A summer evening in Rimini in Emilia-Romagna...
At mangiare the fun stops in Italy. Eating is more than a basic need - it's an attitude to life! If you don't want to attract (unpleasant) attention: our 10 basic rules for dinner will help. Buon appetito...
The 10 basic rules: This is how it tastes right!
1. every meal has its time
As casual as people are in Italy - the fun stops when it comes to eating. Lunch is between 1 and 3 p.m. (especially in the countryside, including a siesta afterwards). The dinner, the cena is usually served around 8 pm.
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The further south you are (and the warmer the temperatures), the further back this time moves. The cena can also start at 9 or 10 pm. If you want to bridge the time until then: Between 6 and 8 p.m. there is the apericena, an aperitivo with nibbles.
If you want a digestion-friendly meal at 6pm, you won't usually get anything on your plate outside the tourist centres. Restaurants are usually still closed at this time, and if not, you'll probably be the only guest. Or you are travelling through the mountains in the north (in winter) - then the situation looks different again...
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2. no flip-flops
Not as casual as I thought, part 2. Even in the beach areas, Italians do NOT wear flip-flops to the restaurant in the evening. Traditionally, people in Italy go out dressier - nothing with a tank top and Bermudas. Even with flip flops you'll get a table, but possibly some irritated looks.
3. wait for your seat
In Italy, you are a guest - so they take care of you. Stand at the entrance of the restaurant until the waitress greets you and seats you. Just walking in and sitting down at a table is considered very rude....
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4. the menu courses in Italy
One could write treatises about the Italian menu (and there will be a few more posts), so here is just a brief summary. On Sundays and public holidays there is usually the full programme of courses, at "normal" meals sometimes only two courses.
A classic Italian menu: It starts with antipasti (including bruschetta, caprese, carpaccio), then comes the primo piatto (Carbohydrates: pasta, pizza, risotto, among others), secondo piatto (protein: including meat, fish, seafood, cheese, egg), followed by dessert, the dolci (including tiramisù, pannacotta).
5. as always with respect
„Waiter"Shouts across the bar are inappropriate. Instead, discreetly raise your finger or a friendly "signore" or "signora" and all tutto a posto.
Almost all service staff do their job with pride in the food they serve. Ask for recommendations - and you won't regret it.
6. "Coperto" is NOT a tip
The coperto is NOT an "automatic" tip. In many restaurants the coperto added to the bill as a kind of service charge for setting the table. This fee goes to the restaurant owners, not the waiters.
7. vino yes, drunk no
It's tempting: first an aperitivo, then a prosecco, later a delicious wine, then another grappa, and now at the latest comes the silver lining. Oops! And in Italy: double whoops.
In fact, in Italy you hardly see drunks staggering through the streets, you don't hear drunks bawling in pubs (if you do, it's usually tourists). In Italy it is frowned upon to get drunk in public.
P.S. These rules do not apply to Italian tourists at the Oktoberfest in Munich. But that's also in Germany. 🙂
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booking.com8. coffee after dinner
After dinner we have espresso. No pot of coffee, no latte, no cappuccino. Espresso, nothing else.
P.S. Just in general: Cappuccino is only available until 11 am (for breakfast).
9. the bill, please
If you go out with a group, you order the bill as a group and then throw it together. Under no circumstances should you let the waitress collect from eight people individually.
10. "Mancia": The tip
Basic rule: The more touristy the area, the more often tipping is "expected". In less touristy regions, especially economically weak areas, tipping is often not paid (and not expected).
Apart from the extremely low restaurant wages in Italy, good service also deserves a tip (according to common opinion). For holidaymakers in Italy, 5 to 10 per cent (including coperto) is usual in a restaurant. US tourists often pay considerably more.
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This is all about pleasure....
Scooter tour, cooking course, boat trip or wine tasting: there is no such thing as boredom at Viator (part of Tripadvisor). Whether alone or in a relaxed group, there is virtually everything here. Book your programme for Italy.
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written by Pietro Perroni, first published 13.12.21, updated 29.09.22
Cover photo/montage: LA BELLA VITA club/Kayser
Source: life
