Lunch at a restaurant in Italian, from table to bill
Prendo le lasagne e un'acqua naturale.
“I'll have the lasagne and a still water.”
When: The moment the waiter reaches your table
The moment
One o'clock in Rome and you and a friend push open the door of a packed trattoria. Get a table, ask what one dish contains, order a plate and a drink, answer the waiter's follow-up question, and ask for the bill.
A1 · Unit 2 · Café & food · Checkpoint
This is the unit’s checkpoint: one roleplay that puts the unit’s scenes together.
The lines
Placing the order
The waiter fires back "E da bere?" the second you name your dish, so put both in one line: "Prendo le lasagne e un'acqua naturale."
Prendo le lasagne e un'acqua naturale.
“I'll have the lasagne and a still water.”
When to use it: The moment the waiter reaches your table
What you’ll hear back: Perfetto, arriva subito. (Perfect, coming right up.)
Checking the dish first
Before you commit, name the dish and ask what is inside: "Scusi, cosa c'è dentro la parmigiana?" It is the one question that saves you from fish, onion or guanciale.
Scusi, cosa c'è dentro la parmigiana?
“Excuse me, what's in the parmigiana?”
When to use it: While the menu is still in your hands
What you’ll hear back: Ci sono melanzane, pomodoro e mozzarella. (There's aubergine, tomato and mozzarella.)
Words for this scene
| Italian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| un tavolo per due | oon TAH-voh-loh pehr DOO-eh | a table for two |
Buongiorno, un tavolo per due, per favore. Good afternoon, a table for two, please. Tip: Wait by the door — in Italy the waiter seats you. | ||
| cosa mi consiglia? | KOH-zah mee kon-SEE-lyah | what do you recommend? |
Non so cosa prendere, cosa mi consiglia? I don't know what to have, what do you recommend? Tip: Keep the Lei form with any waiter you have just met. | ||
| il conto, per favore | eel KOHN-toh pehr fah-VOH-reh | the bill, please |
Scusi, il conto, per favore. Excuse me, the bill, please. Tip: It never arrives unasked, and the coperto replaces a tip. | ||
Your objective
Ask for a table, ask what one dish has in it, order a main and a drink, and ask for the bill at the end.
- a table
- your main and your drink
- the bill
Lines that get it done
- Buongiorno, un tavolo per due, per favore. · Good afternoon, a table for two, please.
- Prendo le lasagne e un'acqua naturale.
- Scusi, il conto, per favore. · Excuse me, the bill, please.
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. The waiter takes your food order and asks "Naturale o frizzante?". What is he asking about?
- Whether you want a starter
- Which kind of water you want
- How you would like to pay
- Whether the dish is spicy
Show the answer
Which kind of water you want
Water comes bottled in Italy: naturale is still, frizzante is sparkling.
2. You are allergic to nuts and the waiter is writing down your order. What do you say?
- Non mi piace la frutta secca
- Prendo la frutta secca, grazie
- Sono allergico alla frutta secca
- Non c'è frutta secca
Show the answer
Sono allergico alla frutta secca
"Sono allergico a..." is the phrase that gets the kitchen's full attention.
3. You have finished eating and want to pay. What do you say?
- Il conto, per favore
- Il menù, per favore
- Un tavolo per due, per favore
- Da bere, un'acqua naturale
Show the answer
Il conto, per favore
In an Italian restaurant the bill only comes once you ask for it.