Café Noisette

Also noisette

A French espresso 'stained' with a little milk, named for its hazelnut colour. The French counterpart of the Italian macchiato.

Espresso and milkServed hotFrom France

Volume
45ml1.5 US fl oz
Espresso
1shot
Caffeine
64mgderived, USDA FDC
Coffee to milk
1:0.5

The build

Watch it made, step by step
Demitasse, 70 ml. Layers in pouring order from the bottom, drawn by volume.
  1. Espresso30 ml67%
  2. Milk15 ml33%
Volume
45ml
Caffeine
64mg
Espresso
1shot

Scales every component together, so the ratio holds; caffeine scales with the coffee.

An espresso with a spoonful of milk, enough to turn it hazelnut brown.

Caffeine

Derived
64mg

in a 45 ml café noisette

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

2
NameCountryHow it differs
caffè macchiatoItalyItalian equivalent with foam.
café pingadoPortugalPortuguese equivalent.

History

Popular account

Standard Paris café order; no primary source documents its origin.

French: 'hazelnut', for the colour of the drink.

Popular account

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 and milk Kleiner Brauner 45 ml · 64 mg

The Viennese single espresso served with a little milk or cream to brown it; ordered as 'kleiner' or 'großer' for single or double.

 Espresso and milk Café Pingado 35 ml · 64 mg

A Portuguese espresso with a single drop of milk, the local macchiato.

 Espresso and milk Antoccino 60 ml · 64 mg

A single espresso with an equal amount of steamed milk in an espresso cup. Recorded here because it appears on menus and lists; its origin is not documented.

 Espresso and milk Cortadito 60 ml · 64 mg

Cuba's sweetened cortado: café cubano with a splash of steamed or evaporated milk in a small cup.

 Espresso and milk Cortado 60 ml · 64 mg

Espresso cut with an equal amount of warm milk, served in a small glass. It keeps the coffee prominent while softening its edge, with almost no foam.

 Espresso and milk Garoto 70 ml · 64 mg

A Portuguese espresso cup of mostly hot milk with a little coffee, the mild small milk drink.