How to Eat in Italy Without Getting Scammed

So, you flew 4,000 miles to Italy… why are you about to eat a frozen pizza? From menus that look like math exams –  to the mystery “Coperto” charge, did you know Italian dining has a secret rulebook? If you don’t, you will fall into a tourist trap.

Today, we’re giving you our Ultimate Italian Restaurant Cheat Sheet so you can feast like a local, and most importantly, you don’t get mediocre food at a tourist trap!

Let’s begin by decoding the different types of restaurants in Italy

Restaurant types and how to navigate them

First things first, not every place serving food is a “Ristorante.” In fact, in Italy, there are a few types of restaurants, each a little different, so let’s bring some clarity. Beginning with:

The Trattoria: This is your “grandma’s kitchen” vibe. It’s family-run, rustic, and usually where you’ll find the best authentic regional dishes. If the menu is handwritten or the waiter just tells you what’s fresh? You’ve hit gold. Trattorias are also cheaper than restaurants and have a more basic service. Now, if you spot a nice trattoria in the middle of the countryside, you might enjoy some of the best food of your life, but you might also encounter a major language problem because they might not speak English there! 

The next type of restaurant is:

The Osteria: Historically a wine bar, now basically a Trattoria’s cool younger sibling. Focus on local wine and simple, soulful plates. Nowadays, even Italians use the terms “Osteria” and “Trattoria” interchangeably.

Next place is:

The Ristorante: This is the “white tablecloth” experience. Think proper wine lists, fancy plating, and they can be as fancy as one or two Michelin stars. Perfect for date night or for a more upscale experience.

Moving on to another very common type of restaurant, we have:

The Pizzeria: Pretty self-explanatory, right? It is a place that you go to have pizza. Yes, if you are in the mood for an authentic Italian pizza, you should look for a pizzeria, but not any pizzeria. Make sure it has a pizza oven and that pizzas are made in-house, because, unfortunately, in recent years, many touristy areas have seen many places serving “pizza” straight from the supermarket freezer. You can totally recognize a frozen pizza because it is flat with a very pale crust!

Lastly, we have:

The Agriturismo: If you see this sign in the countryside, STOP. It’s a farm-to-table feast where they grow what they cook. It’s the ultimate foodie “hidden gem.” Usually, agriturismos offer a set menu of 3-4 courses, but they don’t let you make substitutions because they serve what they have!  

Traveler Warning! Avoid the Bar Tavola Calda in tourist zones. These “hot tables” are great for locals grabbing a quick lunch, but in tourist hubs, they often just microwave frozen lasagna. If the food pictures in the window look sun-bleached… run!

Let’s move on to another important aspect of the Italian dining experience, hacking the menu!

Now let’s talk about something quite important:

Meals time

Italians eat lunch between 12:30 and 2 pm. While dinner varies a little bit depending on the latitude and the day of the week. In the north of the country (let’s say Milan, Venice, Bologna, all the way down to Florence), at restaurants, it’s between 7:30 and 8:30 pm on weekends; during the week, usually 8 is the latest. The more southern you go, the later dinner is, and in Naples or in Sicily, it is not uncommon to go for dinner at 9:30 or 10 pm. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to eat dinner that late, but if you see a restaurant that serves dinner at 6 pm, you can assume it’s aimed at tourists and might not be the most authentic Italian restaurant.

The 4-Course Marathon

In North America, we do “Appetizer, main, and dessert.” In Italy? We do a marathon. Beginning with:

Antipasto: Literally “before the meal.” (Note: Antipasti is plural, so don’t be shocked if three plates show up!) This is the equivalent of the appetizers, and most of the time it can be as big as a meal because it is perfect for sharing. 

Then we have:

Primo (or primi for plural): This is your Pasta, gnocchi, or Risotto course. It’s the star of the show, but it always comes solo. No side salad, no chicken on top, and definitely no garlic bread. Italians like their pasta on its own. Also, Italians are very picky about pasta shapes, and each shape has its own sauce, or vice versa. For this reason, if you see on the menu “tagliatelle alla bolognese”, please don’t ask to use spaghetti instead! 

After your Primo, you have: 

Secondo (again secondi is plural): This is your protein dish, meat, fish, or sometimes eggs. On our channel, we often get this question: “Do they serve vegetarian options in Italy?” The answer is yes, there are always several vegetarian options in any restaurant. Vegan food is a bit more difficult to find; however, it is becoming more common to see at least one or two vegan dishes on menus, especially in big restaurants. 

