Venice: Eating & Drinking

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Eating & Drinking

A few pointers on Italian dining etiquette: menus are posted outside most restaurants (in English in tourist areas); if not, you might step inside and ask to take a look at the menu, but don't ask for a table unless you intend to stay. Italians take their food as it is listed on the menu, seldom making special requests such as "dressing on the side" or "hold the olive oil." If you have special dietary needs, though, make them known, and they can usually be accommodated. Although mineral water makes its way to almost every table, you can always order a carafe of tap water (acqua di rubinetto or acqua semplice) instead, but keep in mind that such water is highly chlorinated. Also, doing this will mark you distinctly as a tourist.

Spaghetti should be eaten with a fork rolled against the side of the dish, although a little help from a spoon will not horrify the locals the way cutting spaghetti into little pieces might. Wiping your bowl clean with a (small) piece of bread is fine in less formal eateries. Order your espresso (Italians almost never drink a cappuccino after breakfast) after dessert, not with it. When you are ready for it, ask for the check (il conto): unless it's well past closing time, no waiter will put a bill on your table without your having asked first. Don't ask for a doggy bag.

Meals & Specialties

What's the difference between a ristorante and a trattoria? Can you order food at an enoteca? Can you go to a restaurant just for a snack, or order just a salad at a pizzeria? The following definitions should help.

Not too long ago, restaurants tended to be more elegant and expensive than trattorie and osterie, which served more traditional, home-style fare in an atmosphere to match. But the distinction has blurred considerably, and an osteria in the center of town might be far fancier (and pricier) than a ristorante across the street. An enoteca menu is often limited to a selection of cheese, cured meats, pickles, salads, and desserts, but if there is a kitchen, you'll also find vegetable soups, pasta, meat, and fish preparations. Venetian bacari are something between an old-style osteria and a wine bar: here it's possible to grab a fast snack (cichetto) at the counter swallowed down with a glass of wine (ombra), or, sometimes, to sit down for a fast meal. Most pizzerias don't offer just pizza, and although the other dishes on the menu are supposed to be starters, there's no harm in skipping the pizza. The typical pizzeria fare includes affettati misti (selection of cured meat), simple salads, and various kinds of bruschetta and crostino (similar to bruschetta, but baked). Pizzerias generally have fresh fruit, ice cream, and simple desserts.

Throughout the region, the handiest and least expensive way to grab a quick snack between sights is to hit a bar, caffè, or pizza al taglio. Most bars have a selection of panini (sandwiches), toast, (grilled sandwiches), and tramezzini (untoasted sandwich triangles). In cities, you may also find prepared salad, cold pasta dishes, and yogurt around lunchtime. Most bars have beer and a variety of alcohol, but few, except in Venice, sell wine by the glass.

A caffè is like a bar but usually with more tables to sit down. Many caffès have limited restaurant licenses that allow them to serve hot pasta dishes, but choose carefully as some simply dispense microwaved portions. Pizza as well is often reheated. If you place your order at the counter, ask if you can sit down: some places, especially in Venice, charge extra for table service. In a self-service bar and caffè, it's good manners to clean up your table before you leave. Note that in some places you must pay before you place the order and be ready to show your scontrino (receipt) when you move to the counter. Few shops that sell pizza al taglio (by the slice) have places to sit down. Some pizzerias sell 1/8 of a large pizza as a slice, whereas in others, you'll pay by weight -- just point out which kind you want and indicate how big a piece.