How to Read an Italian Menu Without Guessing
An Italian menu becomes much easier to understand once you recognize its structure. In fact, you do not need to know every pasta shape or speak fluent Italian. Instead, a few course headings, cooking words and regional dish names can help you choose confidently.
First, ask what kind of dish you are choosing. Next, check the ingredients and cooking method. Finally, confirm whether the price covers the whole portion.
Here is how to work through a menu, choose something you actually want to eat, and recognize traditional specialties along the way.
Start with the sections: you do not have to order every course
A traditional restaurant menu follows the order in which the kitchen serves each course. However, these headings describe your options; you do not have to order a large meal.
| Menu heading | What it means | What you might find |
|---|---|---|
| Antipasti | Starters | Cured meats, crostini, marinated fish, vegetable dishes |
| Primi piatti, or primi | First courses | Pasta, risotto, soups and many gnocchi dishes |
| Secondi piatti, or secondi | Second courses | Meat, fish, seafood, and sometimes vegetarian dishes |
| Contorni | Side dishes | Potatoes, cooked greens, beans, salads |
| Formaggi | Cheeses | A single local cheese or a selection |
| Dolci | Desserts | Cakes, pastries, puddings, gelato |
| Bevande | Drinks | Water, soft drinks, beer and other beverages |
| Carta dei vini | Wine list | Wines by the bottle and sometimes by the glass |
A primo can be your main meal. For example, you might order pasta and a side dish, a starter followed by fish, or just a pizza in a pizzeria. However, check the conditions if you choose a tasting menu or fixed menu.
Secondi often come without a substantial side dish. Therefore, if you want potatoes with your grilled fish, check the description or order them from the contorni section.
For a fuller picture of how these courses fit together at family gatherings, see Italian Sunday Lunch: Traditions, Courses and Regional Dishes.
Read the dish in three parts
Next, look at the dish itself. Many menu descriptions combine a main ingredient, a cooking method and a sauce or accompaniment.
For example, consider orata al forno con patate:
- Orata: gilthead sea bream.
- Al forno: oven-baked.
- Con patate: with potatoes.
Similarly, tagliatelle ai funghi porcini means ribbon pasta with porcini mushrooms.
In addition, small connecting words help. Con means “with”; senza means “without.” Al, alla, ai and alle can introduce an ingredient or preparation style. Alla romana means Roman-style, but the actual preparation depends on the dish.
Della casa means “of the house,” so expect the restaurant’s own version. However, the phrase does not provide an ingredient list. Meanwhile, del giorno means “of the day.” In that case, ask what today’s version contains.
Cooking words that tell you what will arrive
| Italian term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Al forno | Oven-baked or roasted |
| Alla griglia | Grilled |
| Alla brace | Cooked over embers |
| Fritto | Fried |
| In umido | Stewed or cooked with liquid and sauce |
| Brasato | Braised |
| Bollito, lesso | Boiled or gently simmered |
| Al vapore | Steamed |
| Al cartoccio | Cooked in a paper or foil parcel |
| Gratinato | Browned with a topping, often breadcrumbs or cheese |
| Ripieno | Stuffed or filled |
| Affumicato | Smoked |
| Crudo | Raw, or uncooked and cured in names such as prosciutto crudo |
| In brodo | In broth |
| In bianco | Usually without tomato; the exact preparation varies |
| Agrodolce | Sweet-and-sour |
A fritto misto is a mixed fried selection. For example, a coastal restaurant might combine fish and squid. Elsewhere, however, the selection could include vegetables or meat.
Al dente describes pasta with some firmness remaining at its center. Meanwhile, mantecato describes how the cook works a preparation into a creamy consistency. However, the word alone does not tell you whether the recipe includes cream.
For steak, al sangue, media cottura and ben cotta mean rare, medium and well done.
