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Italian phrases for ordering food in a restaurant in Italy

Walk in and ask “Avete un tavolo libero?”. The waiter asks “Quante persone siete?”: answer “Un tavolo per due, per favore”. Ask “Che cosa ci consiglia?” or “Qual è il piatto del giorno?”, then order: “Prendo il pollo, per favore”. Meals come in courses, and the bill arrives only when you ask.

Try it · about two minutes

You arrive at a restaurant without a booking, get a table and ask the waiter what they recommend.

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

    Avete prenotato?

    Have you booked?

    You

    Avete un tavolo libero?

    Do you have a free table?

  2. Waiter

    Quante persone siete?

    How many of you are there?

    You

    Un tavolo per due, per favore.

    A table for two, please.

  3. Waiter

    Ecco il menù.

    Here is the menu.

    You

    Che cosa ci consiglia?

    What do you recommend?

  4. Waiter

    Da bere che cosa prende?

    What would you like to drink?

    You

    Dell'acqua, per favore.

    Some water, please.

  5. Waiter

    Siete pronti per ordinare?

    Are you ready to order?

    You

    Prendo la zuppa, per favore.

    I’ll have the soup, please.

  6. Waiter

    È tutto a posto?

    Is everything all right?

    You

    Sì, tutto bene, grazie.

    Yes, all fine, thanks.

Which Italian phrases do you need?

  • Avete un tavolo libero?

    Do you have a free table?

  • Quante persone siete?

    How many of you are there?

  • Un tavolo per due, per favore.

    A table for two, please.

  • Posso avere il menù, per favore?

    Can I see the menu, please?

  • Che cosa ci consiglia?

    What do you recommend?

  • Qual è il piatto del giorno?

    What is the dish of the day?

  • Siete pronti per ordinare?

    Are you ready to order?

  • Prendo il pollo, per favore.

    I’ll have the chicken, please.

  • Da bere che cosa prende?

    What would you like to drink?

  • Grazie, è molto buono.

    Thank you, it is very good.

What is worth knowing in Italy?

How a meal goes

  1. 1

    Wait by the door until staff show you to a table, or sit where they point.

    Follow me, please.
  2. 2

    Orders come in courses: antipasto, primo (pasta or rice), secondo (meat or fish), then dessert. You don’t have to take them all.

  3. 3

    Water usually comes bottled, still or sparkling.

    Still or sparkling?

No rush

A meal in Italy is unhurried, and the bill rarely comes until you ask. If you need more time to choose, say so.

Ci servono ancora due minuti.

We need a couple more minutes.

Lei, not tu

With the waiter

Da bere che cosa prende?

What would you like to drink?

Among friends

Da bere che cosa prendi?

What are you having to drink? (informal)

Waiters use the polite Lei with customers, and you should too. Tu is for friends and family.

Questions about this situation

Which Italian phrases matter most here?
“Avete un tavolo libero?” (Do you have a free table); “Quante persone siete?” (How many of you are there); “Un tavolo per due, per favore.” (A table for two, 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

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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.