How to read an Italian menu.

Italian menus are organized as a meal in courses, and the sections matter as much as the dish names. Here is what each part means, the dishes you will keep meeting, and how to order them.

The courses

Antipasti: starters. Cured meats, bruschetta, marinated vegetables, fried bites.
Primi (primi piatti): the first course. Pasta, risotto, gnocchi and soups. A primo is a full plate, not a side.
Secondi (secondi piatti): the main course of meat (carne) or fish (pesce). Usually served plain, on its own.
Contorni: side dishes such as potatoes, salad or greens, ordered separately to go with a secondo.
Dolci: desserts. Coffee comes after, never with the meal.

Nobody expects you to order every course. A primo and a contorno, or a secondo with a contorno, is a normal meal.

Small print worth reading

Coperto or pane e coperto: a per-person cover charge for bread and the table setting, typically €1-4. It is legitimate, not a scam.
S.Q. (secondo quantità) or €/etto: priced by weight, usually per 100 g. Common for fish and for bistecca alla fiorentina, which is often sold by the kilo.
An asterisk next to a dish often refers to a footnote that the product may be frozen (surgelato or congelato), which Italian restaurants are required to declare.
Piatto del giorno: dish of the day.

Dishes you will meet

Cacio e pepe KAH-choh eh PEH-pehRoman pasta with Pecorino Romano and black pepper, emulsified with pasta water into a creamy sauce with no cream.
Carbonara kar-boh-NAH-rahPasta with egg yolk, guanciale (cured pork cheek), Pecorino and pepper. The Roman version has no cream.
Amatriciana ah-mah-tree-CHAH-nahTomato sauce with guanciale and Pecorino, traditionally with bucatini or spaghetti.
Carciofi alla giudia kar-CHOH-fee AH-lah JOO-dyahJewish-style artichoke: a whole artichoke deep-fried until it opens like a crisp flower. A Roman classic.
Supplì soo-PLEEFried rice ball with ragù and a heart of melting mozzarella. Rome's street snack.
Saltimbocca alla romana sahl-teem-BOH-kahThin veal slices topped with prosciutto and sage, cooked in butter and white wine.
Ossobuco oh-soh-BOO-kohBraised cross-cut veal shank from Milan, often served with saffron risotto.
Bistecca alla fiorentina bee-STEK-kah AH-lah fyoh-ren-TEE-nahThick T-bone steak from Florence, grilled and served rare. Priced by weight and usually shared.
Tiramisù tee-rah-mee-SOOCoffee-soaked ladyfingers layered with mascarpone cream and cocoa.

A printed Italian menu next to the same menu translated in the MenuSnapp app. — An Italian trattoria menu, translated by meaning.

Why word-for-word translation fails here

Italian dish names are often names, not descriptions. "Cacio e pepe" literally means "cheese and pepper", "saltimbocca" means "jumps in the mouth", and "strozzapreti" means "priest stranglers". MenuSnapp keeps names like these as they are, puts the literal meaning in the description, and explains what actually arrives on the plate.

Useful phrases

Acqua naturale / frizzante: still / sparkling water.
Il conto, per favore (eel KON-toh pehr fah-VOH-reh): the bill, please.
Sono allergico / allergica a…: I'm allergic to…