Which Italian phrases matter most here?

“È tutto a posto?” (Is everything all right); “La bistecca è troppo cotta. Può riportarla in cucina?” (The steak is overcooked. Could you take it back); “La zuppa è fredda. Può scaldarla, per favore?” (The soup is cold. Could you heat it up, please). The full list is above.

Can I hear how they sound?

Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.

How can I practise this conversation?

Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Italy. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Italian phrases for complaining politely about your order in Italy

Stay calm and start with “Scusi”. Say what’s wrong in one plain sentence, “La bistecca è troppo cotta”, and ask for the fix: “Può riportarla in cucina?”. You can mention a long wait with “Aspettiamo da quaranta minuti”. Staff usually apologise and sort it out: “Mi scusi, sistemo subito”.

Try it · about two minutes

Your main course arrives late and cooked the wrong way, and you raise it without making a scene.

Sound on: the waiter speaks Italian. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

How does the conversation usually go?

Waiter
È tutto a posto?
Is everything all right?
You
La bistecca è troppo cotta. Può riportarla in cucina?
The steak is overcooked. Could you take it back?
Waiter
Mi scusi, sistemo subito.
Sorry about that, I will fix it right away.
You
Aspettiamo da quaranta minuti.
We have been waiting forty minutes.
Waiter
Ci vorranno una ventina di minuti.
It will take about twenty minutes.
You
Va bene, aspettiamo.
Fine, we’ll wait.
The new steak arrives, and this time it’s cooked just right. You catch the waiter’s eye.
You
Grazie, ora è perfetta.
Thanks, now it’s perfect.
Waiter
Vuole vedere il menù dei dolci?
Would you like to see the dessert menu?
You
Ci porta il conto, per favore?
Could you bring us the bill, please?
Waiter
Ecco il conto.
Here is the bill.
You
Credo che ci sia un errore nel conto.
I think there is a mistake on the bill.

Which Italian phrases do you need?

È tutto a posto?
Is everything all right?
La bistecca è troppo cotta. Può riportarla in cucina?
The steak is overcooked. Could you take it back?
La zuppa è fredda. Può scaldarla, per favore?
The soup is cold. Could you heat it up, please?
Non è quello che ho ordinato.
This is not what I ordered.
Aspettiamo da quaranta minuti.
We have been waiting forty minutes.
Mi scusi, sistemo subito.
Sorry about that, I will fix it right away.
Ci vorranno una ventina di minuti.
It will take about twenty minutes.
Credo ci sia stato un errore con il mio ordine.
I think there has been a mistake with my order.
Credo che ci sia un errore nel conto.
I think there is a mistake on the bill.
Ci porta il conto, per favore?
Could you bring us the bill, please?

What is worth knowing in Italy?

A polite complaint

1
Catch the waiter’s eye and begin with “Scusi”.
Excuse me, please.
2
Say what’s wrong in one plain sentence, then ask for the fix.
The soup is cold. Could you heat it up, please?
3
Staff usually apologise and put it right. A thank-you afterwards goes a long way.
Sorry about that, I will fix it right away.

Può, not puoi

To the waiter

Può riportarla in cucina?

Could you take it back to the kitchen?

Among friends

Puoi riportarla in cucina?

Can you take it back to the kitchen? (informal)

Staff are addressed with the polite Lei, so “può”. Tu is for friends and family.

Check the bill

If a dish was sent back, make sure it isn’t charged twice. Looking over the bill before you pay is normal.

Credo che ci sia un errore nel conto.

I think there is a mistake on the bill.

Questions about this situation

Which Italian phrases matter most here?: “È tutto a posto?” (Is everything all right); “La bistecca è troppo cotta. Può riportarla in cucina?” (The steak is overcooked. Could you take it back); “La zuppa è fredda. Può scaldarla, per favore?” (The soup is cold. Could you heat it up, please). The full list is above.
Can I hear how they sound?: Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.
How can I practise this conversation?: Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Italy. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Related situations in Italian

All situations in Italian

Practise these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

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AI-generated. May be inaccurate.