Ordering in Italian
If you’re going to Italy you’ll definitely be eating out and ordering in Italian, so don’t miss this free lesson! The Rocket Italian team will teach you all the basics you need to know – just listen to the audio and practice saying these Italian words and phrases aloud. When you’re ready, why not try them out at a local Italian-speaking restaurant?
Vegetarian? Not what you ordered? No problem! After this lesson you’ll be ordering from the menu in Italian like a pro, and impressing everyone at the table with your Italian language skills. Hungry? Let’s get started!
Ordering at a restaurant in Italian
It's not common in Italy to be seated by the waiter or waitress. Instead you just choose the table yourself. In some restaurants the menu will be on the table already otherwise the waiter will bring it over to you as soon as possible. After being greeted you could get asked one of the following questions…
Sometimes all you might get asked is…
You could answer by saying one of these phrases…
Not sure what you want to eat? Just ask the waiter what he recommends…
Here are the names of some dishes and drinks that you might find on the menu…
In order to get the dish you want simply say…
Once you finished your meal you ask for the bill…
In Italy the waiter or waitress will bring the bill to your table. If you are eating out with a group you might get asked whether you want to pay…
In Italy tipping is not a common custom but waiters or waitresses really appreciate as a sign of having provided a good service to customers. Usually tourists leave around 10% of the bill total it at the table. The word for tip is…
A presto!
Maria DiLorenzi and the Rocket Italian Team
P.S. You can practice your Italian skills with this exercise.
Exercise - Match the Italian phrases and words with the correct English translation. You can print this lesson out and write the letter of the correct answer in the space provided.
