Whether you need to compliment the chef’s delicious risotto, threaten action over suspicious mathematics on the check or just order food, it’s all going to go better if you have some Italian food vocabulary.
If you’re planning a trip to Italy, these 180+ Italian restaurant phrases and vocabulary terms are essential to ensure that you have an authentic culinary experience. In this post, I’ll take you on a typical Italian restaurant experience from start to finish.
There are so many different places to choose from to eat delicious Italian food! It all depends on the time of day, what you would like to eat and the amount you are willing to spend.
La trattoria— Tavern
A little less formal than a ristorante, and more rustic.
La tavola calda — Cafeteria Tavola calda literally translates to “hot table” and they offer a range of prepared dishes that you choose from at the counter. Side dishes often cost about three euros, and main course dishes (meat, fish, etc.) are a bit more expensive.
La paninoteca — Sandwich shop, serving panini (sandwiches; note that the singular is un panino).
Il bar / Ilcaffè — Bar/Café
These are small establishments that mainly serve drinks, as well as aperitivi (snacks/appetizers), dolci (sweets/desserts) and piccole pizze or pizzette (tiny pizzas). Note that prices are slightly cheaper if you choose to have your drink at the counter (al bar), and there may also be variance between inside (dentro) and outside (sulla terrazza) tables.
You’ll need a few phrases when you enter an Italian eating establishment not just for politeness, but also perhaps to get the attention of busy waiters.
Note that by law, smoking is not allowed inside Italian restaurants, but you’ll likely be allowed to smoke if you’re seated outside. You should of course refrain from doing so if you’re seated near non-smokers.
Meals and Courses in Italian Restaurants
Once you are in the restaurant and settled, what will you be ordering? It depends on the time of day!
La prima colazione— Breakfast
In Italy, breakfast is light and simple. It usually consists of a pastry and an espresso or cappuccino.
Il pranzo — Lunch
For many, it’s the most important meal of the day. Pranzo at home usually consists of pasta, a meat dish and a side of vegetables.
La cena— Dinner
Locals tend to make it a lighter meal. It’s eaten later in the evening, usually around 8 p.m. or after and is typically a slow and social meal.
When you are looking through the menu, this is how the courses will likely be sorted:
Gli antipasti— Starters or appetizers
Usually, you will find cured meats, cheeses and vegetables.
Il primo— First course
This will usually be a pasta dish.
Il secondo— Second course or main course (depending on what region you are dining in)
It consists of meat or fish.
Once you’re settled and have had a look at the menu, it’s time to order! Below you’ll find the most common vocabulary terms and phrases for ordering food in Italian!
My recommendation for dining anywhere is to always order the most unknown thing you can find on the menu. In Italy this is a particularly useful strategy; there are many delightful dishes that you cannot eat anywhere else!
From pizza, pasta and bistecca alla fiorentina to a multitude of unique and traditional Italian dishes, there are so many delicious options to choose from!
To help you prepare, below you’ll find a list of some of the most important Italian food and ingredients:
La pizza— Pizza
Nothing beats the perfectly executed margherita—that is, the most basic combination of tomato, olive oil, mozzarella and basil.
Friarielli
/ Broccoletti
/ Cine di rapa— Broccoli rabe/rapini
A dark green leafy vegetable with small, broccoli-like buds. You find it on pizzas and in sandwiches and pasta, as well as served on its own, fried with garlic.
Il sugo— Sauce Sugo refers to pasta sauces (such as sugo di pomodoro, or “tomato sauce”) but can also refer to pan juices from meats.
La milza — Spleen
Be sure to eat this if you’re visiting Palermo, where in the local language it’s meusa and one eats a paninu ca meusa (spleen sandwich).
Your perfect meal needs the perfect drink to pair with it! Whether you are looking to order coffee in Italian, alcohol, fresh juice or water, there are lots of options to choose from!
Il caffè— Espresso coffee
You will be served a shot in a small cup with some zucchero (sugar) on the side. For a more familiar coffee, order il caffè Americano.
