At the restaurant, the bar and the trattoria

The bar in Italy differs from the pub in other countries: a café serving coffee and the cornetto at breakfast time and sandwiches (panini and tramezzini) and drinks, and everyone goes there from morning to evening.

• The restaurant (ristorante) is smart, and the trattoria and the osteria serve home dishes at reasonable prices, and the pizzeria usually opens in the evening and serves round thin pizza from the oven.
• A tavola calda serves ready fast dishes.
• Meals start late compared with other countries: lunch around one and dinner after eight, and you may find restaurants closed between three and seven.
• And most restaurants close one day a week (giorno di chiusura) and most close in August.
• And there are gelaterie for ice cream.

After sitting down the waiter brings the food menu and the drinks list, and asks about the water, naturale or frizzante, that is still or sparkling, which is usually paid for.

• Then you order the starters if you wish, and after that the primo and the secondo.
• It is allowed to share dishes and to order a half portion sometimes.
• Dessert and coffee are ordered at the end, and coffee is not ordered with the meal but after it, and a cappuccino at noon or evening is considered odd in Italy, since it is for the morning.
• Grated cheese is not asked for on seafood pasta.
• And many restaurants offer a menu turistico or menu del giorno at a fixed price for several courses, which is economical.
• And do not be shy to ask the waiter for a recommendation (Cosa consiglia?).

Coffee in Italy is a daily ritual.

• Caffè means the small espresso, and is drunk quickly standing at the high counter (al banco) at a low price (about one euro), whereas sitting at a table raises the price several times.
• Types include macchiato (with a little milk), cappuccino, caffè latte, ristretto, lungo and corretto (with a little alcohol, so avoid it if you do not drink).
• In many places you first pay at the till and get a receipt then present it to the barista behind the bar.
• And a glass of water often accompanies the coffee.
• And the aperitivo in the evening (from about six to nine) is a drink with light foods, and you can ask for a non-alcoholic drink (analcolico), juice or a spritz analcolico.
• And coffee after the meal usually ends lunch.

At the restaurant you ask for the bill by saying Il conto, per favore, and the waiter does not bring it of his own accord, since that is considered rushing.

• The bill often includes the coperto, that is a fixed charge per person (from one to three euros) for sitting, bread and cutlery, and it must appear in the menu, and it is legal, but servizio, that is service, may also be added in some tourist places and must be announced.
• Tipping is not obligatory and not expected: leaving a few euros on a big meal or rounding up the amount if the service was good is enough.
• And most restaurants accept cards, and some small places cash only, so ask before sitting.
• And bills are split by saying alla romana, that is each according to his order.
• And keep the fiscal receipt.

There are not many halal restaurants outside big cities, but there are Arab, Turkish, Indian and Pakistani restaurants, and in Italian restaurants you can ask for dishes without pork: many pasta dishes with vegetables, fish and cheese are suitable.

• Ask the waiter about ingredients because carbonara and amatriciana contain cured pork, and some sauces contain alcohol.
• Tell the waiter of any allergy (allergia) or intolerance, since the law obliges restaurants to declare the fourteen allergens.
• Book in the evening and at weekends (prenotare).
• Manners include: do not put cheese on fish, do not cut pasta, wait for your companions before starting, use a fork and spoon for pasta, and do not raise your voice.
• And saying Buon appetito is customary.

What is the coperto?