Imagine you’re in a cozy trattoria in Italy. The smell of pizza, clinking glasses, friendly voices—now it’s your turn to speak! In this lesson, you’ll learn the essential phrases to handle a restaurant visit at A1 level: greeting, getting a table, ordering food and drinks, and asking for the bill. We’ll keep it simple, practical, and fun with short exercises you can do right away.

Arriving and getting a table

You’ll hear and use these basics:

• Buongiorno / Buonasera — Hello/Good evening
• Avete una prenotazione? — Do you have a reservation?
• Siamo in due. — We are two.
• Seguitemi, per favore. — Follow me, please.
• Ecco il menù. — Here’s the menu.

Culture tip: greetings and pace

In Italy, evening meals often start with “Buonasera.” Things are relaxed—don’t rush. A friendly tone and “per favore” (please) go a long way.

Ordering food and drinks

Here are three simple ways to order:

• Vorrei… — I would like… (polite, very common)
• Per me… — For me… (informal but fine)
• Io prendo… — I’ll have… (neutral and common)

Drinks:

• Acqua naturale — still water
• Acqua frizzante — sparkling water

You might hear: “Da bere?” (To drink?) and “Cosa desidera?” (What would you like?)

Io una pizza margherita, per favore.

Useful menu words

• Antipasto — starter
• Primo — first course (often pasta or soup)
• Secondo — main course (meat or fish)
• Contorno — side dish (salad, vegetables)
• Dolce — dessert

Example: “Per me un antipasto e un secondo.”

After the meal: paying and politeness

Key phrases:

• Il conto, per favore. — The bill, please.
• Posso pagare con carta? — Can I pay by card?
• È tutto, grazie. — That’s all, thank you.
• Era buonissimo! — It was delicious!

Try the classic polite request:

Vorrei il , per favore.

Io voglio una pizza. → Vorrei una pizza. “Voglio” can sound too direct. Use “Vorrei” to be polite. Posso avere il conto? → Il conto, per favore. Italians often use short, polite phrases rather than “can I have…?”

Acqua o frizzante?

Culture note: water, coperto, and tipping

• Water: You’ll usually order bottled water—“naturale” (still) or “frizzante” (sparkling). Tap water is less common in restaurants.
• Coperto: A small per-person charge for table service and bread. It’s normal.
• Tipping: Service is often included. Leaving small change is appreciated but not required.

Mini-dialog you can use

Try this simple flow:

• Cameriere: Buonasera! Avete una prenotazione?
• Cliente: Sì, per due. Grazie.
• Cameriere: Seguitemi. Ecco il menù.
• Cameriere: Cosa desiderate ordinare?
• Cliente: Per me un antipasto e una pasta. Acqua naturale, per favore.
• Cliente: Il conto, per favore.

Practice saying it out loud, slowly and clearly.

Summary and practice

You can now:

• Greet and get a table: “Buonasera”, “Siamo in due”, “Ecco il menù”.
• Order food and drinks: “Vorrei/Per me/Io prendo…”, “Acqua naturale o frizzante?”
• Ask for the bill: “Il conto, per favore.”

Repeat the key phrases, and next time you sit down in an Italian restaurant, you’ll be ready. Buon appetito!