At the bar, please.
BAN-co — two syllables, stress on first. The 'c' is hard.
When the barista asks where you want to drink your coffee. 'Al banco' means standing at the bar counter — always cheaper than sitting at a table.
In Italy, drinking 'al banco' (at the counter) costs significantly less than 'al tavolo' (at a table) in the same establishment. The price difference can be 2–3x. Locals almost always stand at the bar — it is faster and cheaper.
Lo prendo al tavolo.
I'll have it at a table.
More leisurely option — usually costs more but you can sit as long as you like
Lo porto via.
I'll take it away.
Takeaway coffee — less traditional but increasingly common
Resto qui al bancone.
I'll stay here at the counter.
More emphatic — 'bancone' is another word for the bar counter
The 'caffè al banco' experience is quintessentially Italian. You stand, drink in two or three sips, chat briefly with the barista or a neighbour, and leave. The whole ritual takes under three minutes and is one of the great pleasures of Italian daily life.