Food Guide

Eat like an Italian

No cappuccino after 11am — Italians only drink milky coffee in the morning. Ordering one after lunch marks you as a tourist — not offensive, just unusual.
Espresso is just 'caffè' — Ask for 'un caffè' and you get an espresso. It's drunk standing at the bar in 30 seconds.
Ordering at the bar — Pay at the cassa (till) first, get a receipt, then take it to the barista and say what you want.
Caffè corretto — Espresso with a shot of grappa or sambuca — an Italian morning tradition in some regions.
Caffè shakerato — Espresso shaken with ice and sugar — the Italian iced coffee. Order this in summer.
Prices — Espresso at the bar: €1–1.50. At a table (servizio): double. Tourist areas: triple.

Antipasto — Starter — bruschetta, cured meats, olives, seafood
Primo — First course — pasta, risotto, soup. This is often the main event.
Secondo — Main course — meat or fish. Usually served alone, no sides included.
Contorno — Side dish — order separately with your secondo
Dolce — Dessert — tiramisù, panna cotta, gelato, cannoli
Caffè — Coffee — always after dessert, never with it
Coperto — Cover charge (€1.50–4) per person — listed on the menu. Legal and normal.
Servizio — Service charge (10–15%) may be included. Check before adding a tip.
Tipping — Not obligatory. Leave €1–2 per person for good service — leave cash on the table.

Rome — Cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana — the Roman pasta holy trinity
Naples — Pizza Margherita — invented here in 1889. Thin base, San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella
Florence — Bistecca alla Fiorentina — T-bone steak, grilled rare over charcoal, sold by weight
Tuscany — Ribollita — hearty bread and bean soup, the original Tuscan peasant food
Sicily — Arancini, pasta alla Norma, fresh cannoli — buy from a pasticceria, not a tourist shop
Emilia-Romagna — Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto di Parma, mortadella — the food capital of Italy
Venice — Sarde in saor, bacalà mantecato, risotto al nero di seppia (squid ink risotto)
Calabria — Nduja (spreadable spicy salami), fileja pasta, peperoncino everything

Bar — For coffee and breakfast (cornetto + cappuccino). Open from 7am.
Trattoria — Family-run, traditional, affordable. No frills, great food. Go here.
Osteria — Even more rustic than a trattoria — wine-focused with simple food.
Ristorante — Formal and pricier. Better for special occasions than everyday meals.
Pizzeria — Order by the whole pizza — sharing is unusual. Eat at the table, not walking.
Mercato — Food markets are the best places to eat cheaply and authentically. Ask locals where theirs is.
Avoid — Restaurants with pictures on the menu, touts at the door, or 'tourist menu' signs — all red flags.

Artisanal gelato — Look for gelato displayed in metal tubs with lids (pozzetti) — this is the real thing. Avoid gelato piled high in mountainous peaks with bright unnatural colours.
Gusti — Choose 1–3 flavours (gusti). Classic: pistachio (pistacchio), hazelnut (nocciola), stracciatella.
Cone or cup? — Cono (cone) or coppetta (cup). Ask for panna (whipped cream) on top — often free.
Price — €2–4 for a small. Pay first at the till in many shops.
Gelato vs ice cream — Lower fat, more intense flavour, served slightly warmer. Nothing like supermarket ice cream.

Vino della casa — House wine — order a carafe (una caraffa) or half-carafe. Cheap, honest, often very good.
Aperitivo — The pre-dinner drink ritual, 6–8pm. Order a Campari Spritz or Aperol Spritz. In Milan many bars serve free nibbles with your aperitivo.
Digestivo — After-dinner drink — Limoncello (south), Grappa (north), Amaro. Usually free at the end of a meal in traditional restaurants.
Acqua frizzante — Sparkling water — if you want still water, ask for acqua naturale or acqua liscia.
Regional wines — Barolo & Barbaresco (Piedmont), Chianti (Tuscany), Brunello di Montalcino, Amarone (Veneto), Nero d'Avola (Sicily)