Who Invented the Latte? The History of the Caffè Latte

Order a “latte” in Milan and you may be handed a glass of milk. That small misunderstanding sums up the drink’s story. So who invented the latte? No single person invented coffee with milk; Italians, French, Germans and Spaniards all drank versions of it long before espresso machines. But the big, espresso-based latte served in cafés today has a more specific history, and one California café has a strong claim to it.

Here is how the caffè latte went from an Italian breakfast habit to a global menu staple, with the dates that matter.

Key takeaways

• Latte is simply Italian for milk; caffè latte means coffee with milk.
• The phrase appears in English in the 1800s, decades before espresso machines existed.
• Lino Meiorin of Caffe Mediterraneum in Berkeley, California, said he created the modern large latte in the late 1950s for customers who found cappuccino too strong.
• Seattle’s espresso scene and Starbucks, which served its first caffè latte in 1984, took the drink worldwide.

In this article

1. Latte history timeline
2. Before espresso: coffee and milk in Europe
3. Who invented the latte as we know it?
4. Seattle and the global latte
5. Latte in Italy vs abroad
6. FAQ

Latte history timeline

Before espresso: coffee and milk in Europe

Milk in coffee is nearly as old as coffee drinking in Europe. Across the continent, households developed their own versions: café au lait in France, Milchkaffee in Germany and Austria, café con leche in Spain. In Italy, caffellatte became a breakfast drink, made at home with strong coffee (later from a moka pot) and hot milk, often served in a bowl or large cup for dunking bread or biscuits.

Notice that none of these needed an espresso machine. The term “caffè latte” shows up in English as early as 1847, and the American writer William Dean Howells recorded drinking one on a steamer from Trieste to Venice in his 1867 book Italian Journeys. For the French cousin, see our guide to café au lait.

What changed in the 20th century was the steam wand. Espresso machines that could also steam milk allowed cafés to make silky, hot milk to order, the base for both the cappuccino and the modern latte.

Who invented the latte as we know it?

The best-documented claim belongs to Lino Meiorin, an Italian-born co-owner of Caffe Mediterraneum, a café that opened in 1956 inside a bookstore on Telegraph Avenue near the University of California, Berkeley. According to his account, reported by Daily Coffee News, customers found the café’s small cappuccinos and macchiatos too strong and kept asking for more milk. Around 1959 he added a larger drink to the menu: the same espresso with much more steamed milk. It was served first in a bowl and later in a pint glass.

The café’s own description says the drink was created there in the late 1950s for customers who were not used to the strength of a traditional Italian cappuccino. It is a claim, not a patent, and milky espresso drinks almost certainly existed elsewhere. But the Med’s big latte for American tastes is a credible starting point for the drink most of the world now orders.

Why the American latte was bigger

• Taste: many American drinkers were used to milder drip coffee, so a mostly-milk drink felt familiar.
• Café culture: students and writers lingered for hours, and a large drink lasted longer.
• Price and value: a big cup felt like more for the money.

Seattle and the global latte

In the 1980s, Seattle became the center of a new American espresso culture, with carts and cafés selling espresso drinks on every corner. Our guide to Seattle coffee culture tells that story in full.

Starbucks played the biggest role in exporting the drink. According to the company’s own timeline, Howard Schultz traveled to Italy in 1983 and was struck by Milan’s espresso bars. In 1984 he persuaded Starbucks’ founders to test an espresso bar in downtown Seattle, where the first Starbucks caffè latte was served. Schultz went on to found his own coffee bar company, Il Giornale, then acquired Starbucks in 1987. As the chain expanded through the 1990s, the latte became a standard order across North America, then Asia and Europe.

The same decades brought latte art. Specialty baristas in Seattle and elsewhere refined microfoam and free-pouring techniques, turning the latte’s surface into hearts, rosettas and tulips. Try it yourself with latte art for beginners.

Latte in Italy vs abroad

For how the latte compares with its relatives, see latte vs cappuccino vs flat white.

Make a classic latte at home

A latte is about 1 shot or 2 shots of espresso with 6 to 10 oz of steamed milk and a thin layer of foam. The milk carries most of the volume, so the espresso needs body and chocolatey depth to come through. Our Italian Roast, our darkest blend, gives a smoky, intense shot with thick crema that stands up to milk. For a sweeter cup without syrup, try a latte made with Vanilla Hazelnut coffee, and for evenings, Decaf Espresso keeps the chocolate notes without the caffeine.

Latte history FAQ

Is the latte Italian or American?

Both. Caffellatte is a traditional Italian breakfast drink; the large café latte with steamed milk and latte art took shape in the US, notably in Berkeley and Seattle.

What does latte mean?

Latte means milk in Italian. Caffè latte means coffee with milk.

When did lattes become popular?

In the US they spread from the 1980s with Seattle’s espresso boom and became mainstream in the 1990s.

Is a latte the same as café au lait?

Not quite. A latte uses espresso and steamed milk; café au lait traditionally uses brewed coffee and hot milk.

Sources

1. Remembering latte birthplace and quintessential counterculture destination Caffe Med, Daily Coffee News, 2016.
2. Starbucks company timeline, Starbucks, accessed 2026.
3. Latte, Wikipedia, accessed 2026.

Facts checked in October 2026.

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