Read antipasti as starters, primi as first courses (often pasta), secondi as meat or fish mains, and contorni as sides that often accompany a secondo[1]. You can choose a single course; this is an ordering map, not a requirement to eat them all.
Typical menu
Editorial review ·
Examples vary by restaurant. Confirm ingredients, portions and dietary needs with staff.
Antipasti and primi
- Bruschetta — Toasted bread rubbed with garlic and olive oil, often topped with chopped tomato; crunchy and light, usually a few slices to share.
- Caprese — Sliced tomato and mozzarella with basil and olive oil: cool, mild and fresh, a good contrast to a rich pasta.
- Spaghetti alla carbonara — The Roman version is made with eggs, guanciale (cured pork cheek) and pecorino cheese[2]; rich and salty, so one plate with a salad is often enough. Some kitchens use pancetta or bacon instead, so ask.
- Risotto — Short-grain rice stirred with stock until creamy and loose; it is often cooked to order, so expect a short wait. Common versions include mushroom, saffron (alla milanese) and seafood.
Pizza, secondi and dolci
- Pizza Margherita — Tomato, mozzarella and basil; the craft of the Neapolitan pizzaiuolo is on UNESCO’s heritage list[3]. In many restaurants one pizza is a single main, so ask the size before sharing.
- Osso buco — Veal shank braised slowly until tender, with marrow in the bone; a hearty secondo often served with risotto or polenta. Check whether a side is included.
- Tiramisù — Layers of coffee-soaked biscuits and mascarpone cream dusted with cocoa; soft and rich, and it may contain raw egg or liqueur, so ask if that matters.
- Gelato — Dense, smooth frozen dessert served by the scoop in a cup or cone; fruit flavors are lighter than cream or chocolate ones. Ask how many flavors fit in each size.
How to order on your first visit
For two, share an antipasto and choose one pasta or pizza each. If adding a secondo, check contorni separately to avoid missing vegetables or duplicating sides.
Different menu styles
A pizzeria may focus on individual pizzas; a trattoria may separate several courses. Use the actual menu headings and ask about daily dishes rather than judging every restaurant by one format. A pizzeria with a wood-fired (forno a legna) or brick oven bakes at very high heat, so the crust comes out blistered and the centre soft; ask whether the pizza is cut and sized for one. A panini or deli menu centres on panini — Italian sandwiches in a split roll (panino is the singular); many US cafés press them hot on a ridged grill, so check the bread and the filling.
What to order
- Spaghetti alla carbonara — egg, pecorino, guanciale, black pepper; no cream in the classic
- Margherita pizza — tomato, mozzarella, basil, from a blistering-hot oven
- Risotto alla milanese — saffron risotto, often beside osso buco
- Osso buco — braised veal shank with gremolata
- Tiramisù — espresso-soaked savoiardi with mascarpone cream
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Frequently asked questions
What do primo and secondo mean on an Italian menu?
A primo is the first plate — pasta, risotto, or soup. A secondo is the main protein — meat or fish — with vegetables ordered separately as contorni. You are not expected to order every course.
Is real carbonara made with cream?
No. Traditional Roman carbonara is only egg, Pecorino Romano, guanciale, and black pepper; the creaminess comes from the emulsified egg and cheese, not cream.
What should I order at an Italian restaurant I don’t know?
Choose a pasta, pizza or main by its listed ingredients, and ask whether vegetables are ordered separately. PDO/PGI names identify protected regional products; they do not guarantee how a restaurant cooks your meal.[4]
What background helps when reading a Italian menu?
Italian cuisine is built on few ingredients treated with restraint: durum-wheat pasta, tomatoes, olive oil, cured meats, and cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano and mozzarella. It is strongly regional — Naples gave the world pizza, Bologna its ragù, Rome the pecorino-and-guanciale pastas like carbonara — and a traditional menu runs antipasto, primo (pasta or risotto), secondo (meat or fish), then dolce. The craft behind its most famous dish is itself protected: UNESCO inscribed the art of the Neapolitan pizzaiuolo as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017.[3]
Related guides
Sources
- Italia.it (ENIT – Italian National Tourist Board). Menù di Natale piemontese: le ricette tradizionali. Accessed
- Italia.it (ENIT – Italian National Tourist Board). Rome: the irresistible allure of the Eternal City. Accessed
- UNESCO. Art of Neapolitan ‘Pizzaiuolo’. Accessed
- European Commission. eAmbrosia – the EU geographical indications register. Accessed