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Ordering in an Italian Restaurant: Phrases, Courses and the Bill

Italian restaurant phrases for booking, ordering with vorrei and asking for il conto, plus the courses from antipasto to digestivo and what coperto means.

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Key takeaways

  • Vorrei, 'I would like', is the conditional of volere, and Wiktionary notes it is used to make polite requests.
  • The traditional sequence runs aperitivo, antipasto, primo, secondo with contorno, cheese and fruit, dolce, caffè and digestivo.
  • Wikipedia notes full-course meals are now mainly for special events; everyday meals have a primo or secondo, a side dish and coffee.
  • Coperto is the cover charge; Wikipedia describes pane e coperto, a bread-and-cover charge, as nearly ubiquitous in Italy.
  • Ask for the bill with il conto, per favore; conto is the word for a bill for a meal or a hotel.

Italian restaurant phrases are a small, high-return set: a greeting, a way to ask for a table, one polite verb for ordering, and the word for the bill. Around them sits the menu itself, which is organised into courses with Italian names you will see on a printed menù. This reference gives the phrases first, then the courses, then the charges that appear on the bill, with a worked example at the end.

The phrases, from the door to the bill

Situation Italian English
arriving Buonasera. Good evening.
asking for a table Un tavolo per due, per favore. A table for two, please.
mentioning a booking Ho una prenotazione. I have a reservation.
ordering Vorrei gli spaghetti. I'd like the spaghetti.
water Acqua frizzante, per favore. Sparkling water, please.
calling the waiter Scusi! Excuse me!
paying Il conto, per favore. The bill, please.

A few of these words are worth knowing on their own. Wiktionary lists vorrei as the first-person conditional of volere, "to want", and notes it is used to make polite requests, "I would like…" or "please give me…". It gives per favore as "please", with per piacere as a synonym; prenotazione as "booking, reservation"; tavolo as "table"; frizzante as "fizzy, sparkling (of wine or water)"; and cameriere as "waiter", with the feminine cameriera.

Conto is the bill. Wiktionary lists it as a bill "for a meal, hotel, etc.", as well as a calculation and a bank account.

Wiktionary marks scusi as the formal second-person "excuse me", the form to use with someone you address as Lei; the entry cross-refers to scusa. Which greeting to use at the door, and when to switch to Lei, is covered in Italian greetings.

Reading the courses on a menu

Wikipedia's article on Italian cuisine sets out the traditional stages of a meal.

Course What it is
aperitivo an aperitif before a large meal, such as Campari, Prosecco or a Spritz
antipasto "before the meal": cheese, prosciutto, sliced sausage, marinated vegetables or fish, bruschetta
primo first course: a hot dish such as pasta, risotto, gnocchi or soup
secondo second course, the main dish: usually fish or meat
contorno side dish: a salad or cooked vegetables
formaggio e frutta cheese and fruit
dolce dessert: cakes such as tiramisu, biscuits or ice cream
caffè coffee
digestivo a digestive such as grappa, amaro or limoncello

You do not have to work through the whole list. Wikipedia notes that full-course meals are now mainly reserved for special events such as weddings, and that everyday meals include a first or second course, sometimes both, a side dish and coffee. It also says the primo is the most frequent course, with the others often seen as somewhat optional.

Wikipedia also notes that a traditional menu features salad along with the main course.

Trattoria, osteria or ristorante

The sign over the door tells you something about what is inside. Wikipedia's table of food establishments describes:

  • Trattoria: often family-run, with inexpensive prices and an informal atmosphere.
  • Osteria: focused on simple regional food, often with no written menu, so be ready to listen to the dishes of the day. Wikipedia adds that the name has also become fashionable for upscale rustic restaurants.
  • Ristorante: often offers upscale cuisine and printed menus.
  • Pizzeria: specialises in pizza, often from wood-fired ovens.
  • Tavola calda: literally "hot table", with pre-made regional dishes.

Coperto and the bill

The charge that most often needs explaining is coperto. Wiktionary lists its meanings as "cover", "cover charge" and "place (at dining table)", and Wikipedia's article on cover charges says pane e coperto, a "bread and cover" charge, is nearly ubiquitous in Italy. It notes that the Lazio region, which includes Rome, began requiring restaurants to remove it in 1995, that the European Union ruled the regional law invalid in 1998, and that the region has continued to try to abolish the practice.

Prices use a decimal comma, so 2,50 € is two euros fifty. Italian numbers covers how to read and say them.

A worked bill for two

Take two diners and invented prices for illustration: two primi at 11 € each, one secondo at 16 €, one contorno at 5 €, a bottle of water at 3 €, and a coperto of 2,50 € per person.

  1. Primi: 2 × 11 = 22 €
  2. Secondo: 16 €
  3. Contorno: 5 €
  4. Water: 3 €
  5. Coperto: 2 × 2,50 = 5 €

Total: 22 + 16 + 5 + 3 + 5 = 51 €, said cinquantuno euro. Notice the coperto adds 5 € to a 46 € order, which is why it is worth checking the menu for it before you sit down.

Practising the restaurant exchange

Learn Italian for Beginners includes food among its 12 units, and its travel material covers restaurants, airports, train stations, shops and hotels, with audio for words and conversations. It is one of our language-learning apps. Before ordering aloud, the double consonants in spaghetti and frizzante are worth a look in our Italian pronunciation guide.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

How do you ask for the bill in Italian?
Il conto, per favore: 'the bill, please'. Wiktionary lists conto as a bill for a meal or a hotel, as well as a calculation or a bank account. Per piacere is an alternative to per favore.
Do you have to order a primo and a secondo in Italy?
No. Wikipedia's article on Italian cuisine says full-course meals are now mainly reserved for special events such as weddings, and everyday meals include a first or second course, sometimes both, with a side dish and coffee. It also notes the primo is the most frequent course.
What does coperto mean on an Italian bill?
It is the cover charge, a per-place charge. Wiktionary gives 'cover charge' and 'place (at dining table)' among its meanings. Wikipedia's article on cover charges calls pane e coperto, a bread-and-cover charge, nearly ubiquitous in Italy.
What is the difference between a trattoria and a ristorante?
Wikipedia describes a trattoria as often family-run, with inexpensive prices and an informal atmosphere, and a ristorante as often offering upscale cuisine and printed menus. An osteria focuses on simple regional food, often with no written menu.

Sources

  1. Italian cuisine (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia — accessed
  2. Cover charge (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia — accessed
  3. vorrei (opens in a new tab)Wiktionary — accessed
  4. coperto (opens in a new tab)Wiktionary — accessed
  5. scusi (opens in a new tab)Wiktionary — accessed
  6. conto (opens in a new tab)Wiktionary — accessed

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