Ingredients worth recognizing before you order
You will quickly recognize pomodoro, mozzarella and basilico. However, other ingredients can be less obvious. For that reason, keep these words handy when choosing a dish.
| Italian word | What it is |
|---|---|
| Guanciale | Cured pork cheek or jowl |
| Pancetta | Cured pork belly |
| Salsiccia | Sausage |
| Manzo, vitello | Beef, veal |
| Agnello, coniglio | Lamb, rabbit |
| Cinghiale | Wild boar |
| Trippa | Tripe |
| Acciughe, alici | Anchovies |
| Vongole, cozze | Clams, mussels |
| Seppie, calamari, polpo | Cuttlefish, squid, octopus |
| Bottarga | Salted, dried fish roe |
| Melanzane, zucchine | Eggplant, zucchini |
| Carciofi, finocchi | Artichokes, fennel |
| Fagioli, ceci | Beans, chickpeas |
| Panna, burro | Cream, butter |
| Tartufo | Truffle; in a dessert name it can instead refer to a truffle-shaped sweet |
Ragù often indicates a meat sauce, although menus may specify fish or vegetable versions. Similarly, brodo needs context: the kitchen might use meat, fish or vegetables to make its broth.
Salumi means cured meats, so a selection may include much more than salami. Also, distinguish prosciutto cotto, or cooked ham, from prosciutto crudo, or dry-cured ham.
Finally, peperoni means peppers. For a spicy sausage topping on pizza, look for salame piccante. A pizza called diavola commonly features it, although toppings vary.
Traditional regional dish names worth knowing
Some dishes reveal very little through a literal translation. Instead, learn the traditional name alongside its main ingredients. The following regional examples will help you decide what to order.
Northern Italy
| Dish | Where to look for it | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Bagna cauda | Piedmont | A warm garlic-and-anchovy dip served with vegetables |
| Pizzoccheri | Valtellina, Lombardy | Buckwheat pasta, typically with potatoes, greens, cheese and butter |
| Risotto alla milanese | Milan, Lombardy | Saffron risotto; traditional preparations may include meat broth and marrow |
| Canederli, also called Knödel | Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol | Bread dumplings, with versions containing speck, cheese or vegetables; served in broth or with butter |
| Sarde in saor | Venice, Veneto | Sardines with sweet-and-sour onions, often with raisins and pine nuts |
| Trofie al pesto | Liguria | Small twisted pasta with basil pesto; potatoes and green beans may also appear |
| Tagliatelle al ragù | Bologna and Emilia-Romagna | Egg-pasta ribbons with a slow-cooked meat sauce |
| Tortellini in brodo | Emilia-Romagna | Small filled pasta, traditionally with a meat-based filling, served in broth |
Pesto usually contains cheese and pine nuts as well as basil, garlic and olive oil. Therefore, check the ingredients if you avoid dairy or nuts. The green color alone cannot tell you whether a sauce suits your dietary needs.
Central Italy
| Dish | Where to look for it | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Ribollita | Tuscany | A thick soup of bread, beans and vegetables, including leafy greens |
| Pici all’aglione | Southern Tuscany | Thick pasta with a tomato sauce flavored with the local large-cloved aglione |
| Olive all’ascolana | Ascoli Piceno and Marche | Breaded, fried olives traditionally stuffed with meat |
| Cacio e pepe | Rome, Lazio | Pasta with Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper |
| Amatriciana | Amatrice and Rome, Lazio | Pasta with tomato, guanciale and pecorino |
| Saltimbocca alla romana | Rome, Lazio | Veal with prosciutto and sage |
Three Roman pasta names are particularly useful to distinguish. First, carbonara uses egg, guanciale, pecorino and pepper. By comparison, gricia combines guanciale, pecorino and pepper, without egg or tomato. Finally, cacio e pepe centers on cheese and pepper.
Southern Italy and the islands
| Dish | Where to look for it | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Arrosticini | Abruzzo | Small grilled skewers of sheep meat, commonly sold by number |
| Pasta alla genovese | Naples, Campania | Pasta with a slow-cooked onion-and-meat sauce |
| Orecchiette alle cime di rapa | Puglia | Small “ear” pasta with turnip greens; preparations often include anchovies, garlic and chili |
| Pasta alla Norma | Sicily | Pasta with tomato, fried eggplant, basil and ricotta salata |
| Pasta con le sarde | Sicily | Pasta with sardines and wild fennel, often with raisins and pine nuts |
| Culurgiones | Sardinia, especially Ogliastra | Filled pasta, commonly with potato, cheese and mint |
| Fregula, also written fregola | Sardinia | Small toasted semolina pasta, prepared with seafood or other ingredients |
| Seadas, also called sebadas | Sardinia | Fried pastries filled with fresh cheese, usually served with honey |
However, treat these names as starting points because fillings, accompaniments and family recipes vary. Sardinian pasta names and Sicilian sauces are especially good examples of why recognizing a traditional name is more useful than translating each word.
