How to order a meal in Italian
Prendo le lasagne, per favore
“I'll have the lasagne, please”
When: When the waiter comes to take your order
The moment
It is one o'clock and you sit down at a busy trattoria in Rome. You want the menu, a plate of pasta and something to drink.
A1 · Unit 2 · Café & food
The lines
Ordering with prendo
At the table you name the dish with "Prendo le lasagne, per favore" — literally "I'll take the lasagne". Say prendo, then the dish, and stop: that is the whole order.
Prendo le lasagne, per favore
“I'll have the lasagne, please”
When to use it: When the waiter comes to take your order
What you’ll hear back: Benissimo. E da bere? (Very good. And to drink?)
Asking what's good
When the menu defeats you, ask "Cosa mi consiglia?" — "what do you recommend?". An Italian waiter answers straight and points you at the dish the kitchen is proud of.
Cosa mi consiglia?
“What do you recommend?”
When to use it: When you cannot decide what to order
What you’ll hear back: Le consiglio l'amatriciana, è la nostra specialità. (I recommend the amatriciana, it's our speciality.)
Words for this scene
| Italian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| il menù, per favore | eel meh-NOO pehr fah-VOH-reh | the menu, please |
Buongiorno, il menù, per favore. Good afternoon, the menu, please. Tip: Stress the last syllable, me-NÙ; in tiny trattorie there is none. | ||
| da bere | dah BEH-reh | to drink |
Da bere, un'acqua naturale, per favore. To drink, a still water, please. Tip: The waiter asks "E da bere?" the second your food order lands. | ||
| il piatto del giorno | eel PYAHT-toh del JOR-noh | the dish of the day |
Qual è il piatto del giorno? What is the dish of the day? Tip: A lunchtime-only plate, usually the freshest thing in the kitchen. | ||
Your objective
Ask for the menu, then order one main dish and one drink.
- the menu
- a main dish
- a drink
Lines that get it done
- Buongiorno, il menù, per favore. · Good afternoon, the menu, please.
- Prendo le lasagne, per favore
- Da bere, un'acqua naturale, per favore. · To drink, a still water, please.
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. You have decided on the lasagne. What do you tell the waiter?
- Ho le lasagne, per favore
- Prendo le lasagne, per favore
- Sono le lasagne, per favore
- Mi piacciono le lasagne
Show the answer
Prendo le lasagne, per favore
"Prendo" plus the dish is how an order is actually placed at the table.
2. You cannot decide and want the waiter's suggestion. What do you ask?
- Cosa mi consiglia?
- Cosa mangia lei?
- Quanto costa questo piatto?
- Come si chiama questo piatto?
Show the answer
Cosa mi consiglia?
"Cosa mi consiglia?" asks the waiter directly for his recommendation.
3. The waiter writes down your pasta and asks "E da bere?". What does he want to know?
- Whether you want a starter
- Whether you are ready to pay
- What you would like to drink
- Where you would like to sit
Show the answer
What you would like to drink
"Da bere" means "to drink", so just name your drink and he adds it to the order.