Antipasto buffets - how do they work?
 

I'm not sure how antipasto buffets in Italy work in regards to serving and price. If the waiter serves you is it one price for as many plates as you like? How about if you serve yourself? any comments would be appreciated! We leave for Italy in a month. thanks

I have not seen these type of buffets much in Italy. I my own experience, you pay for each plate that you eat. The only place that I remember a buffet type situation where you could serve yourself from a long table of antipasti was in a restaurant in Agrigento, Sicily.

I don't think I've ever seen an antipasto buffet in Italy. But if they exist, I imagine you pay eitehr by the plate or by the item. Where are you expecting to find these?

I saw one, but it's part of a Brazilian churrascaria dinner, which is all-you-can-eat anyways. At the Mediterraneo Palace hotel in Ragusa. Excellent deal at 20€.

Are you talking about the aperitivo happy hours? We did this in Milan and it was great -- cheap or free buffets of a large spread of food with reasonably priced cocktails.

Of the four bars/lounges we went to, there were plates next to the spread at the bar and we just went up and served ourselves. We watched to see if people were re-using their plates and we did the same (people didn't get new plates each time they went up). I think three places were free, the last place was trendy and posh and I think we paid 6 Euro in addition to the price of drinks. The food reminded me of tapas except for some great Moroccan type lounge which served the best food.

We only saw this in Milan and we really enjoyed it. I think we also went to Puck (?) one night for a good dinner and they also had the aperitivo set-up at the bar.

They have these types of buffets in Rome especially in the tourist areas-one is a Rick Steves place by the Spanish Steps called Rampa. They charge about 9 euros for ONE plate only. Some of the buffets are really nice looking that I have seen-I am just too busy stuffing my face with a full meal and red wine to enjoy an antipasto buffet!

Hi there! Let me tell you about "antipasto buffet" and "Aperitivo happy hour". They are NOT the same thing.
You can find the "antipasto buffet" in restaurants and pizzerias: you are allowed to go up to a long table where various items of antipasti are, take a dish and a fork, serve yourself with as much items as you want. Nobody counts the items you have taken and the price is fixed: for example 5/6 euros per person. You are supposed to order other plates to the waiter, before you go up to the long table, such as pizza or pasta and/or meat/fish and so on.
Not all restaurants and pizzerias have "antipasto buffet": in the most of them there is not a long table with antipasti, the waiter asks you if you want an antipasto before the first course, and they will serve you. In this case, each item has their own price.
The "Aperitivo happy hour" happens in lounges and bars: you eat some chips and tapas and drink some cocktails for a reduced price. You are not supposed to take anything else than another cocktail. This happens mostly in Milan and Rome about 6-8 p.m. when people go out of offices and spend some time together relaxing before going home.

I have had many antipasto buffets in Italy. They are part of a four-course-menu that is ordered in the beginning of the meal. After the waiter has taken your order you go to the buffet and help yourself for a prix fixe.

The items and plates are not counted, but it would be regarded as rather uncivilized

a) if you do not order a complete menu but just the buffet and maybe a dessert,

b) if you heap your plate with food,

c) if you go several times to the buffet.

I have read (American) travel guides where buffets where recommended as an economic way to consume enormous amounts of food for a low price - that would be quite barbarian. For a full meal in Italy, you have to order four courses: antipasti for vegetables, pasta or risotto for carbohydrates, meat or fish for proteine, and dessert for sugar.

We had an antipasto buffet at a restaurant (more of a pizza place) in Castellina in Chianti. We each filled a plate and were charged a fixed rate (6 euros or something).

We ordered with the waiter and then went up to the buffet and then the waiter brought the drinks and pizza to our table.

In Piedmont you can find antipasti buffet in pizzaria and restaurant's, often only when there is a lot of people expected (weekend's and holidays) - price is fixed and you can help yourself. No one would mind multiple visits as long as you had ordered another course, might be frowned upon if you didn't. BTW antipasti can be many things including meat and fish - not just vegetables!

Aperitivo varies from town to town, but expect complimentary "nibbles" when you order a cold drink in most bars from late afternoon to early evening. In Torino there is great competiton to get people into the bars and cafes, so some of the "free" aperitivo's rival the best buffets. In some bars the drinks price can be high due to the quality of the aperitivo (Cafe Norman in Torino for example - circa 9 Euro for any chosen drink - but can eat as much as you like, including hot food).

I recall and antipasto "buffet" at the La Campana in Rome, November 01'. It was listed as Antipasto mista on the menu. It looked beautiful and I was starved! It took all my will power not to go back for another load up. It seemed a bit too American to do that.

http://www.orso80.it/inglese/indexw.htm

Orso 80 is supposed to known for their antipasto.

One evening in Rome we went to L’orso 80 located at Via dell'Orso 33 just north of Piazza Navona. Nikki and I sat down and the waiter brought in a plate of proscuitto, roasted red peppers, fried rice croquettes (supplì?), roasted eggplant etc. We started eating but then all of a sudden the waiter came back with more! We also had bread, beans in tomato sauce, balls of fresh mozzarella, cauliflower, marinated mushrooms, and slices of melon. We had lots on our table and it was time to taste all the different dishes. But hey, the waiter came back a third time as well and it was now starting to become a bit embarrassing because we had so many plates that the waiter had to stack stuff on top of each other

thanks everyone. 09Jersey, Orso 80 is a restaurant I've read about on this board and would like to try it. The antipasto sounds yummy!

