When in Rome…
Or for that matter, wherever you travel in Italy or anywhere elsewhere in the world, you’ll find that locals have different customs and traditions than your own. Experiencing different cultures is one of the allures of travel.
But because Italy is so food-centric, rules about what and how to eat have been ingrained for generations. Of course, food rules vary among regions (The country was only unified to become Italy as we know it today in 1861). For example, even the types of pasta and breads consumed in different parts of the country vary from place to place.
Italian food rules are always somewhat of a generalization because they aren’t written in law and aren’t observed by everyone. But if you want to eat like a local, here are some rules to follow:
15 Italian Food Rules to Follow
Food Rule #1 – Don’t eat fish with cheese
While grated cheese works well atop most pasta dishes, don’t even think of asking for grated cheese on top of your seafood pasta. Cheese doesn’t go with fish.
The reasoning? Fish is delicate and cheese is strong, which obscures the flavor of the fish, cookbook author Julia della Croce, an expert on Italian cuisine told AtlasObscura.com.
In general, “don’t ask for extra cheese unless the server mentions it,” advises The Daily Meal. Unless asked, leave it to the chef and server to decide which dishes call for cheese and how much.
Food Rule #2 – Cappuccino is only a breakfast drink
Most Italians won’t drink cappuccino, considered a breakfast drink, after 10 AM. If someone is jetlagged or woke up late—perhaps, they’ll stretch the window until noon.
But ordering a cappuccino after that, and particularly after dinner, is simply cringe-worthy. Italians believe the rich foamy milk of the drink interferes with digestion. Of course, it’s never consumed with lunch or dinner either.
Food Rule #3 – Pasta is usually a first course, not a main dish or a side dish
Italians categorize dishes into two courses, a primo (first course) and secondo (second course). Different types of pasta with sauces are often served as a first course. (Second courses are typically meat, fish or poultry.)
At lunchtime, pasta is often eaten as a main dish. Lunch portions of pasta tend to be heartier than those served as first courses at dinner.
Food Rule #4 – Pasta isn’t eaten with bread

A tempting bread basket in Bardolino
Even if a tempting bread basket is sitting in front of you, Italians don’t eat bread with pasta.
“Pasta is a starch, so do not eat bread (a starch) with pasta (another starch.),” says food writer Elizabeth Minchilli.
Why is it there? You can eat that bread with a non-pasta first course or with a second course.
Yes, while it might seem gauche in France, many Italians also use bread to clean the sauce off their plate when they’ve finished the dish. This Italian food custom is called “fare la scarpetta.” Some chefs view it as a sign that you really loved your dish but you may want to skip cleaning your plate at a fancy meal or fine dining restaurant.
Food Rule #5 – Spaghetti isn’t eaten with meatballs (A corollary of the above)
While a dish of spaghetti and meatballs is an Italian-American favorite, most Italians living in the homeland eat their pasta as a primo and enjoy their meatballs (polpette) as a secondo.
Writing in Smithsonian.com, Shaylyn Esposito suggests that one reason spaghetti got coupled with meatballs was that Americans were used to have a starch with their meal. Another Italian food fact: Italians don’t eat pasta and meat off the same plate.
Food Rule #6 – Don’t use a knife to cut spaghetti, or break spaghetti in half before boiling it

Never use a knife to cut spaghetti; twirl it on your fork
As you might presume by now, Italians are serious about the ways in which pasta should be prepared and consumed. While it isn’t illegal to cut spaghetti with a knife (as often asked) or to break it in half for cooking, it simply isn’t acceptable to do either one. In fact, spaghetti is easier to eat when you twirl the long strands around your fork.
If you need help doing that, your plate is the preferred “assist” as opposed to a soup spoon. In fact, a survey by YouGov listed using a knife on pasta as one of the top “crimes” committed against Italian cuisine.
Food Rule #7 – Eggs aren’t eaten for breakfast
Just because eggs are often served on breakfast buffets at Italian hotels, don’t be misled. Italians don’t eat eggs for breakfast. They’re considered too filling so early in the morning.
An Italian breakfast is generally simple and quick, usually a hot coffee-based drink with a sweet pastry, croissant or roll, or slice of bread with jam. Italians are more likely to eat eggs for lunch, sometimes in the form of a frittata. Those hotel buffets menus are geared to please international travelers rather than Italians.
Food Rule #8 – Dinners aren’t eaten before 7 PM
Italians tend to eat later than Americans, usually about 8 PM or after. In fact, if you are visiting Italy, you aren’t likely to find a restaurant open for dinner before 7 PM.
Food Rule #9 – Don’t ask for salad dressing
While Americans are used to a variety of salad dressings, Italians don’t use bottled dressings. In Italy, there’s no such thing as Italian dressing or Caesar dressing. (The origins of the latter are said to be in Tijuana, where an Italian-American restaurateur created Caesar salad.)
Italians typically dress salads with olive oil alone, or with oil and vinegar (often balsamic). Of course, the best olive oil is always local.
And salad is always served after the first course.
Food Rule #10 – Don’t order soda pop with meals
While Coca Cola and other soft drinks are available in Italy, Italians never order these sugary drinks with their meals. They always drink wine or water. The reasoning: Soda detracts from the flavor of foods.
Also, Italians never drink coffee with a meal, only afterward. An exception, however, it’s okay to slug soda or beer with pizza.
Food Rule #11 – Don’t ask for tap water at the dinner table