La cioccolata calda — Hot chocolate/hot cocoa
In Italy, cioccolata calda is often made with cacao amaro in polvere (unsweetened chocolate powder).
Vorrei un succo cento per cento frutta — I would like a 100 percent fruit juice
The types of small bottled juices that are available in Italy that are 100 percent actual fruit are usually only ananas (pineapple), arancia (orange) or pompelmo (grapefruit).
La birra— Beer
La Nastro Azzurro and Heineken are considered two of the better beer brands in Italy, at least among the brands that are commonly available everywhere.
Talking About Wine in Italian (and Ordering a Good One!)
If you’re passionate about wine, finding the right wine often requires more than asking for a vino rosso—you’ll want further descriptions to help you choose the perfect wine.
If you’re dining with people who also speak a regional language (or dialect), I cannot emphasize enough how much more amusing your evening will be if you learn to toast like a local. Here are two local toasts to get you started:
In Naples: (Raising glasses) Aiz’ aiz’ aiz’, (lowering glasses) acal’ acal’ acal’, (bringing glasses together in the center) accost’ accost’ accost’, a salut’ vost’ — Up up up, down down down, near near near, to your health
In Sicily:Auguri e figghi masculi! — Congratuations, and male children!
This is a typical wedding toast that emphasizes the predilection for male children, but has been adopted for use in any toasting situation in Sicily.
Explaining Special Dietary Needs in Italian
Dietary restrictions are nowhere near as fashionable in Italy as they are in the U.S. or the UK. However, a few have been growing in Italy; vegetarian and vegan restaurants can be found in major cities and even some towns.
For those who really can’t eat certain foods, here’s how to express your limitations.
Especially useful for vegans and vegetarians is the contorni (side dish) section of the menu and the verdure (vegetables). There may also be some pasta dishes without meat or cheese (pasta con pomodoro fresco—pasta with fresh tomatoes, or spaghetti aglio ed olio—spaghetti with garlic and oil). You can ask for una margherita senza la mozzarella (a margherita pizza without mozzarella) or an insalata senza formaggio (a salad without cheese).
Cooking Methods in Italian
Now that you know what you want to eat, how is it going to be cooked? Here are common preparation methods you will find on the menu:
Once you’ve finished eating, it’s time to pay for the meal. It’s important to note that IVA, or sales tax, is included within the food and drink prices but may be also listed out separately on the check.
Pane e coperto
(bread and cover charge); more frequently listed as coperto
— A per-person cover charge (allowed under Italian law)
The amount of the coperto will usually be in small print at the bottom of the menu and ranges from 1 to 2.50 euros per diner.
La mancia— The tip
This shouldn’t be on the check and is totally optional depending on what you feel like giving for the waiter’s service. In cheaper restaurants this might be just two euros per person, or rounding up the check.
Chiamo la guardia di finanza — I’ll call the financial police
These are thus the most dangerous words that you can say to a business and should only to be used in extreme circumstances.
In Italy, it’s not very common to ask for a “doggy bag” for your leftovers, but if you really want to ask, be very polite, because you’re asking for something that’s not usually provided:
Cooking in Italian: Measuring and Following Instructions
If you’ve enjoyed an Italian meal so much that you’re interested in making it at home, here are some common measures that you’ll see in Italian recipes:
Grammi — Grams (usually abbreviated to g in recipes)
Spicchio — Slide, wedge, clove, small bunch
For instance: spicchio di prezzemolo — a bunch of parsley
Don’t be thrown when these command words have a couple-letter Italian pronoun tacked on at their tails (often l plus a vowel). These usually indicate that you should do something to the foodstuff.
For example, one might be told concerning one’s mussels:
Trasferitele in una seconda pentola. — Transfer them into a second pot.
So, there you have it!
You now have 180+ Italian restaurant phrases and food vocabulary to help ensure that you have the most delicious Italian culinary adventure possible!
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