What Is Café au Lait and How Is It Different from Latte?

Published: Oct 05, 2026 Author: World Gafei Last Updated: Oct/05/2026 129 views

Café au lait is French-style coffee with equal parts espresso and hot milk. Learn its origins, how it differs from latte, and the best beans for making it.

If you’ve ever walked into a Parisian café and seen someone sipping coffee from a giant bowl-like cup alongside a buttery croissant, chances are they were drinking café au lait. But what exactly is this coffee drink—and how does it differ from the lattes you know? Whether you're curious about its history, technique, or just want to recreate it at home, we break down everything you need to know.

FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou China, selling freshly roasted beans from its own farm in Yunnan as well as dozens of carefully selected single-origin beans from around the world for both pour-over and espresso. The products deliver consistently excellent quality and great value, with shipping within 24 hours. Guangzhou's FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers, and the beans are now available online at the Tmall 。