Restaurant phrases
How to order food in Italian: 32 restaurant phrases
To order food in Italian you mostly need "Vorrei…, per favore" (I'd like…, please), "Il conto, per favore" (the bill, please) and a polite "Scusi!" to catch the waiter's eye. Below are 32 phrases for every stage of a meal, from finding a table to paying, in the polite form Italians use with restaurant staff, plus the etiquette that goes with them.
About the script
Italian uses the Latin alphabet and is read almost exactly as it's written. C and g are soft before e and i (ci sounds like "chee", ge like "jeh") and hard elsewhere; ch and gh are always hard (chi sounds like "key"); gli sounds like the "lli" in "million" and gn like the "ny" in "canyon". The phrases use Lei, the polite "you" for waiters. Where a word changes with the speaker's gender, both forms are shown: allergico (said by a man) / allergica (said by a woman).
Arriving
| Phrase | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Buonasera! | Good evening! | Use buongiorno until early afternoon. |
| Un tavolo per due, per favore. | A table for two, please. | |
| Abbiamo una prenotazione per le otto. | We have a reservation for eight o'clock. | |
| Avete un tavolo fuori? | Do you have a table outside? | |
| Avete un menù in inglese? | Do you have a menu in English? |
Ordering
| Phrase | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Possiamo avere il menù, per favore? | Could we have the menu, please? | |
| Cosa ci consiglia? | What do you recommend? | |
| Qual è il piatto del giorno? | What's the dish of the day? | |
| Che cos'è questo? | What is this? | |
| Vorrei questo, per favore. | I'd like this, please. | |
| Per me solo un primo. | Just a first course for me. | A primo is the pasta, risotto or soup course. You don't have to order every course. |
| Una bottiglia d'acqua naturale / frizzante, per favore. | A bottle of still / sparkling water, please. | |
| Un quarto di vino rosso della casa, per favore. | A quarter litre of the house red wine, please. | House wine comes by the quarter litre (un quarto), the half litre (mezzo litro) or the litre. |
| Un caffè, per favore. | A coffee, please. | Un caffè is an espresso. |
Dietary needs & allergies
| Phrase | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sono vegetariano / vegetariana. | I'm vegetarian. | |
| Sono vegano / vegana. | I'm vegan. | |
| Sono allergico / allergica alle arachidi. | I'm allergic to peanuts. | |
| Sono allergico / allergica alla frutta a guscio. | I'm allergic to tree nuts. | Frutta a guscio, the term on allergen lists, covers walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios and other tree nuts. In conversation you'll also hear frutta secca. |
| Sono allergico / allergica ai crostacei e ai molluschi. | I'm allergic to shellfish. | Crostacei are prawns, crab and lobster; molluschi include clams, mussels, squid and octopus. |
| Sono celiaco / celiaca, non posso mangiare il glutine. | I'm coeliac: I can't eat gluten. | |
| Avete piatti senza glutine? | Do you have gluten-free dishes? | |
| Contiene latticini? | Does it contain dairy? | |
| Senza formaggio, per favore. | Without cheese, please. | Senza (without) works with any ingredient: senza cipolla (without onion), senza aglio (without garlic). |
During the meal
| Phrase | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Scusi! | Excuse me! | The polite way to get the waiter's attention. |
| Potremmo avere ancora un po' di pane? | Could we have a little more bread? | |
| Un altro, per favore. | Another one, please. | Use un'altra for feminine words: un'altra birra (another beer). |
| Era buonissimo! | It was delicious! |
Paying
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Il conto, per favore. | The bill, please. |
| Posso pagare con la carta? | Can I pay by card? |
| Possiamo pagare separatamente? | Can we pay separately? |
| Il servizio è incluso? | Is service included? |
| Tenga il resto. | Keep the change. |
Etiquette
- Say buongiorno or buonasera when you walk in. A greeting is expected before anything else.
- To call the waiter, catch their eye or say "Scusi!". Calling across the room or snapping your fingers comes across as rude.
- You don't have to order every course. A primo on its own, or an antipasto and a secondo, is a normal meal; side dishes (contorni) are ordered separately.
- The coperto is a per-person charge for bread and the table setting, printed on the menu. It isn't a tip. Rome and the rest of Lazio don't allow it, so bread may be charged separately there.
- Tipping isn't expected. If there's no servizio on the bill and you were happy, round up or leave a few euros.
- The bill only comes when you ask for it. Lingering at the table after a meal is normal, not slow service.
- Most people order bottled water with a meal; tap water (acqua del rubinetto) isn't always offered.
- Most Italians drink cappuccino in the morning. After lunch or dinner they order un caffè, an espresso.
- In many trattorias you pay at the till (alla cassa) on the way out. Groups often split the bill equally, which Italians call pagare alla romana.
Let your phone say the order
If you'd rather not attempt the dish names yourself, scan the menu with MenuGuide, add the dishes you want to your order and tap Speak My Order: the app reads your whole order aloud in Italian. You can also show the order on screen in Italian or share it. It speaks the full order rather than single words, so the phrases above still help with everything else, from the table to the bill.
MenuGuide also flags dishes that may contain the allergens you've chosen. Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
Before you go, read our guide to Italian menus to know what antipasti, primi and secondi will look like on the page.
Frequently asked questions
How do you ask for the bill in Italian?
Say "Il conto, per favore" (the bill, please). In Italy the waiter won't bring the bill until you ask, because lingering after a meal is normal. If you can't catch their eye, a polite "Scusi!" works, and in many trattorias you can also pay at the till (alla cassa) on your way out.
How do you say I'm allergic in Italian?
A man says "Sono allergico" and a woman "Sono allergica", followed by the allergen: alle arachidi (peanuts), alla frutta a guscio (tree nuts), ai crostacei (crustaceans) or al latte (milk). For coeliac disease, say "Sono celiaco" or "Sono celiaca". Italian restaurants are used to these requests; for a serious allergy, ask the staff to check the dish with the kitchen.
How do you order water in an Italian restaurant?
Ask for "acqua naturale" (still) or "acqua frizzante" (sparkling); it comes as a bottle, usually half a litre or a litre, and is charged. Waiters often simply ask "Naturale o frizzante?". Tap water is "acqua del rubinetto"; many places will bring a jug, but practice varies.
Do you tip in restaurants in Italy?
Tipping isn't expected in Italy. The bill usually includes the coperto, a per-person charge for bread and the table setting (not allowed in Rome and Lazio), and some restaurants add a servizio. If neither is there and you were happy, round up or leave a few euros in cash; there's no fixed percentage.
Is it rude to order a cappuccino after dinner in Italy?
It isn't rude, just unusual. Most Italians drink cappuccino and other milky coffees in the morning, and after lunch or dinner they order un caffè, a short espresso. Waiters will happily bring you a cappuccino at any time; you'll simply stand out as a visitor.
