Tips for Dining in Italy
Italian food culture is dedicated to the importance of slowing down and savoring a moment. It is no secret that Italians take their food very seriously, and this is probably because it is intrinsic in our culture.
There is an expression “A tavola non si invecchia” (at the table one does not age) that speaks to the notion of the good feelings that come with dining. Italians approach a restaurant meal as a source of pleasure and sociable relaxation. They are dining, not dining out.
Navigating an Italian menu
Dining in Italy is one of the best parts of traveling here. While many restaurants offer menus in English, many off the main tourist trail favorites don’t. These days you can just pull out Google Translate
and it will literally translate the words it’s seeing right on your phone screen. But the translations
don’t always make sense. Here are some helpful hints to help you choose not only where to eat in Italy, but how to navigate the restaurant’s menu, too!
When you look at an Italian menu, you’ll see it’s divided into several sections, one for each course. Unlike restaurants in many other countries, authentic Italian menus follow a time-honored progression that celebrates the art of dining.
You don’t have to order every single course, but the general rule of thumb is to order at least two (and you can split one of them). So a couple, for example, might share one antipasto, order individual primi, and then share a secondo.
What do the different Italian courses — like antipasto and secondo — mean? Here are what the different sections mean, and what food to expect under each!
- Antipasti (appetizers)
- Primi (first courses—such as soups, pasta or risotto)
- Secondi (second courses—typically meat or seafood)
- Contorni (side dishes)
- Dolci (desserts)
- Caffè (post-dinner espresso)
- Digestivi (after-dinner liqueurs)
Antipasti: this dish literally means “before the meal.” For antipasti, most menus offer a wide variety of cured meats and cheeses, bruschetta (toasted bread with tomatoes and other toppings), and pickled or fried vegetables and olives. Antipasti also vary based on region and season.
Primi: Primi, or “first dishes,” usually include pasta, risotto or soup. Pasta, of course, comes in an endless variety of shapes, sizes, textures, and sauces. As with everything else on the menu, of course, these dishes will depend on what region of Italy you’re in and the season. In Liguria, look for a pasta with pesto; in Rome pasta all’amatriciana, cacio e pepe, or alla carbonara; and in Emilia-Romagna, tagliatelle al ragù.
Remember that portions are much smaller than traditional north American sizes, and many diners order a meat or fish entree to follow their primo.
Secondi: This is a meat or fish main dish, and usually the most expensive area of the menu. Italians have always been creative and economical cooks, employing every possible portein source and every part of an animal in their cuisine.
Popular secondi include pollo (chicken), bistecca (steak), manzo (beef), agnello (lamb), arrosto (roast), gamberi (shrimp), salmone (salmon), frutti di mare (mixed shellfish) and frittata (omlette). Regarding the preparation of the dish, look for the words al forno (baked), fritto (fried) and alla griglia (grilled).
Items with a S.Q. (secondo quantita) indicated next to the name mean price according to weight, so don’t be afraid to ask your server for more details!
Contorni: secondi don’t come with any sides or vegetables. Popular contorni include grilled or sautéed vegetables, green salad (insalata verde or mista) and roasted potatoes (patate al forno). If you’re used to eating in north American restaurants, you may be accustomed to the entrée and the sides being served together on the same plate. Not so in Italy.
Dolci: Many great meals end with a dessert, including gelato (here’s what to know about gelato in Italy), cakes and pies, tiramisù (a coffee and custard dessert), panna cotta (cooked cream) or zabaglione (a whipped egg yolk and Marsala wine dessert), to name a few. Ask your server for the dolci fatti in casa (homemade desserts) for a special treat.
Digestivi: There are many digestivi in Italy. These are derived from herbs and are often bitter in taste. Order it ghiacciato if you prefer it iced. You can also have a grappa (a byproduct of the wine making process and once the beverage of the poor), or a limoncello.
Caffè: Coffee is often ordered after a meal, either normale (espresso shot), macchiato (with a drop of milk) or lungo (a “long” coffee). Cappuccino is never drunk after dinner: Italians believe that the milk will hinder digestion.
Bevande: Many restaurants offer white, red and sparkling varieties by the bottle or glass. Cocktails are not drunk with meals, and beer often accompanies pizza. Tap water is very rare to come by; it is customary to order a bottle of naturale (still) or frizzante (sparkling) water with meals.
Pro tip on wine: When eating at local restaurants, order the house wine. It is usually of excellent quality and unique to each region. Similar to eating local, drink the local wine. Italian wine was developed in tandem with its local cuisine over time. So, as a rule, the local wine is a great pairing for the local food. The most well-known wine regions in Italy are Piemonte and Tuscany, but amazing wine is made throughout the country. I’m a huge fan of “house wine” (vino della casa). House wine may be served by the glass or in a carafe.