So 09jersey, did you quit with the antipasto or did you also order other food? Just pasta or meats? Any idea how much this all cost? Was it a set price for the antipasto? Not being big eaters, I love the antipasto, but hate to do that as I'm too full to order anything else.

I looked at their website, but there's not much information.

I love Orso 80 in Rome with their antipasto buffet that is brought to your table but it is not cheap. The last couple times that I have ate there it has been between 20-25 euros for each of us with the buffet,water and hour wine.

Make that HOUSE WINE!

What do you mean by a buffet brought to your table? Do you mean a waiter prepares a plate from the buffet and brings it to you? Or do you mean they bring a bunch of different plates to your table and you help yourself? Again, was that your full meal or did you order after that?

I saw those a lot in Bologna but it was happy hour only. I didn't have a drink in those places but passed my windows were people were filling their plates.

In my role as the Unoffical L'Orso 80 Wet Blanket on this board, I do have to report that I personally witnessed a waiter dumping the remains of bowls of antipasti that had been served to customers back into the common bowl (to be served to others later). If that sort of thing freaks you out, you have been warned.

The first few days in Italy I am always looking for these buffets as they are hard to come by here in the US. In Rome they have one at La Carbonara (in the Campo di Fiori) There you chose what size plate you want and they charge accordingly - I think it is just small or large and it is nowhere near 25E! we usually get one large plate and then a pasta (we are two women, not big eaters), the waiters seem pleasant enough about it. But I have been other places where you order and they put the plate together for you - I am not always sure how it is meant to play out. The other restuarant where we have eaten this (that I remember at least) is La Gemma in Capri - again, you get a plate and fill it up yourself. I hae never gone back for more - I get a big plate and load up the first time! also it seems to be OK to share - at least at La Carbonara but I can't remember why I have that impression. I live in Atlanta and would love to find a restaurant here that offers this - they do have something like this at the Brazillian meat restaurant but that place is too pricey!

Yeah if it's 20-25 Euros, you might as well look for a full meal.

Like Torino, Genoa's bars are quite big on the aperitivo buffets too. My colleagues and I would pay about 5-7 euro for a cocktail and get the yummy buffet filled with hot and cold food free. Near the end of the month before payday, it was a yummy inexpensive dinner!

When at a bar that didn't have a buffet, they at least serve you potato chips, olives, or some other snack food when you purchase a cocktail. They usually only serve snacks (as well as the buffets) between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Don't see much of the buffets here in Tuscany, only chips, olives, little sandwiches set out on the bar during the happy hour time.

As far as antipasti...from the restaurants I have been to, if it is a buffet it is one price and you should only make one trip to the buffet. Other restaurants I have been to again charge one fixed price, and bring out different plates of antipasti to your table that you can help yourself to.

Actually, that's why I keep asking about it being a full meal. I never order antipasto with a meal because it's more than we care to eat. But I love most of the items and would love to make a full meal on it. I wouldn't mind paying 20 or 25 euro for a full meal of antipasto.

I found this page in Orso 80 web page.

Says their specialty is appetizers and sampling plates.

But no mention of price


http://www.orso80.it/inglese/specialita.htm

Of well if they recycle food from plates others have eaten, I guess the thing to do is to get there when they open for lunch or dinner.

;)

In my experience you are more likely to find an antipasto buffets in Sicily than in the rest of Italy. It seems to me that the way that an antipasto buffet is listed on the menu in restaurants in Sicily indicates that it is sort of "market price" (L/sq) and I have always assumed that the waiter sort of eyes-up your plate to determine how much the charge will be. While I don't believe that it is necessary to order three additional courses I do think that the expectation is that you will order at least one additional course (pasta or entree, or a pizza if it is a pizzaria). I have seen both "self service" and buffets where you are expected to accompany the waiter to the antipasti table andlet him know what you want.

I'm a fan of the appetizer spread at La Rampa near the Spanish Steps. I didn't know RS recommended it; we've been going there for ages and everyone in my family thinks it is quite good.

In Rome, also in the Piazza di Spagna area, Tre Degli Amici, a little known but good restaurant, has a much smaller appetizer spread, but it is very very good. Seafood is the star, and each morsel is wonderful.

In Portovenere, there is an ancient square with a fountain and a really good restaurant. They serve a huge selection of seafood appetizers at your table. Fantastic.

If I put my mind to it, I could probably think of more...I'm pretty sure the restaurant at the Porta Rocca in Monterosso al Mare has an appetizer buffet. And doesn't that rather famous place in Recco?

So, yes, they have them in Italy. They are all probably a little different in cost and approach, but IMO, you get to taste a lot of little things that are different and good, and if you like that sort of thing, you should give one of these a try.

Wow! There are a lot of responses! I haven't read all of the responses but thought that i'd share our knowledge - someone may already have mentioned this..We saw plenty of antipasto buffets in Sicily and were fortunately told by our hosts at our first b&b that you just fill one plate each and order something else ie pasta or mains.
We were in the country side where there would have mainly been locals eating out and so this advice was very welcome. It was only 3-4 euro in this little town and had so much seafood! My understanding is that Sicilians are very gracious and probably wouldn't even say anything if you did go for seconds...
I guess, in the cities they may expect foreigners to go for seconds and the price may reflect this or they may even tell you if asked.
I've just seen the date of your post! Hope you enjoyed the buffets, we would have been in Italy at the same time!
Raechel