Ordering Food in Italian: Phrases for Cafés, Restaurants, and Gelaterie

You don’t need flawless Italian to eat well in Italy—you need a handful of polite, reusable phrases. Most ordering is predictable: greeting, choosing, a couple of questions, then the bill.

Below is a practical “restaurant toolkit” you can use in cafés, trattorie, and gelaterie. Read it once, then practice saying the lines out loud so they come out automatically.

How an Italian menu is usually organized

• Antipasti — starters
• Primi — first courses (often pasta, risotto, soup)
• Secondi — main courses (meat or fish)
• Contorni — side dishes (vegetables, salad, potatoes)
• Dolci — desserts
• Bevande — drinks

You don’t have to order one item from every section. It’s perfectly normal to order just a primo, or a secondo with a contorno.

Three questions that help you choose

• Qual è la specialità della casa? — What’s the house specialty?
• Cosa mi consiglia? — What do you recommend?
• Questo com’è fatto? — How is this made?

At a bar (café): fast and simple

In many cafés you pay first and then order at the counter. If you’re unsure, you can ask:

• Si paga prima o dopo? — Do you pay before or after?

Useful orders:

• Un caffè, per favore. — An espresso, please.
• Un cappuccino.
• Una brioche / un cornetto. — A pastry.
• Da portare via. — To take away.

At a restaurant: a mini script

Cameriere: Buonasera, avete prenotato?

Tu: Sì, a nome di ____.

Cameriere: Acqua naturale o frizzante?

Tu: Naturale, grazie. (oppure: Frizzante, grazie.)

Cameriere: Siete pronti per ordinare?

Tu: Un attimo, per favore. (oppure: Sì, grazie.)

Customizing politely

• Senza formaggio, per favore. — Without cheese, please.
• Potrebbe togliere ____? — Could you remove ____?
• È possibile avere ____ a parte? — Is it possible to have ____ on the side?

Allergies and dietary needs

• Sono allergico/a a ____. — I’m allergic to ____.
• C’è ____ dentro? — Is there ____ in it?
• Sono vegetariano/a. — I’m vegetarian.
• Senza glutine. — Gluten-free.

Paying the bill

• Il conto, per favore. — The bill, please.
• Possiamo pagare con carta? — Can we pay by card?
• Separato, per favore. — Separate bills, please.

You may see coperto on the receipt. It’s a common cover charge and not a tip. If you leave anything extra, a small amount is fine.

Gelato vocabulary that actually helps

• Un cono / una coppetta — cone / cup
• Due gusti / tre gusti — two flavors / three flavors
• Panna — whipped cream
• Per me… — For me, I’ll have…

Order example: Una coppetta, due gusti: pistacchio e nocciola.