite different drinks, so these three details settle most differences.
- Size: small drinks are stronger, because the espresso is spread over less milk.
- Milk: whole milk is creamy, oat is smooth and slightly sweet, and soy has a nutty taste.
- Shots: ask for an extra shot if you want a clearer coffee flavour.
- Sweetness: syrups are usually added by the pump, so ask for fewer pumps or none.
- Temperature: say extra hot or warm if you care, since a standard latte is served just under scalding.
How does the Cloud Latte at Maison Sauvage relate to a latte?
The Cloud Latte is the signature latte of Maison Sauvage café in Mile End, Montreal, and it is topped with meringue that is torched to order. The Main directory says the drinks are made with house syrups and local roasts, and the cafe’s Instagram bio names the Cloud Latte as one of its two best-known items.
That makes it a latte variation: the same idea of coffee and milk, but with a sweet, toasted meringue cap in place of plain foam. The guide has no prices, no full drinks list and no ingredient breakdown for it, because none was found on the cafe’s public pages. Seating is limited, so many people take their drink to go. Check the menu page for the six recorded items and the hours and location page before you go. This guide is independent and takes no orders.
Common questions
Is a latte stronger than a cappuccino?
Not usually. Both drinks commonly use the same one or two espresso shots, but a latte has much more milk, so the coffee flavour is gentler. A cappuccino has less milk and more foam, which tastes more direct.
What does latte mean in Italian?
Latte is the Italian word for milk. In Italy, asking for only a latte gets you a glass of plain milk, so the coffee drink is ordered as caffe latte or caffellatte.
Can you make a latte without an espresso machine?
Yes. Brew a very strong coffee in a moka pot or AeroPress, then add hot milk that you have frothed with a handheld frother or shaken in a jar. The result is close to a latte.
Is a latte hot or iced?
Both. The standard latte is hot, but the same espresso and milk poured over ice makes an iced latte, which has little or no foam on top.
How much foam goes on a latte?
Very little. A traditional latte carries a layer of microfoam about 5 to 10 millimetres thick. Anything thicker is closer to a cappuccino.
Everything practical is on the home page: Maison Sauvage café hours, menu and directions.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Maison Sauvage café itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.