Dark Cuban espresso whipped with sugar into a foam, then let down with hot steamed milk and drunk at a walk-up window. Order a buchi if you want it neat and small.

The coffee window came over with the cigar workers and never left. Key West drinks it Cuban style: the sugar is beaten into the first drops of espresso to make the espumita, the sweet crema that sits on top, and the whole thing is served at a hatch onto the street rather than at a table. 5 Brothers Grocery pours it at Southard and Grinnell alongside the sandwich counter, Sandy's Cafe opens its White Street window at 05:00, and Cuban Coffee Queen has grown from one muralled window by the Bight into several sites plus its own roastery.

Where to eat Cafe con leche in Key West

3 editor picks for Cafe con leche in Key West, ranked by editorial score. All Key West signature dishes · Cafe con leche across every city.

Book food experiences in Key West

Key West: Old Town Food Tour with 5+ Tastings★ 5.0 (27)
This neighbourhood

Guided tour · 3.5 hours

Key West: Old Town Food Tour with 5+ Tastings

Explore Old Town Key West beyond Duval Street. Taste local favorites like conch fritters, Cuban bites, iced coffee, and Key lime pie, plus a delicious secret dish.

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Make it at home

Serves 210 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 40g finely ground dark-roast espresso coffee
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 240ml whole milk
  • Water for the moka pot

Method

  1. Fill the moka pot base to the valve, load the basket with coffee and level it without tamping. Assemble and set over a medium heat.
  2. Put the sugar in a small heatproof jug.
  3. As soon as the first dark drops come through, pour about a tablespoon of them over the sugar and take the pot off the heat for a moment.
  4. Beat that spoonful and the sugar hard with a teaspoon for a full minute until it turns pale and thick. This is the espumita.
  5. Return the pot to the heat, let it finish, then pour the rest of the coffee into the jug and stir through the espumita.
  6. Heat the milk to just below boiling, pour into two glasses, top with the sweetened coffee and stir once.

Editor tip. Beat the espumita before the coffee cools. Once the first drops drop below about 60C the sugar will not whip pale and you get sweet coffee instead.

Common allergens: Dairy.