For more inspiration before you travel, explore What to Eat in Every Region of Italy: 20 Regions, 100 Local Specialties.
Names that can lead you in the wrong direction
Genovese needs context. Pesto alla genovese is the familiar basil sauce from Liguria. In contrast, pasta alla genovese on a Neapolitan menu usually means the rich onion-and-meat preparation described above.
Marinara pizza usually has no seafood. Instead, its classic toppings are tomato, garlic, oregano and olive oil.
A tagliata is sliced meat, usually beef; tagliatelle are pasta ribbons.
Gnocchi alla romana are baked semolina rounds. As a result, they look and taste different from the potato dumplings many visitors expect.
Baccalà and stoccafisso require some local knowledge. Generally, baccalà means salted cod and stoccafisso means air-dried stockfish. However, traditional Veneto dishes called baccalà can use stockfish. Ask about the preparation rather than relying entirely on a dictionary.
Check how the price is calculated
Before choosing an expensive fish, steak or special, read the small print.
All’etto means per 100 grams. Al chilo means per kilogram. A large steak or whole fish can therefore cost several times the number printed beside it.
For example, a hypothetical steak priced at €7 all’etto, weighing 900 grams, would cost €63. Ask the restaurant to confirm both the weight and total price before cooking.
Other useful terms include:
- A persona: per person.
- Minimo due persone: a minimum of two people.
- Secondo peso: according to weight.
- Prezzo al pezzo: price per item.
- S.Q., secondo quantità: according to quantity; ask for the price.
- Coperto: a per-person cover charge where applied.
- Servizio: a service charge where applied.
For a menù fisso, check which courses, drinks and extras the price covers. Meanwhile, a menù degustazione offers a tasting menu. Wine pairing may cost extra, so check before ordering.
Also, an asterisk beside a dish can refer to frozen ingredients or another note. Therefore, read the menu’s own explanation.
Order drinks with the same confidence
Acqua naturale is still water. Acqua frizzante or gassata is sparkling. Leggermente frizzante means lightly sparkling.
For wine, un calice means a glass. Vino della casa means house wine, which may be available by the glass or carafe.
Un quarto di litro is 250 milliliters; mezzo litro is half a liter. Before ordering, check the listed sizes and prices.
At the end of the meal, un caffè normally means an espresso. Decaffeinato means decaffeinated, while macchiato means espresso with a little milk.
Useful questions when the menu leaves something out
| Italian phrase | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Che cosa contiene questo piatto? | What does this dish contain? |
| Come viene preparato? | How is it prepared? |
| Qual è la specialità della casa? | What is the house specialty? |
| Il contorno è incluso? | Is the side dish included? |
| Quanto costa la porzione intera? | How much does the whole portion cost? |
| Possiamo dividerlo? | Can we share it? |
| È possibile averlo senza formaggio? | Is it possible to have it without cheese? |
| Il conto, per favore. | The bill, please. |
If you avoid particular ingredients, be specific. For example, a vegetable soup may contain meat broth, while a greens-based pasta sauce may contain anchovies. In addition, cheese, egg, butter and lard may appear in dishes whose names do not mention them.
For an allergy, tell staff directly and ask them to check the ingredients and preparation. After all, a short dish name or translation app cannot establish that a dish is suitable.
If you would like a compact reference for your trip, browse Italian phrasebooks on Amazon.com or Amazon.it, checking the edition and contents before choosing.
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Italia Mia earns from qualifying purchases.
Put it together: a simple restaurant order
Imagine a menu listing tortellini in brodo, coniglio al forno, patate arrosto and panna cotta.
The kitchen serves the tortellini in broth as a first course and roasts the rabbit in the oven. Meanwhile, the potatoes count as a separate side, and panna cotta belongs to the dessert section.
For a lighter meal, you could choose the tortellini and dessert. Alternatively, order the rabbit with potatoes. Before deciding, ask about the pasta filling, the rabbit’s accompaniments or whether a portion is large enough to share.
That is enough knowledge to make a comfortable choice—and leave room for a regional specialty you have never tried.
External Sources
- Italia.it: Typical Sardinian food and dishes
- Italia.it: Traditional Sicilian foods and dishes
- Italia.it: Pesto alla genovese
- La Cucina Italiana: Pasta alla genovese
