Looking for inspiration for your coffee shop’s drinks menu? Here’s our recommended list of coffee drinks to serve, along with standard recipes for each hot drink and our suggested drink sizes. This menu is a great starting point for cafes on the high street, garden centre coffee shops, hotel bars and restaurants.
If you’re located in the UK and you need coffee beans, syrups, teas, crockery, coffee equipment or barista training, then you’ve come to the right website! Learn more about what we do to help businesses serve delicious coffee here at Bridge Coffee Roasters.
Example Coffee Shop Hot Drinks Menu
- Double Espresso
- Cortado
- Flat White
- Cappuccino
- Latte
- Hot Chocolate
- Chai Latte
- Teas
Once you have decided on your coffee menu, it’s now important to decide on the recipes and serving suggestions for each drink. Your baristas may have their own opinions about how a drink should best be served, and with varying ideas and habits across your team, customers can get confused or annoyed when their coffee drink looks a little different depending on the barista.
So, make sure to create a set of drink standards for all of your coffees and get everyone on board. Here are example recipes you could follow for each of the drinks mentioned above.
Sample Recipes and Serving Suggestions
Double Espresso
18 grams of medium roast coffee producing a 38 gram drink using an extraction time of between 26-30 seconds. This can be served on its own, but also forms the basis for your coffee drink recipes.
Served in an espresso cup on a saucer, with a teaspoon and still water.
Cortado
Start with a double shot of espresso poured into a 4oz glass with thinly steamed milk poured over top. Steam roughly 150ml of milk in a small milk jug, aiming for around 0.5cm of milk foam on the top of the drink.
Served in a 4oz glass, on a saucer with a teaspoon.
Flat White
Start with a double shot of espresso poured into a 6oz glass with thinly steamed milk poured over top. Steam roughly 175ml of milk in a small milk jug, aiming for around 0.5cm of milk foam on the top of the drink.
Served in a 6oz glass on a saucer.
Cappuccino
Start with a double shot of espresso poured into a 8oz mug with heavily foamed steamed milk poured over top. Steam roughly 150ml of milk in a medium milk jug, aiming for around 1cm of milk foam on the top of the drink. Optional light dusting of chocolate powder.
Served in an 8oz Mug on a saucer with a teaspoon.
Latte
Start with a double shot of espresso poured into a 12oz mug with thinly steamed milk poured over top. Steam roughly 250ml of milk in a medium milk jug, aiming for around 0.5cm of milk foam on the top of the drink.
Served in a 12oz Mug on a saucer with teaspoon.
Hot Chocolate
Start with a double shot of espresso poured into a 12oz mug. Add one heaped tablespoon (15g) of instant hot chocolate powder and stir to combine. Top with thinly steamed milk poured over top. Steam roughly 250ml of milk in a medium milk jug, aiming for around 0.5cm of milk foam on the top of the drink. Optional light dusting of chocolate powder.
Served in a 12oz Mug.
Chai Latte
Start by combining 1 scoop (28g) of Zuma spiced chai powder, and top until 1/3rd the way up the cup with hot boiling water. Stir to incorporate the powder into a paste, then steam and top with 250ml hot medium-foamed milk. Optionally dust with cinnamon powder.
Served in a 12oz Mug.
Teas
(Choose from English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Mint, Green Tea etc.)
Pour hot water over teabag in a large 12oz mug. Immediately serve to customer with teabag in the water. Served in a 12oz Mug, on saucer with teaspoon and sugar sachet, 2oz milk on the side if required.
What Optional Extras Should you Serve?
This is a question you’ll have to decide yourself as the operator, and it will likely change and shape over time as you figure out your customers preferences. However, here are some of the most common optional extras you could serve in your coffee shop to appeal to a wider audience of customers.
- Dairy alternative milks – Oat, Almond, Soy, Coconut
- Decaffeinated coffee beans
- Extra single espresso
- Single origin coffee bean
- Seasonal drink recipes – think pumpkin spice lattes and flavoured hot chocolates
- Syrups – i.e vanilla, caramel
Some of these are fine to charge extra for – it’s common to ask for an additional 20-50 pence for an extra shot of espresso or a shot of syrup. However, customers may be disappointed if forced to pay extra for a dairy alternative or the decaf option, so we might recommend keeping these as a standard option. Learn about how to serve a great decaf coffee here -> How to Serve Great Decaf Coffee
How to Price your Coffee Shop Menu?
Difficult question for us to answer in a nice succinct way. The real answer would have to take in factors including your location, your operating costs, your local competition and customer preferences, the market conditions, and your business goals. However, in 2024, it’s common for the prices of your coffee drinks to range from £3 to £6 per cup depending on the area, the size of the drink and the quality of the coffee.
Looking for help setting up your cafe?
Whether you're looking for consultation on your menu board, coffee training for your baristas, good quality equipment or ongoing account support, consider enlisting the help of Bridge Coffee Roasters.
Explore Pricing