Now we will explore another item on Italian menus:

This is the “missing link.” The translation is “side dish.” This is because your protein usually won’t come with veggies unless you order a Contorno separately. Now, in more upscale restaurants, most secondi come with a side dish or two, but in a trattoria or an old-school Italian restaurant, you’ll have to order the sides separately.

Then you’ll have the last course

Dolce: Well, this is pretty simple and self-explanatory. It is the dessert, plain and simple.

You don’t have to order all four! You can order just one or more courses. Nowadays, most Italians order an antipasto and a primo, or an antipasto and a secondo, or just a secondo and a contorno. Now, this is an important step: if you and your partner are ordering different courses like a Primo for one and a Secondo for the other, tell the waiter you want them at the same time! Otherwise, one of you will be watching the other eat for 20 minutes!

Lastly, outside the more touristy areas, it is not common to order a salad first, then your main, or your pasta. If you want to have your salad first, make sure to tell the waiter, and be very clear that your salad will arrive after your pasta. And speaking of salad…. If you are in a traditional Italian restaurant and you order “Un insalata” (a salad), you’ll get a nice plate of…lettuce! If you want something that resembles a Northern American salad, ask for “Insalata Mista”; you’ll get lettuce with tomatoes, carrots, and other veggies. 

The Drink Etiquette (No Spritz with Pasta!)

When you sit down at any restaurant in Italy, the first question the waiter asks is always: “Gassata o naturale?“ (Sparkling or still?). Obviously, it is water. Italians do not drink tap water; they always drink bottled water! Even if you ask, you will not get tap water, even though it is pretty safe to drink and, most of the time, is actually quite good. 

And sorry, ice-lovers, water usually comes chilled, not with ice. If you need it, you’ll have to ask nicely! Italians are very afraid of anything cold; they think that it might interfere with digestion. For that reason, it is very common for people to ask for water “ambiente”, which means room temperature!

Now, for the wine. At a Trattoria, go for the “Vino della Casa” (house wine). It’s cheap, local, and usually delicious. Also, every restaurant, even the most basic, has a wine list, and if you ask for a local wine, you won’t be disappointed. Lastly, here’s the big one: No Cocktails with dinner. Keep the Aperol Spritz for the Aperitivo hour. With dinner, it’s wine, beer (with pizza), or water.

Finally, there is the bill

The Bill

Now, this is a very important thing to keep in mind: “Il conto,” the bill, will not be automatically sent as it is in North America. Actually, Italians would consider it very rude if the waiter brought the bill without asking; they would say: “Are you trying to get rid of us?” So if you want the bill, you have to ask your waiter for it. It is also becoming more common in restaurants to give you a table number, and when you want the bill, you just go to the till and ask for the bill for your table.  Here are some extra details that you need to know regarding the bill:

The Coperto:  

Imagine you just ate a delicious pasta, you are stuffed and happy, then your bill arrives with an unexpected line item: ‘Coperto.’ What *is* it? A bread charge? A hidden tip? Nothing like that, this is a small cover charge (usually €1–€3 per person) for bread, place mats, and so on. It’s normal, don’t let it ruin your mood! In major touristy areas, it is not common anymore (it is actually built in the service charge), but if you are traveling to some more authentic areas of Italy, you will totally see it on the bill.,

Tipping: 

Tipping: It’s not a thing in Italy. Service is included. If the service was incredible, maybe leave a couple of Euros per person (like 5 euros for a table of 2), but 20% isn’t expected. Most credit card machines don’t even give you the option to leave a tip, but this could be changed- I saw one once do this.

The Split: 

Italy doesn’t really do “separate checks.” If you’re in a group, the bill is usually split equally. It’s the Italian way, even though Italians call it “alla romana” (Roman style), so keep it simple, keep it friendly, and do what the locals do. 

And look out for the Digestivo. Many spots will offer a complimentary shot of Limoncello or Grappa at the end to help you digest that mountain of pasta. Cheers to that! So there you have it! You’re now ready to navigate the Italian restaurant scene like a pro. Which Italian dish are you dying to try first? Let us know in the comments! While you are there, if you enjoyed this video, consider giving us a thumbs up and subscribing.

Ciao for now!