Walk up to the counter at Pier 69 Market in Bay Ridge and look at the espresso menu. Somewhere between the latte and the cappuccino, you will find two drinks that cause more confusion than any others: the cortado and the flat white.
Both are espresso with milk. Both are smaller than a latte. Both are ordered by people who want to taste actual coffee and not just flavored milk. But they are distinct drinks with different origins, different ratios, and different experiences in the cup.
If you have ever hesitated at the register wondering which one to order, this guide is for you.
The Cortado: Espresso Cut with Milk
The cortado comes from Spain and Portugal. The name comes from the Spanish word cortar, meaning "to cut." That is exactly what the milk does -- it cuts the intensity of the espresso without covering it up.
A standard cortado is roughly 4 ounces total: a double shot of espresso topped with an equal amount of warm steamed milk. The ratio is approximately 1:1. The milk is steamed but not frothed into foam. There is no latte art dome, no frothy cap, no meringue-like texture on top. Just smooth, warm milk that integrates directly into the espresso.
According to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), the cortado sits in a category of drinks where the espresso character remains dominant. The milk is there for balance, not for volume. When made correctly, a cortado tastes like espresso that happens to be smooth rather than sharp. You can taste the roast profile, the origin characteristics, the extraction quality. The milk softens the edges but does not redecorate the room.
A cortado is espresso that happens to be smooth. A flat white is milk that happens to taste like coffee. The distinction matters.
Who Orders a Cortado
The cortado tends to attract people who already know they like espresso and want something slightly more approachable than a straight shot. It is a common order among coffee professionals, people who have spent time in Spain or Latin America, and anyone who finds a latte too milky but an espresso too abrupt.
It is also the smallest espresso-and-milk drink on most menus, which makes it a good choice when you want a quick coffee that still feels like a real drink rather than a shot you throw back.
The Flat White: Velvet Meets Espresso
The flat white originated in Australia and New Zealand -- the exact origin is a matter of ongoing debate between the two countries. What is not debated is that the drink became a staple of Australian cafe culture before spreading to the rest of the world, arriving in most American coffee shops in the 2010s.
A flat white is roughly 5 to 6 ounces total: a double shot of espresso topped with steamed milk that has been textured into what baristas call microfoam. Microfoam is milk that has been aerated just enough to create a velvety, almost paint-like consistency. It is not the stiff, dry foam of a cappuccino. It is thinner, wetter, and integrates seamlessly into the espresso as you pour.
The result is a drink where the milk does more than soften the espresso. It transforms it. The microfoam creates a silky mouthfeel that makes the whole drink taste richer and more cohesive. The espresso is still present -- this is not a latte, where the milk volume overwhelms -- but it shares the stage more equally with the milk than it does in a cortado.
Who Orders a Flat White
The flat white is often the drink that converts latte drinkers into espresso appreciators. It has enough milk to feel substantial and comforting, but less than a standard latte, which means the coffee actually comes through. If you have ever ordered a latte and thought "this just tastes like hot milk," a flat white is the logical next step.
It is also popular with people who care about texture. The microfoam in a well-made flat white creates a mouthfeel that no other espresso drink quite matches. It is the drink you order when you want to feel the coffee as much as taste it.
Side by Side: The Real Differences
Strip away the origin stories and the barista jargon, and here is what actually differs between the two drinks:
- Size: A cortado is about 4 oz. A flat white is about 5-6 oz. Not a huge difference, but enough to notice.
- Milk texture: A cortado uses steamed milk with little to no foam. A flat white uses microfoam -- aerated milk with a velvety, slightly glossy surface.
- Espresso-to-milk ratio: A cortado is roughly 1:1. A flat white is closer to 1:2 or 1:3.
- Flavor balance: In a cortado, espresso leads. In a flat white, espresso and milk share more equal billing.
- Temperature: Both are served warm, but a flat white tends to arrive slightly hotter because of the larger milk volume and the steaming process needed to create microfoam.
- Caffeine: Roughly the same. Both are typically made with a double shot of espresso. The caffeine content does not change based on how much milk surrounds it.
Why La Colombe Makes Both Better
The quality of both drinks depends entirely on two things: the espresso and the milk steaming. Pier 69 Market uses La Colombe, which is one of the most respected specialty coffee roasters in the country. Founded in Philadelphia in 1994, La Colombe sources and roasts beans at a level that most neighborhood cafes cannot access.
What this means in practical terms is that the espresso pulled at Pier 69 Market has enough complexity and balance to hold up in a cortado, where there is nowhere for weak espresso to hide. It also means the flat white benefits from a richer, more nuanced espresso foundation that the microfoam can amplify rather than mask.
The milk steaming matters too. La Colombe trains its partner cafes on milk technique, and the difference is audible -- the hissing sound of properly aerated milk is distinct from the screeching of over-steamed milk. Get the microfoam right and a flat white becomes something exceptional. Get it wrong and it is just a small latte.
How to Decide Which One to Order
This is simpler than most coffee guides make it:
- Order a cortado if you want to taste the espresso first and feel the milk second. If you like strong coffee but not straight shots. If you are short on time and want a small, concentrated drink.
- Order a flat white if you want a balanced drink where espresso and milk work as equal partners. If you enjoy texture and mouthfeel. If you find lattes too milky but want something more substantial than a cortado.
There is no wrong answer. Both drinks serve people who care about what they are drinking and want something more intentional than a default drip coffee. The choice is about preference, not skill level.
If you want to taste espresso that happens to be smooth, order the cortado. If you want a balanced, velvety drink where coffee and milk collaborate, order the flat white.
The Rest of the Espresso Menu
Pier 69 Market's full espresso program goes well beyond these two drinks. The menu includes cappuccinos, lattes (hot and iced), and cold brew on tap. For tea drinkers, the Rishi tea selection includes everything from Earl Grey Green to a Hot Matcha Supreme.
The espresso program opens when the cafe does: 6 AM Monday through Friday, 7 AM weekends, with service until 9 PM daily. Whether you are grabbing a cortado before work or lingering over a flat white on a Saturday morning by the water, the bar is ready.
Where to Find It
Pier 69 Market is located at 10 Bay Ridge Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11220, steps from the waterfront and Owl's Head Park. The R train at Bay Ridge Avenue station is a short walk, and street parking is available along Bay Ridge Avenue and the surrounding blocks.
Call (718) 777-6969 with questions, or order online for pickup. Pair either drink with something from the breakfast menu and you have a morning worth walking to the waterfront for.
Try a Cortado or Flat White at Pier 69
La Colombe espresso, properly steamed milk, waterfront seating. 10 Bay Ridge Ave, Brooklyn.
