An Italian menu (il menù or il menu) presents food and drinks grouped by course, with prices listed in euro. Practise recognising dishes, finding prices and writing clear food descriptions; follow the instructions in each examination question.
Writing About Food and Preferences
Use these phrases to write about your favourite food.
- State your preference: Il mio cibo italiano preferito è la pizza or Mi piace molto la pasta.
- Give a reason with perché: When asked why, link your reason using perché (because), such as ...perché è deliziosa.
- Useful food adjectives: squisito (delicious), fresco (fresh), sano (healthy), and gustoso (tasty). Adjectives must agree with the noun: la lasagna è squisita, il tiramisù è squisito.
Mealtimes and Eating Customs
Compare an Italian eating habit with your own experience.
- Pranzo (lunch) is traditionally the main meal of the day in Italy, usually eaten around 13:00.
- Cena (dinner) is usually eaten later in the evening, often around 20:00.
- Eating together: In Italy, meals are social occasions where the family gathers to eat together (la famiglia mangia insieme).
- Comparing habits: In Italy, pasta is generally eaten as a first course (un primo piatto). In Ireland, however, pasta is often eaten as the entire main dish (il piatto principale).
Key terms
- Il primo piatto
- The first course of an Italian meal.
- Il secondo piatto
- A second course, usually a meat or fish dish.
- Il contorno
- A vegetable or salad side dish accompanying a main course.
- Il dolce
- The dessert course of an Italian meal.
- Il pranzo
- Lunch, traditionally the main meal of the day in Italy.
- La cena
- Dinner, the evening meal in Italy.
Check yourself
Under which menu heading would you find roast chicken (pollo arrosto)?
I secondi piatti (second courses).
How do you say 'My favourite food is pasta because it is delicious' in Italian?
Il mio cibo preferito è la pasta perché è deliziosa.
What is the typical difference in mealtimes between pranzo and cena in Italy?
Pranzo (lunch) is usually eaten around 13:00, while cena (dinner) is eaten later, around 20:00.
Correct: la lasagna è squisito.
La lasagna è squisita: squisita agrees with the feminine singular noun lasagna.