Artigianato & Palazzo

As Good as Bread

The dawn of Italian fashion

The Buontalenti icecream flavor

Pizza to your doorstep

La schiacciata

Discovering San Lorenzo

When business and beauty go hand in hand

Gerard Loft

Why Murano?

Gabs

Angela Caputi's Giuggiù

Old Florentine jewellery

il Bisonte

Collecting in Florence Art and Crafts

Ugo & Carolina

Furla

Furla

Where to shop?

Collecting in Florence

Riguccio Mulas

Some useful suggestions for a safe Italian stay

Italian habits
[courtesy of platform3000.com]

Eating out
Italians eat very well and enjoy the social aspect of eating and being together. In a good restaurant you are expected to spend enough time and money to eat at least two courses. The first course, the primo can be an antipasto or pasta; the second course, the secondo is meat, vegetables, or fish.

Vegetarians
It is easy to eat vegetarian meals in Italy. Most pasta dishes are non-meat; vegetables are plentiful, varied, and well cooked. It is perfectly acceptable to order a couple of vegetables for a second plate.

Ordering and paying
You always have to ask for the bill (conto) in a restaurant. The bill in a restaurant can confuse non-Italians. You will see a charge for servizio or coperto this is a general charge for the table service, and means that you need to leave only a minimal tip, 1.00 per person is okay. In a coffee bar, you usually have to pay first, then take the receipt scontrino to the bar and request your caffè or other beverage. In most coffee bars, you will be asked to pay more to take your food to a table. When you pay they will ask you, "a tavola" or "al bar"?

Eating In
You will find many products you use at home, or substitutes for most of them. There are numerous small outdoor markets where you can buy fresh produce or you can go to the Alimentari or Supermercati to buy other staples.

Drinking
Italians have certain expectations about drinking. Disregarding these standards can lead to uncomfortable or dangerous moments. Italians seldom drink alcohol other than with meals. Going out drinking is not an Italian activity.
It is true that wine is considered an integral part of the cuisine, but the expectation is that you drink a glass or two with a meal. the law does not tolerate public drunkenness either; as well as presenting a brutta figura (a bad impression), you can be arrested and incarcerated, in Italy being drunk is itself an offense and it is not an excuse for other types of behavior.


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