Bars in Italy
Present in every town, big or small, the “bar” in Italy is a social hub. In the morning, you’ll see neighbors exchanging pleasantries here over a fresh cornetto (croissant) or reading the daily paper. While it’s true that bars in Italy do serve alcohol, Italian bars are more where Italians go for a quick caffè or on-the-go bite. You can either stand at the counter, or if you prefer to sit down, know that you will often pay extra for table service.
How to Order in an Italian Restaurant
The food is so good in Italy that tourists don’t even realize they’re at a disadvantage. Why? Visitors tend to think of only the typical pizza and pasta dishes, so they’re actually missing out on a ton of regional food and the experience of ordering like an Italian. Knowing how to order in an Italian restaurant enhances your entire experience in Italy.
Begin your evening as locals do, with an aperitivo like an Aperol Spritz with light bites such as olives, peanuts, chips, or squares of focaccia. When seated for dinner, you’ll first be asked about water preferences: “frizzante” (sparkling) or “naturale” (still). Next comes wine selection, where asking for “vino della casa” (house wine) is often an affordable way to enjoy local varieties.
How to order in Italian restaurant settings goes beyond just selecting dishes. It’s about embracing the rhythm of Italian dining. Unlike in some countries, servers won’t rush you through courses or automatically bring the check (il conto). We always recommend asking “Cosa mi consiglia?” (What do you recommend?) to discover authentic local specialties. Seasonal ingredients drive Italian cooking, so menus change regularly to showcase what’s the most fresh and flavorful. Meals are meant to be savored, with conversation flowing as freely as the wine. After your meal, consider ordering an espresso and perhaps a digestivo to aid digestion, a true Italian custom that completes the dining experience.
How do I choose where to dine in Italy?
From big cities to small towns, most Italian destinations offer a range of dining options to suit every budget. Traditionally, an Italian trattoria is a family-owned, neighborhood eatery. They tend to feel informal and cozy. Prices here are more affordable than in a ristorante, but slightly more expensive than in osterie.
An Italian ristorante, some may be cozy and small, while others may offer a fancier atmosphere. It’s common to find tasting menu options and an extensive wine list with a sommelier in the higher end restaurants, like Michelin star restaurants for example.
Osterie were originally inns offering sleeping quarters and homemade meals to travellers. The modern osteria is no longer an inn but has preserved most of its original features, including modest decor, a humble atmosphere, and low prices. The focus is all on local wine, unassuming traditional food, and good company. In a typical osteria, you may not get a printed menu: the menu of the day will be written on a chalkboard on the wall, or several choices will simply be listed by the waiter.
A pizzeria is a restaurant serving pizza made by a pizzaiolo (‘pizza maker’), who usually works with a wood-burning oven. It can range from informal to fancy, and prices largely vary depending on the establishment and its location. Though traditional pizzerie tend to only serve pizza, nowadays many establishments will pair a selection of pizza dishes with a menu of appetisers, first and second courses, and desserts. The best pizzas are of course in Naples where it was born and traditionally baked in a wood-burning oven (forno a legna), topped with fresh tomatoes, mazzarella cheese, a few drops of olive oil and a basil leaf. That is the pizza Margherita and is hard to beat. If not traveling to Naples, any pizzeria run and owned by someone from Naples will guarantee you a good pizza.
What time are meal times in Italy?
It varies from north to south, but as a general rule, lunch usually is served from 12:00 to 14:00, and dinner from 19:00 to 22:30. Many restaurants take reservations over the phone. Most dining establishments close for one day out of the week, so check their opening hours when choosing the ones you wish to dine at.
An agriturismo is a modest countryside establishment generally run by working farmers offering accommodation and board. Staying at an agriturismo is arguably the best way to experience Italian rural life firsthand, including at mealtime. Meal ingredients will often be products of the farm itself, whether that be cheese, olive oil, vegetables, eggs, chicken or beef, and dishes will largely follow the recipes of the rural culinary tradition. Prices are generally very affordable.
You can usually spot a tourist restaurant because a standard multilingual menu will be posted outside that is identical to that of restaurants all over town. This is particularly true for Florence which probably has the lowest quality meals in dining establishments of any city in Italy. This is because the city has become so focused on satisfying tourists that most eateries compete for that business. Most menus offer the same items, which are often prepared indifferently for an undiscriminating public. Florentines have their secret haunts where they eat excellent local dishes.
How Is Italian Food in Italy different from Italian Food in the US?
