Learning Italian: Wining and dining

If you want to sample Italian cuisine, be it at a local trattoria, a fancy restaurant or a vinoteca (a wine bar), learning some key phrases in Italian will give you the confidence to chat to the waiter and prepare you for the kind of things they could ask you.

To ask for something in Italian, use vorrei (I’d like) or voremmo (we’d like) which come from the verb volere (to want).

Vorrei del pane, per favore.

I’d like some bread, please.

Vorrei riservare un tavolo, per favore.  

I’d like to book a table, please.  

Vorremmo ordinare, per favore.

We’d like to order, please.

When it comes to ordering from the menu, use prendo (I’ll have). Prendo comes from the verb prendere (to take).

Come antipasto, prendo le melanzane alla parmigiana.

As a starter, I’ll have the aubergine with parmesan.

E per secondo, il filetto alla brace.

And for my main course, I’ll have the grilled fillet of steak.

Come dolce, prendo il tiramisù.

For dessert, I’ll have the tiramisu.

Da bere prendiamo due bicchieri di vino rosso.

We’ll have two glasses of red wine to drink.

Per me la pizza margherita.

I’ll have the margherita pizza.  

If you want to ask the waiter for something in Italian, you can use Mi porta…? (Can I have…?) or Mi porterebbe…? (Could I have…?), both of which come from the verb portare which in this sense means to bring.

Mi porta dell’olio d’oliva, per favore?

Could I have some olive oil, please?

Mi porta la lista dei dolci, per favore?

Can I have the dessert menu, please?

Ci porterebbe il conto, per favore?

Could we have the bill, please?

If you want to really sound like a native, you can also say what you fancy having to eat or drink in Italian, by using ho voglia di… (I fancy…), followed by the infinitives prendere (to have) or mangiare (to eat).

Ho voglia di prendere la pizza vegetariana.

I fancy the vegetarian pizza.

Ho voglia di mangiare gli spaghetti alla carbonara. 

I fancy the spaghetti carbonara.

Non ho voglia di prendere un dolce.

I don’t really feel like a dessert. 

Don’t forget to come back for the next blog post to help you continue with the conversation!