I can have a coffee at the counter and sit at a table in a restaurant, order a first course and a drink, ask about the dish of the day, ask for what's missing on the table, understand the check, and pay by card or in cash.
Al bar e al ristorante
The bar and the restaurant: ordering, the check, tipping
Two places, three steps: choose a table or the counter, order, and pay. With the waiter and the cashier, always use Lei.
At the counter (al banco), coffee costs less than at a table (al tavolo), and you usually pay right away. To order (ordinare), use the set phrases you know: “Vorrei un cappuccino”, “Prendo un panino”, “Per me una spremuta”.
“Siete in quanti?” — “Siamo in due.” The waiter asks “E da bere?”: name a drink. The menu order is familiar: antipasto, primo, secondo, contorno, dolce. To ask for advice: “Qual è la specialità?”, “Che cos'è il piatto del giorno?”
If something is missing on the table, ask politely: “Posso avere un cucchiaio?”, “C'è una caraffa d'acqua?” You can also use the familiar “Mi può portare…?”
The check includes il coperto, a cover charge for bread and silverware. La mancia, the tip, isn't on the check and, unlike in the US, isn't required: leave a few coins if you liked it. Lo scontrino, the receipt, is always given.
To pay: “Pago in contanti” or “Posso pagare con la carta?”
Common mistakes:
• NOT “Voglio un cappuccino” → “Vorrei un cappuccino” (“I want” sounds like a demand)
• NOT “Prendo acqua” → “Prendo un'acqua frizzante” (an order takes un or una)
• NOT “due caffès” → “due caffè” (no plural -s)
• NOT “Siamo due” → “Siamo in due” (“there are two of us”)
The waiter asks — you answer
On the left, the waiter's line; on the right, your answer.
| Waiter | Your answer | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Buonasera, siete in quanti? | Siamo in tre. | Good evening, how many of you are there? — There are three of us. |
| Che cosa prende di primo? | Prendo il piatto del giorno. | What will you have as a first course? — I'll have the dish of the day. |
| Posso portare il conto? | Sì, grazie. | Should I bring the check? — Yes, thank you. |
What's on the check
The check, the tip, and the receipt: what's what.
| On the check | What it is |
|---|---|
| il coperto | charge for bread and silverware — already on the check |
| la mancia | tip — not on the check and not required |
| lo scontrino | receipt — you always get one |
Lesson notes
The bar and the restaurant: ordering, the check, tipping
Two places, three steps: choose a table or the counter, order, and pay. With the waiter and the cashier, always use Lei.
At the counter (al banco), coffee costs less than at a table (al tavolo), and you usually pay right away. To order (ordinare), use the set phrases you know: “Vorrei un cappuccino”, “Prendo un panino”, “Per me una spremuta”.
“Siete in quanti?” — “Siamo in due.” The waiter asks “E da bere?”: name a drink. The menu order is familiar: antipasto, primo, secondo, contorno, dolce. To ask for advice: “Qual è la specialità?”, “Che cos'è il piatto del giorno?”
If something is missing on the table, ask politely: “Posso avere un cucchiaio?”, “C'è una caraffa d'acqua?” You can also use the familiar “Mi può portare…?”
The check includes il coperto, a cover charge for bread and silverware. La mancia, the tip, isn't on the check and, unlike in the US, isn't required: leave a few coins if you liked it. Lo scontrino, the receipt, is always given.
To pay: “Pago in contanti” or “Posso pagare con la carta?”
Common mistakes:
• NOT “Voglio un cappuccino” → “Vorrei un cappuccino” (“I want” sounds like a demand)
• NOT “Prendo acqua” → “Prendo un'acqua frizzante” (an order takes un or una)
• NOT “due caffès” → “due caffè” (no plural -s)
• NOT “Siamo due” → “Siamo in due” (“there are two of us”)