Dining out in Italy

One of the things we love most about Italy is the heavenly food which means you should never have a bad dining experience, BUT it can happen. Travelling in Italy today compared to even ten years ago has resulted in mass tourism and cities adapting menus and recipes to suit international tastes.

However, if you are aware of the tourist pitfalls and the red flags to look out for, I can promise you every experience will be a culinary delight.

Before you become restaurant savvy, let’s differentiate between a ristorante, trattoria and osteria.

Ristorante

This is the most formal and most expensive place to eat. Some may be cosy and small, while others have fancier decor and stylish furniture. Generally white tablecloths mean expensive. There will be a printed menu with a large selection of dishes and wines.

Trattoria

This is my favourite because in most cases it is a family run business and less formal with a cosy, homely atmosphere. The menu is smaller with unpretentious regional dishes made with local ingredients and a good selection of Italian wines. A trattoria is also less expensive.

Osteria

Osterie were originally inns offering sleeping quarters and homemade meals to travellers. The modern osteria is no longer an inn, but offers a modest decor and low prices. The focus is all on local wine, unassuming traditional food and the company! In a typical osteria there may not be a printed menu because it will be written on a chalkboard or the waiter will tell you the choices for the day.

Red flags

Some of these may be stating the obvious, but I have seen many a savvy traveller become unstuck because of missing the red flag. Here are my eight main ones:

• Waiters trying to coax you inside, whatever the reason may be.

• A board in front of the restaurant saying ‘Tourist Menu’. Run.

• Dishes of food on display in front of the restaurant.

• Pictures of food on the menu are obviously geared towards tourists. Would locals need pictures of the food?

• Menus in multiple languages. The more there are, the bigger the red flag. That combined with pictures is a deadly duo.

• Red and white tablecloths and candles in Chianti bottles are generally a sign that it is a tourist hotspot because it’s meeting the perception that many tourists still have of the quintessential Italian restaurant. It’s not always the case, as there are exceptions to this rule, but more likely in small regional towns.

• Condiments on the table are not an Italian thing, so another sign that the restaurant is appealing to tourists.

• Restaurants in a busy piazza or street close to an iconic landmark.

Food rules

I know I sound like the food police because this is a topic that I have covered in previous newsletters. However, just in case you missed any of them, here are my six basic food rules that are molte importante.

• No cheese on your secondo. On the menu, Secondi means second course which includes fish, chicken, beef, lamb, pork. Grated Parmigiano Reggiano does not go on second course dishes. The chef will not be happy if you ask.

• No cheese with seafood risotto or seafood pasta. Why? The general feeling is that the strong cheese flavour will overwhelm the delicate taste of the fish.

• A good rule of thumb is if cheese is not offered, don’t ask. Not every pasta dish requires grated cheese.

• NO cappuccino after 11:00am. Nothing brands you more as a tourist than ordering a milky coffee after this time. Cappuccino and caffe latte are breakfast drinks and are considered to mess with your digestive system if drunk later in the day. You can have an espresso or get away with a caffe macchiato, which is an espresso topped off with a tiny head of frothed milk.

• No hot drinks with food. Tea and coffee are never drunk with a meal.

• Walking and eating is bad etiquette UNLESS it’s gelato.

What are the rules on tipping?

Tipping when dining out is not a big part of Italian culture. If you see servizio listed on your bill, service has been covered and will usually be no more than a couple of euros per person. If servizio is not included and you have had a great meal and good service, it is nice to round up the bill by a couple of euros per person, which will be appreciated.

At most sit-down places, you can expect to see a coperto (cover charge) of anywhere between 1-3 euros per person to over basics like bread and olive oil brought at the start of the meal. This is different to a servizio charge.

Buon appetito!

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb