Coffee notes
Cappuccino on the Upper East Side
Six ounces, precisely balanced — the best possible test of whether a cafe knows what it is doing.
Somewhere between Italy and the American drive-through, the cappuccino got large. It was never meant to be. Done properly it is a small, precisely balanced drink you finish in a few minutes, and it is the best possible test of whether a cafe knows what it is doing.
The traditional build
Espresso, steamed milk and foam in roughly equal thirds, served in a six ounce cup. That is the whole specification, and it has not meaningfully changed in a century.
The foam is the point. Where a latte carries a thin skin of microfoam, a cappuccino carries a genuine layer — light, dense, holding its shape, sitting on the milk rather than mixed through it. You should be able to taste the espresso clearly in the first sip, which is what the smaller volume is for.
Cappuccino, latte, flat white
| Volume | Foam | Strength | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cappuccino | ~6 oz | Thick layer | Espresso forward |
| Flat White | ~6–8 oz | Thin microfoam | Strongest of the three |
| Latte | ~12 oz | Thin microfoam | Mildest, most milk |
If a cappuccino tastes to you like a small latte, it was not made as a cappuccino.
On drinking it after noon
There is a widely repeated rule that Italians never order cappuccino after eleven in the morning, treated by tourists as something close to law. It is a real cultural habit, rooted in the idea that milk sits heavily after a meal, and it is not enforced by anyone.
Order it whenever you like. We make them all day.
How we make ours
Freshly ground, double shot, milk steamed individually for each drink and never re-steamed. Six ounces. We serve it in a matte navy cup and we will make it drier or wetter if you tell us which you prefer — more foam and less milk, or the reverse.
Whole, skim, oat or almond milk. And a spoonful of Russian jam on the side if you want to try how coffee is taken where our raf comes from.
Related drinks on our menu
If you want it stronger and less foamy, order a Flat White. If you want the espresso almost undiluted, a Cortado — equal parts espresso and warm milk. If you want something you have probably never had, a Raf. And if you are off coffee for the afternoon, our ceremonial matcha.
Visit
Krasivo Beauty Cafe, 223 East 80th Street, Upper East Side, New York, NY 10075. One block from the 77 St subway station.