Top 50 phrases to get by Italy (Advanced): Dining out

🇮🇹 In sit-down restaurants, wait at the entrance for staff to seat you rather than picking a table yourself.

💬 Ho "I have" is written with a silent h, so it sounds just like the letter o: (oh). The same silent h appears in hai "you have" and ha "he/she has".

🇮🇹 At popular trattorias, especially for dinner, booking ahead is normal. Expect to give a name and the number of people, often by phone.

🇮🇹 Many restaurants have outdoor tables in warm months. Ask fuori? when you're seated, but note that tables outside sometimes cost a little more.

💬 Sederci includes ci, meaning there, so it's more like sit there than just sit. You'll see the same idea in andarci = go there.

🇮🇹 Shouting cameriere! across the room comes across as rude. Catch their eye and say scusi "excuse me" instead.

🇮🇹 Restaurants usually serve bottled water, and the waiter will often ask you naturale o frizzante?.

💬 The describing word usually comes after the noun in Italian. Same pattern: vino rosso "red wine".

💬 The colour comes after the noun, the reverse of English. The same pattern gives vino bianco and acqua frizzante "sparkling water".

💬 della is di "of" and la "the" merged into one word, so this is literally "wine of the house". The same thing happens with masculine words: di + il makes del, as in del giorno.

🇮🇹 House wine is often local and good value, usually served in a carafe. Ordering it is completely normal, not a sign of being cheap.

💬 In bicchiere, the ch sounds like English k and the double cc is held a little longer: (beek-KYEH-reh). Before e or i, Italian ch is always this k sound.

💬 Use un bicchiere di for any drink by the glass. For example, un bicchiere d'acqua "a glass of water".

💬 The double rr is rolled and held longer than a single r: (BEER-rah). A quick, single r sounds sloppy here.

🇮🇹 Ask for un caffè and you'll get an espresso, not a large mug. Italians rarely order a cappuccino after lunch or dinner.

💬 Despite the look, this has nothing to do with pasta. It means "before the meal", from anti- "before" and pasto "meal".

🇮🇹 The primo is usually pasta, risotto or soup, and it comes before the meat or fish course. You don't have to order every course: one or two is fine.

🇮🇹 The secondo is meat or fish, and it often comes on its own with no vegetables. Order a contorno "side dish" separately if you want something with it.

💬 dolce also simply means "sweet", as in un vino dolce "a sweet wine". On a menu, it's the dessert section.

💬 vorrei is softer than a plain "I want" and is the go-to way to ask for things politely. You can swap in what you want after it: vorrei un caffè or vorrei un biglietto.

🇮🇹 This is one of the most useful polite request starters in Italy. It sounds more natural than a direct voglio in shops, bars, and restaurants.

💬 Vorrei "I would like" works for ordering anything: just add what you want after it. For example, vorrei un caffè or vorrei il conto.

💬 consiglia is the polite form you use when speaking to a stranger, so it's the right choice with staff. With a friend you'd say cosa mi consigli? instead.

🇮🇹 Waiters are usually happy to recommend local or seasonal dishes. Asking this often leads to the best thing in the kitchen.

💬 del is di "of" and il "the" merged into one word. You'll see the same thing in della casa "of the house".

💬 The ending changes depending on who's speaking. A man says vegetariano, a woman says vegetariana.

💬 The g is hard and the ch sounds like k: (al-LEHR-jee-koh). Before i, the g in gi turns soft like English j.

💬 A woman says sono allergica. To name what you react to, add a "to", which merges with "the": allergico al latte "allergic to milk".

💬 alle is a "to" and le "the" merged into one word. Other allergies follow the same pattern, for example alle arachidi "to peanuts".

🇮🇹 Mention allergies when you order, not when the food arrives. Restaurants in Italy must list allergens and can show you the list if you ask.

💬 gli sounds roughly like the "lli" in million: (GLOO-tee-neh) is wrong, it's closer to (GLOO-tee-neh) with a plain g, because here gl is followed by u and stays hard. It's only before i that gli softens, as in gli "the".

💬 Avete "do you have" is addressed to the restaurant as a whole, not just the person serving you. Use it to ask whether they have anything: avete un tavolo? "do you have a table?"

🇮🇹 Gluten-free food is widely understood in Italy, and many places display an AIC sign showing they're trained in it. Pharmacies sell gluten-free products too.

💬 po' is short for poco "little", and the apostrophe marks the missing letters. Add di and the thing you want: ancora un po' di vino "a bit more wine".

🇮🇹 Bread usually arrives without asking and is often part of the coperto "cover charge". Italians don't dip it in olive oil, but they do use it to mop up sauce, which is called fare la scarpetta.

💬 Adding -issimo to an adjective turns it into "very" or "extremely". So buono "good" becomes buonissimo. The same works elsewhere: bellissimo "really beautiful".

🇮🇹 It's said before eating, among friends and by waiters as they serve. The polite reply is grazie, altrettanto "thanks, same to you".

💬 Literally this means "health". salute is also what Italians say when someone sneezes.

🇮🇹 Look people in the eye when clinking glasses. cin cin is an equally common, more playful toast.

🇮🇹 In Italy, waiters won't bring the bill until you ask, because rushing you would be rude. Say il conto, per favore or catch their eye and mime writing.

🇮🇹 In a restaurant, this is the standard way to ask for the bill; it doesn't sound rude. Staff generally won't rush you with the bill unless you ask.

🇮🇹 A per-person charge for bread and table service is legal and normal, and it shows up on the bill. Tipping is optional on top of it, and rounding up is plenty.

🇮🇹 Waiters won't bring the bill until you ask, since rushing guests is considered rude. Ask with Il conto, per favore "The bill, please".

🇮🇹 Shops are required to accept cards, but small cafés and market stalls often prefer cash for small amounts. Keep some coins handy.

💬 Tenga is the polite form used with Lei. With someone you know well, it would be tieni.

🇮🇹 Saying tenga il resto is natural with taxi drivers, delivery riders, or at a café. In a full-service restaurant, people more often just leave a small tip rather than saying it out loud.

💬 The end of arrivederci literally contains vederci, "see each other," so you'll also meet a presto, arrivederci and similar goodbyes built around seeing someone again.