North American travelers often feel puzzled when their favorite “Italian” dish in the U.S. – say, spaghetti and meatballs or chicken parmesan – is nowhere to be found in Italy. Why is this? Doesn’t Italian food come from, well, Italy? The answer is yes… and no. Simply put, Italian American food is not the same as what you’ll find in the best restaurants in Italy. There’s no such thing as “Italian” food. Dishes in Italy are very regional.
Pro Tip: Deciding what to order in Italian restaurant menus becomes easier when you understand regional specialties. Unlike many countries with nationalized cuisine, Italian food varies greatly region to region, each one proudly showcasing local ingredients and traditions. Don’t hesitate to ask your waiter for a recommendation about what to eat (“Cosa ci consiglia?”). Seasonal ingredients drive Italian cooking, so menus change regularly to showcase what’s the most fresh and flavorful. Trust your server’s suggestions about what to order in Italian restaurant venues—they’re usually eager to share their culinary heritage with visitors!
Bread at the table
Bread and grissini are placed on the table at an Italian meal to nibble on while you wait for your first course. Italians do not butter their bread at meals, and you should not do so either. Nor do they dip bread in olive oil, which is something they came up with in California. Bear in mind that Italians almost never eat bread while consuming their primo. This is because the starches would be redundant. It is more common though to take a piece of bread once you are done with your pasta to scoop up the sauce left in the bowl.
Ordering Water in Italian Restaurants: Frizzante or Naturale?
Unlike in North America, water in Italian restaurants is not customarily poured in your glass by waiters. Instead, you’re expected to buy a 1-liter bottle of chilled mineral water. You can order either acqua naturale (flat water) or acqua frizzante (sparkling water). Waiters in Italian restaurants will sometimes ask if you want water “with or without gas”—translation: sparkling or regular? It’s worth remembering too that Italians do not usually drink water with ice, so your bottle will come pre-chilled.
Pro Tip: Many restaurants nowadays make their own sparkling water and serve both types of water in their own bottles.
What Is the “Coperto” Charge on an Italian Restaurant Bill?
In many restaurants, you’ll notice fine print at the bottom of a menu that says “servizio incluso” or “coperto,” which is a cover charge or service charge. You’ll pay this fee no matter how much or little you order, and no matter how long you spend at the table. It’s perfectly normal. The cost is per person, and typically ranges between 1.50 euros and 2.50.
What about a charge for “servizio”?
If an item has been added, probably 10 but up to 12 percent, called “servizio,” that’s “service” which usually implies the money will go to the waiter/waitress. You see this often in Venice, Florence, and the Amalfi coast, in what we consider more-touristy establishments. It should be written on the menu, as should pane e coperto. Check the small print at the bottom of pages or on the front or back of the menu.
Pro Tip: Some restaurants try to attract tourists by saying, “No service charge!”. That’s fine but it means the place is touristy. (A place that caters to Italians probably wouldn’t have servizio and wouldn’t make a big deal about not having it). And so, in general, since you have the least chance of being taken advantage of at non-touristy places, a sign proclaiming no servizio isn’t necessarily a good thing, either.
Do I Need to Ask for the Bill at a Restaurant in Italy?
The waiter is not being rude if you feel he is ignoring you.
This is a big deal, as many foreign visitors think Italian waiters are being really rude after they’re clearly done with a meal. Many visitors are used to restaurants that turn tables over two and even three times a night, which means they’re keen to get diners out the door so they can seat another party. That leads to waiters coming by every 10 minutes to ask if you need anything. In Italy, on the other hand, once you sit down at a table, it’s yours for the night. Italians would consider it extremely rude to keep interrupting your evening, whether you’re done eating or not, so they’ll leave you alone once you’ve gotten everything you ordered. To get the bill, then, you’ll need to ask for it. Get the waiter’s attention and either say, “Il conto, per favore,” or mime a writing motion in the air – they know what that means. And if you’re in a hurry, you can usually pay at the cashier (often near the front door).
Do I Need to Tip the Waiter in Italy?
Being a waiter in Italy is a respected profession, done with dignity, professionalism and pride. You should refer to a waiter as signore when you speak to him, not camariere (waiter) as many travel books advise, and if you have a waitress then signora or signorina if she is a young unmarried lady. In Italy waiters receive a salary, unlike their north American counterparts that rely on tips. In recognition of exceptional service, it’s customary to leave about 10% as a way of saying grazie. If the service was fabulous, then be generous. Some restaurants will already include servizio (service charge) – in this case, it will be clearly listed on the menu.
Ready to experience eating in Italy like a local with locals?
Dining in Italy is about more than just food, it’s a cultural experience that reveals the heart of Italian life. Meals bring families and friends together, and celebrate the incredible bounty of this diverse country. By understanding these traditions, you’ll appreciate your dining experiences on a deeper level! We look forward to sharing with you our way of life, regional foods and wines, on our small group journeys.
