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Italian phrases for ordering drinks and small plates in Italy

At an Italian bar, order for the whole table: “Due spritz e una birra, per favore”. The waiter asks “Da bere che cosa prende?” and “Desidera altro?”. In the early evening, an aperitivo drink often comes with snacks. When you’re ready to leave, ask “Il conto, per favore”: the bill rarely arrives by itself.

Try it · about two minutes

After work you meet friends at a busy bar and order a round of drinks and some plates to share.

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?

  1. Waiter

    Si accomodi dove vuole.

    Sit wherever you like.

    You

    Possiamo sederci fuori?

    Can we sit outside?

  2. Waiter

    Da bere che cosa prende?

    What would you like to drink?

    You

    Due spritz e una birra, per favore.

    Two spritzes and a beer, please.

  3. Waiter

    Desidera altro?

    Would you like anything else?

    You

    Posso vedere il menù, per favore?

    Can I see the menu, please?

  4. The plates are empty and it’s getting late. You catch the waiter’s eye.

    You

    Il conto, per favore.

    The bill, please.

  5. Waiter

    Paga con la carta o in contanti?

    Card or cash?

    You

    Posso pagare con il telefono?

    Can I pay with my phone?

  6. Waiter

    Grazie, arrivederci.

    Thank you, goodbye.

    You

    Grazie, buona serata.

    Thank you, have a good evening.

Which Italian phrases do you need?

  • Da bere che cosa prende?

    What would you like to drink?

  • Posso vedere il menù, per favore?

    Can I see the menu, please?

  • Possiamo ordinare, per favore?

    Could we order, please?

  • Desidera altro?

    Would you like anything else?

  • Nient'altro, grazie.

    Nothing else, thanks.

  • Possiamo sederci fuori?

    Can we sit outside?

  • Il conto, per favore.

    The bill, please.

  • Può fare conti separati, per favore?

    Can you do separate bills, please?

  • Paga con la carta o in contanti?

    Card or cash?

  • Posso pagare con il telefono?

    Can I pay with my phone?

What is worth knowing in Italy?

How an aperitivo goes

  1. 1

    Sit at a table or stand at the bar and order your drinks. The aperitivo is an early-evening habit.

  2. 2

    In many bars, especially in the north, the drinks come with snacks, from crisps and olives to a small buffet.

  3. 3

    Ask for the bill when you’re ready. It rarely comes by itself.

    The bill, please.

Cicchetti in Venice

In Venice, bars serve small bites called cicchetti, often eaten standing up with a little glass of wine known as un’ombra.

Paying with friends

With a group, you can ask for separate bills. Many friends simply split the total equally.

Può fare conti separati, per favore?

Can you do separate bills, please?

Questions about this situation

Which Italian phrases matter most here?
“Da bere che cosa prende?” (What would you like to drink); “Posso vedere il menù, per favore?” (Can I see the menu, please); “Possiamo ordinare, per favore?” (Could we order, 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.

AI-generated. May be inaccurate.