Frasa
SituationsGet the app (opens the App Store in a new tab)

Italian phrases for ordering the lunch menu of the day in Italy

At lunch some Italian restaurants offer a fixed-price menu, the menù del giorno or menù pranzo. Ask “Qual è il piatto del giorno?”, then pick a first course and a main: “Prendo la zuppa, per favore”, “Prendo il pollo, per favore”. Ask what the price includes, such as water, a side or a coffee.

Try it · about two minutes

At a local restaurant at lunchtime you order the fixed-price menu: a first course, a main, and dessert or coffee.

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

    Ecco il menù.

    Here is the menu.

    You

    Qual è il piatto del giorno?

    What is the dish of the day?

  2. Waiter

    Siete pronti per ordinare?

    Are you ready to order?

    You

    Prendo la zuppa, per favore.

    I’ll have the soup, please.

  3. Waiter

    E come secondo?

    And for the main?

    You

    Prendo il pollo, per favore.

    I’ll have the chicken, please.

  4. Waiter

    Da bere che cosa prende?

    What would you like to drink?

    You

    Dell'acqua, per favore.

    Some water, please.

  5. Waiter

    Vuole vedere il menù dei dolci?

    Would you like to see the dessert menu?

    You

    Posso vedere il menù, per favore?

    Can I see the menu, please?

  6. Waiter

    È tutto a posto?

    Is everything all right?

    You

    Era tutto squisito, grazie.

    Everything was delicious, thank you.

Which Italian phrases do you need?

  • Qual è il piatto del giorno?

    What is the dish of the day?

  • Che cosa ci consiglia?

    What do you recommend?

  • Siete pronti per ordinare?

    Are you ready to order?

  • Prendo la zuppa, per favore.

    I’ll have the soup, please.

  • Prendo il pollo, per favore.

    I’ll have the chicken, please.

  • Dell'acqua, per favore.

    Some water, please.

  • Naturale o frizzante?

    Still or sparkling?

  • Il coperto è incluso?

    Is the cover charge included?

  • Vuole vedere il menù dei dolci?

    Would you like to see the dessert menu?

  • Ci porta il conto, per favore?

    Could you bring us the bill, please?

What is worth knowing in Italy?

How a set lunch goes

  1. 1

    Ask for the menù del giorno or menù pranzo, or read the board outside.

    What is the dish of the day?
  2. 2

    Choose a primo (pasta, rice or soup) and a secondo (meat or fish). Some set menus let you choose just one course.

  3. 3

    Ask what the price covers. Water, a side dish or a coffee may be included.

Piatto del giorno, menù del giorno

Il piatto del giorno is one special dish. A menù del giorno or menù pranzo is the fixed-price set of courses. Set lunches vary from place to place.

The cover charge

Many restaurants add a small charge per person, called coperto. If you’re watching the bill, ask whether it’s included.

Il coperto è incluso?

Is the cover charge included?

Questions about this situation

Which Italian phrases matter most here?
“Qual è il piatto del giorno?” (What is the dish of the day); “Che cosa ci consiglia?” (What do you recommend); “Siete pronti per ordinare?” (Are you ready to order). 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.