Italian booking vocabulary – Dining out

If you’ve been reading my blog lately, you’ll surely know that some time ago I started a series of small guides to help you master basic Italian sentences in different situations.

For example, if you want to rent an apartment for your Italian staying, have a look at Renting apartments in Italy – Things to know. 

Instead, if you want to go shopping in Italy, reading my article Learn some words related to Italian clothing – In an Italian shop can be useful.

Today, however, has come to my mind that maybe you’re not travelling in Italy alone, or maybe you’re alone but you’ve met a beautiful Italian girl or an Italian boy that you really like, and so you may want to invite him/her to dinner.

Guess what? I’m here to help you learn some Italian booking vocabulary that might come in handy when dining out in Italy. I’ll try to keep it as simple as possible.

FIRST STEP – FINDING THE BEST RESTAURANT TO DINE OUT

Let’s start our Italian booking vocabulary from the basics.

You surely don’t want to bring your loved one into a bettola, dive, so the first thing to do is searching on the net the best restaurants in your area, or in alternative, asking an Italian friend or the hotel receptionist what the best restaurants in your area are.

If you ask the hotel receptionist you can say:
Mi scusi, può consigliarmi un buon ristorante? – Excuse me, can you recommend a good restaurant?

Instead, if you ask an Italian friend, you can say:
Conosci un buon ristorante (da consigliarmi)? – Do you know a good restaurant?

If la fascia di prezzo – price range – is important for you, after you get one or more restaurant’s names you can always check what they usually charge by reading reviews on the internet.

SECOND STEP – RESERVING A TABLE AT AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT

Let’s bring our Italian booking vocabulary to the next step.

After you’ve chosen the restaurant, reserving a table is the second step. You can do it on the phone or in person. Some restaurants allow you also to make a reservation through their websites but personally I prefer the first option.

So, you dial the number, you wait for the other person to answer and you say:
Pronto, volevo prenotare un tavolo per due per venerdì sera – Hello, I’d like to make a reservation for two for Friday evening

Now, if there’s availability the restaurant owner will ask you:
Per che ora? – At what time?

And you’ll answer:
Per le 8 – At 8 o’clock

A che nome? – What name should I make the reservation under?

And you’ll answer either with your name and surname or only with your surname.

If, instead, the restaurant is fully booked, the restaurant owner will say:
Mi dispiace ma il ristorante è pieno per venerdì sera alle 8 – I’m sorry but the restaurant is fully booked for Friday evening at 8 o’ clock

E per le 9.30? – What about 9.30?
E per giovedì sera alle 8? – What about Thursday evening at 8 o’ clock?

The restaurant owner will say:
Sì, c’è posto/disponibilità. A che nome? – Yes, we’ve availability. What name should I make the reservation under?

And you’ll answer with your name and surname or only with your surname.

THIRD STEP – AT THE RESTAURANT

Once at the restaurant you’ll say to the restaurant manager:
Buonasera, ho prenotato a nome di… – Good evening I’ve a reservation. The name is…

The restaurant manager will say:
Sì, (tavolo 3), prego – Yes, (table 3), follow me

At this point you look at the menu and choose what you want. When the waiter comes you’ll say:
Per primo due spaghetti allo scoglio – Two Seafood spaghetti as first course
Per secondo un filetto con salsa al pepe verde e un fritto misto – One Tenderloin with green pepper sauce and one fritto misto as second course
Da bere una bottiglia di acqua naturale e una bottiglia di Barbera – To drink we’ll have a bottle of natural water and a bottle of Barbera wine

When you finish your course, the waiter will return to take your empty dishes and to ask you if you want something for dessert.

Prendete/desiderate un dolce? – Do you want some dessert?

And you can answer:

Sì, due tiramisù, grazie – Yes, two tiramisù, thanks
No, prendiamo solo due caffé, grazie – No, we’ll take only two coffees, thanks
No, siamo a posto così, grazie – No, we’re good, thanks

FOURTH STEP – TIME TO PAY

Finally, here’s the last part of our Italian booking vocabulary.

When you’ve finished your dinner you either call the waiter and ask for the bill or you head to where the cash register is to have the bill and pay.

If you ask the waiter you’ll say:
Il conto, per favore – The bill, please

If you head to where the cash register is, the restaurant owner will tell you how much you’ll have to pay:
Sono 60 euro – It’s 60 euros

Just remember to ask for the scontrino – receipt – if the restaurant owner doesn’t hand it to you immediately.

That’s all the basics you need to know to make a reservation in Italy and to dine out in Italy. I hope you’ll find this Italian booking vocabulary useful.

---

Credits

Original image by Macmaus