Country menu guides
What is a menù fisso in Italy?
A menù fisso is a fixed-price set menu: a set number of courses — often a primo, a secondo with a side, and sometimes water, wine or coffee — for one price. It's called menù del giorno when it changes daily and menù turistico when it's aimed at visitors. Always check what the price includes, especially drinks, coperto and service.
- On the menu
- Menù fisso / Menù del giorno / Menù turistico
- Meaning
- Fixed-price set menu — set courses for one price.
The names you'll see
- Menù fisso / menù a prezzo fisso — fixed-price menu, the general term.
- Menù del giorno — the day's set menu, often handwritten on a board at lunchtime.
- Menù pranzo / pranzo di lavoro — weekday lunch menu for local workers; usually quick and good value.
- Menù turistico — a set menu aimed at visitors, common near big sights; translated into several languages.
- Menù degustazione — a tasting menu of several small courses chosen by the chef. Restaurants often ask that the whole table (tutto il tavolo) takes it.
What's included — and what usually isn't
The menu should say exactly what you get. Look for:
- Courses: primo + secondo + contorno, or primo o secondo, sometimes dolce o caffè.
- Drinks: bevande incluse (drinks included — often a quarter litre of wine or half a litre of water) or bevande escluse (drinks extra).
- Coperto and service: coperto e servizio inclusi means nothing will be added. If it's not stated, ask.
- Choices: sometimes you choose from two or three options per course; sometimes there's no choice at all.
In Lazio (Rome), regional law forbids adding charges for service, coperto or drinks to a fixed-price formula unless they're included in and advertised with the offer.
What to do
- Ask before ordering: Cosa è compreso nel menù? ("What's included in the set menu?")
- Compare it with the regular menu. At lunch, a menù del giorno is often the best value in the house; a menù turistico near a landmark may not be.
- Check the bill for drinks or coffee charged on top of a menu that said they were included.
If the set menu is a list of dish names you don't recognise, a photo in MenuGuide translates each course and converts the price to your currency.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between menù fisso and à la carte in Italy?
A menù fisso gives you set courses for one fixed price, sometimes with drinks included. À la carte (alla carta) means you choose individual dishes from the full menu and pay for each separately. The set menu is usually cheaper but offers less choice. Some restaurants offer both, others only one.
Is a menù turistico worth it?
It depends on the restaurant. A menù turistico gives predictable prices and a translated menu, which helps on a budget. But the dishes are often simplified versions aimed at visitors. A local menù del giorno or pranzo di lavoro, written in Italian on a board, is often better value and closer to what Italians eat.
Are drinks included in an Italian set menu?
Sometimes. Look for "bevande incluse" (drinks included), which often means a quarter litre of house wine or a small bottle of water per person, or "bevande escluse" (drinks not included). Coffee is frequently extra. If the menu doesn't say, ask the waiter before ordering so the bill matches what you expect.
Does the whole table have to order the tasting menu?
Often, yes. Many Italian restaurants ask that a menù degustazione is ordered by everyone at the table, because the kitchen paces the courses together. The menu usually says "per tutto il tavolo" when that applies. If one person wants to order à la carte, ask the restaurant whether they can make an exception.
