Caffè Romano
Also espresso romano, café Romano
An espresso served with a twist of lemon. The lemon oil brightens the shot; the drink is more common in American cafés than in Rome.
EspressoServed hot
- Volume
- 30ml1.0 US fl oz
- Espresso
- 1shot
- Caffeine
- 64mgderived, USDA FDC
- Glass
- Demitasse70 ml
The build
Watch it made, step by step- Espresso30 ml100%
- a twist or slice of lemon…0 ml0%
- Volume
- 30ml
- Caffeine
- 64mg
- Espresso
- 1shot
Scales every component together, so the ratio holds; caffeine scales with the coffee.
A plain espresso with a lemon peel; the citrus is rubbed on the rim or dropped in.
Caffeine
Derivedin a 30 ml caffè romano
USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy caffeine per 100 g scaled to the coffee volume in components, assuming 1 g per ml. FDC 171891 (Beverages, coffee, brewed, espresso, restaurant-prepared) 212.0 mg/100 g x 30 ml.
USDA FoodData Central record 171891 · read 2026-10-26
A derived figure: the reference food's caffeine per 100 g scaled to the coffee in this build. Real cups vary with the coffee, the dose and the shot.
Variants by country
No regional variants recorded.
History
Popular accountThe lemon-and-espresso pairing is often described as a mid-century American affectation rather than an Italian habit. We have not found a primary source for this account.
Despite the name it is not a Roman tradition; it is best known in the United States.
Parts of this story are repeated widely but were not confirmed against a source this atlas accepts. They are kept as the story people tell, not as fact.
Related drinks
Espresso shots poured over slices of lime, hot or over ice. A curiosity of coffee-drink lists rather than an established café standard.
Espresso Kaisermelange 65 ml · 64 mgA Viennese coffee-house classic: a small strong coffee enriched with egg yolk and honey, sometimes laced with cognac.
Espresso Café Cubano 30 ml · 64 mgA Cuban espresso sweetened during extraction by whipping sugar with the first drops into a foam. Small, sweet and the base of colada and cortadito.
Espresso Decaf Espresso 30 ml · 64 mgAn espresso pulled from decaffeinated beans. Every milk and iced drink in this list can be ordered this way with its caffeine reduced to a few milligrams.
Espresso Espresso 30 ml · 64 mgA small, concentrated coffee brewed by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee under pressure. It is the base of most café milk drinks and is served in a small thick-walled cup.
Espresso Pocillo 30 ml · 64 mgA small cup of strong black coffee, from the Spanish word for the little cup itself. Common across Latin American Spanish.