Exploring Italy’s culinary delights is an integral part of any visit to this beautiful country. Whether you’re savouring a classic pizza in Naples or indulging in handmade pasta in Rome, knowing a few essential Italian restaurant phrases can make your dining experience even better. 

In this article, you will get familiar with some useful vocabulary and learn how to say your likes and dislikes in the language. Don’t forget to press play to listen to the episode of Coffee Break Italian to master the pronunciation. 

Siamo pronti?

1. Ho fame! 

The first essential phrase we will explore is restaurant-related in a way. After all,  if you are hungry, you might want to look for a place to eat.

2. Vorrei un tavolo per due, per favore. 

This one is a very handy sentence in the list of essential Italian restaurant phrases, as it helps you get a table for yourself and the people who are accompanying you. In this case, you are asking for un tavolo per due a table for two, but you can easily adapt that using your knowledge of numbers in Italian. 

Be sure to always add per favore for politeness.

3. Posso avere…?

You can use this phrase to begin ordering by adding the item you’d like from the menu. For example:

• Posso avere una pizza margherita, per favore? Can I have a margherita pizza please?

You can also use the verb volere, which was mentioned in the previous topic:

• Vorrei una cotoletta alla milanese, per favore I would like a cutlet of veal, please. 

4. Che vino mi consiglia?

Suppose you want to enjoy a nice wine, but you are not really sure which one on the menu you would prefer. In that case, you should add this sentence to your essential Italian restaurant phrases:

• Che vino mi consiglia? Which wine do you recommend?

It’s perfect for seeking recommendations from the waiter!

5. Buon appetito! 

When dining in Italy, you’ll often hear the phrase ‘Buon appetito’ ,which translates to ‘Enjoy your meal!’. It’s a common and friendly way to wish others a pleasant meal. 

You can use it when your food arrives or when others start eating.

6. È delizioso/a! 

To express your enjoyment of the meal, this is a useful sentence in our list of Italian restaurant phrases: ‘È delizioso!’. You can definitely guess what this one translates to, right? 

If your guess was ‘It’s delicious!’ y,ou got it right. Complimenting the food not only shows your appreciation but also makes the dining experience more engaging and pleasant for everyone involved.

You could say: 

• Questa pizza è deliziosa! This pizza is delicious!

7. Mi può portare…? 

If you need to ask the waiter for something else, this is one of the Italian restaurant phrases that is very useful as it means ‘Can you bring me…?’. It is followed by the item you need. For example:

• Mi può portare un’altra bottiglia di acqua, per favore? Can you bring me another bottle of water, please?

8. Il conto, per favore. 

When you’re ready to pay and leave, you can say ‘Il conto, per favore’ which means ‘The bill, please’’. It’s a straightforward and polite way to ask for the check, signalling that you’re finished with your meal and ready to settle the bill.

Bonus sentence – ‘mi piace…’ 

Finally, in our list of essential Italian restaurant phrases is ‘mi piace’, which translates to ‘I like’ in English. You can use this sentence to express your likes of food as well when talking about your hobbies, for example. However, this structure only works with singular nouns.

Using this structure is straightforward. For singular objects or actions ,you can say:

• Mi piace la pizza I like pizza.
• Mi piace mangiare I like to eat.

You can also say: 

• Mi piace mangiare una pizza I like to eat pizza.
• Mi piace mangiare un gelato I like to eat gelato.

Mastering these Italian restaurant phrases will not only make your dining experiences in Italy more enjoyable but also help you connect with locals and appreciate the rich culinary culture. So, the next time you find yourself in a cosy trattoria or a bustling pizzeria, use these phrases to enhance your experience and savour every moment of your Italian gastronomic adventure.

If you want to keep improving your Italian skills, check out our blog post that will reveal essential hotel vocabulary in Italian!