1)A meal in Italy

A meal in Italy is a little ritual, one that every restaurant tweaks to make its own.
We all know Italians love food, and love to go out to eat.
In short, you’ll be going to restaurants, and you’ll want to know how to get the most out
of the experience.
2) Finding a RestaurantA tip:
• If a restaurant has a big, multilingual menu on a poster outside, and/or someone trying to coax
you in, go in the other direction. This is most likely a tourist trap, and they’re quite common
near monuments and in city centers. Do your research and find a well-regarded place where
Italians actually want to go, without someone needing to convince them to step inside.
• On that note, once you’ve got your restaurant picked out, it’s always best to make a reservation
ahead of time. Many restaurants will turn you away without one, because meals are leisurely
and therefore they have no way of telling you when a table might free up.
3) When to eat
• Italians tend to eat both lunch and dinner later than Americans. Most places open for lunch
around 12:30, get really busy around 1:30, and finish up around 3:00. At dinner, the restaurant
might open at 7:30, but doesn’t start to fill up until 8:30 or 9:00.Generally, the further south in
Italy you go, the later people eat. A good rule of thumb? Reserve at 1:00 for lunch, and 9:00 at
dinner.
Drinks
• When you sit down, the first thing the waiter will ask you is if you want acqua naturale or acqua
frizzante. The former is still water, the latter sparkling (both will be bottled, as Italians think tap
water is uncivilized for a restaurant).He’ll also ask you about wine. If you want the list, ask for
the carta dei vini. If the house rosso (red) or bianco (white) is more your thing, you can get
either in a quartino or mezzo carafe (quarter or half liter).
4) Understanding the menu
• At many restaurants, they’ll hand you a written menu, divided into antipasti, primi , secondi and
contorni (more on those below). However, this is Italy we’re talking about, so it’s never that
simple . A lot of places will have specials written on the blackboard, or rattled off by the owner
of the restaurant when she comes to greet you. There’s also the distinct possibility the waiter
will just name a few dishes he thinks you should get, without even giving you a menu. In Italy,
where restaurants are viewed as homes rather than businesses, this is considered as a sign of
hospitality.
Appetizers
• Italians tend to not eat very elaborate or composed dishes as antipasti. Instead, you’ll find cured
meats and cheeses, marinated vegetables, bread and fried things.Some typical plates are sliced
prosciutto with mozzarella, bruschetta (toasted bread with anything from tomatoes to truffle),
and fritto misto vegetale (a mix of fried vegetables). All are usually meant to be shared.
5) Dessert and more drinks
• Italian desserts are often al cucchiaio, literally “by the spoon,” meaning they’re served in little
glasses and meant to be eaten with the titular utensil. The waiter might bring you a menu, but
equally likely she’ll gesture to a refrigerated case that contains individual tiramisu, macedonia
(marinated fruit salad), creme caramel (flan) and millefoglie (puff pastry layered with cream).
Or, you can get a slice of a simple cake like torta di nonna (pie crust with pastry cream and pine
nuts). Fresh fruit is always available, especially ananas (pineapple), for which Italians have a
perverse love.After dessert you can have an espresso (never a cappuccino). And only then are
you ready for a digestivo. It could be limoncello (lemon liqueur), grappa (made from grapes), or
an amaro (alcohol steeped with spices and flavorings).
 6) Table Manners in Italy
Some people may think that Italian meals are excessively large and that they go on forever.
Leisurely they are, but portions are smaller than those served in the United States or the United
Kingdom. Thus, it is possible to eat a complete meal without feeling you have indulged or
damaged your

• And since all chefs take great pride in selecting the freshest of local ingredients, menus can
change seasonally. This means you won't be eating pears in June or green peas in December.
When in doubt let your waiter help you to decide.
• Italians love to discuss food and conferring with the waiter before ordering is almost expected.
In many restaurants written menus are only a guide to what an establishment offers.
• Although most restaurants try to meet individual requests, just remember the old Italian adage
"If you dont see what you love, love what you see".
7) To eat like an Italian, follow a few general rules.
Never put cheese on any pasta containing seafood. Never chop long strands of pasta with a
knife. Twirl the strands on your fork and eat.
• If you begin with a first course sauced with fish, dont order a second course of meat without a
sorbet first. Vegetable based courses can be followed by fish or meat.

• Italians drink espresso after a meal, never with a meal.

• Soup is never followed by pasta, except for the consommé. Don't mix meat and seafood in the
same meal, even if sometimes you can find some pasta or pizza dishes called 'Terra e Mare'.
• First courses or primi piatti can be pasta or soup or rice or even a small pizza. Pasta can be
dressed with meat, vegetable, egg, cheese or even fruit based sauces and variations are only
limited by the chef's imagination.
• Digestives or 'digestivi' are not crumbly biscuits, but amaro (bitter) or liquoroso (sweet) drinks
which traditionally finish a meal along with a strong espresso coffee.