San Pellegrino is one of the most popular brands of bottled water in Italy (credit: San Pellegrino)
Although it’s usually safe to drink the water in most places in Italy, Italians waiters always ask guests the same question when they sit down at a table—Con gas (frizzante) or senza gas (naturale)?
Mineral water not only tastes better (thus, enhancing the taste of an already delicious meal) but also has some purported health benefits. And, if one person at the table prefers bubbles and the other doesn’t, it’s proper etiquette to order a bottle (or half-bottle) of each.
Food Rule #12 – Don’t order an Italian-American dish at a restaurant

Chicken Parmesan with Cheese and Marinara Sauce served over spaghetti
There is nothing objectionable about eating Italian-American dishes when you’re dining in the U.S.
Italian-American foods are a fusion cuisine that occurred when immigrants from Italy adapted their recipes to American ingredients, cooking methods and tastes.
But when in Italy, don’t make the mistake of asking for dishes that aren’t made there. Some examples: Lobster Fra Diavolo, Eggplant Rollatini, Chicken Parmigiana, Manicotti, or Pasta Primavera.
Food Rule #13 – Don’t even think about a ‘main course”
“In an Italian meal, there is no main course,” writes Marcella Hazan in her seminal cookbook, Essentials of Italian Cooking.
Instead Italians enjoy a succession of small courses, and multiple courses are never served side-by-side (e.g., pasta with meat).
She notes that there are some very rare exceptions to the rule like Ossobuco e Risotto, a Milanese specialty served as one dish.
Food Rule #14 – Avoid sharing a plate
An individual pizza in Locorotondo, PuglaWhile it is common for people to share dishes at many American restaurants, this custom isn’t followed in Italy. One reason why it is far less common is that portions in Italy tend to be more “right-sized.”
One standout example: Pizzas, especially, in full-service restaurants in Italy, are smaller and intended for only one person. They aren’t even cut into slices, and are eaten with a knife and fork.
However, like all other food rules in Italy, this one has exceptions, too. Writing on Quora, Michael Righi, “The Italian Guy,” notes that platters of cold cuts and cheeses (taglieri), which are very popular in the Emilia Romagna region, are intended to be shared—over wine and conversation, of course.

Tagliere in Bologna, Emilia Romagna
Similarly, some trattorias serve baked pasta casseroles family-style, also meant for sharing at the table. It’s also okay to share desserts in Italy.
If you want to taste more than one type of pasta on the menu or only want to eat a small amount, some restaurants offer a half-portion (mezzo porzione).
Food Rule #15 – To say or not to say: Bon appetito!

Buon Appetito!
Although some say that this tradition that began in medieval times has become obsolete, visitors to Italy will find that it is still common to begin a meal by wishing everyone at the table, Buon appetito before eating.
At a restaurant, it might be your server who says Buon appetito after everyone has their starter.
This Italian phrase is the the equivalent of the French Bon appétit and simply means “Enjoy your meal!” A gracious way to respond is by saying Grazie (thank you).
AND NEVER FORGET…
When it comes to Italian food rules, as you can probably gather from those listed above, there are always some exceptions!
Also on MoreTimeToTravel:
See my article on Forbes.com:
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25 Comments
Allison
May 12, 2019 at 10:19 pmAll true! Especially the one about cappuccino as a morning-only drink. No one seems to (or wants to) believe me.
Irene S. Levine
May 13, 2019 at 10:08 amMany Americans use a cappuccino-after-dinner as an easy way to skip dessert!
Jackie K Smith
May 13, 2019 at 2:46 amWell, aside from the soda pop, which I avoid, I have broken and will likely continue to break every rule you listed. I am amazed at the number of courses an Italian meal involves and I am usually done in by the pasta course . . .and yes, I will admit to having eaten cheese on fish pasta but then I eat cheese on anything and everything and sometimes alone. Loved this post! (It made me hungry. . .)
Irene S. Levine
May 13, 2019 at 10:07 amSomehow….I make it through all those courses:-)
Lois Alter Mark
May 13, 2019 at 10:02 amWell, rules are made to be broken, right?! Now you have me craving Italian food!
Irene S. Levine
May 13, 2019 at 10:05 amWell, now you know the rules. Up to you about whether they are to be broken:-)
Suzanne Stavert
May 13, 2019 at 12:21 pmLOL! All true!!! We just returned from two weeks in Italy and loved each and every morsel. Thank you for the reminders!
Irene S. Levine
May 14, 2019 at 8:46 amThe food and wines of Italy are pretty spectacular! Sounds like you had a great trip!
Jeff & Crystal Bryant
May 13, 2019 at 1:18 pmThanks for sharing these 8 rules to follow when dining in Italy. So many of us are unaware of the Americanized changes that we find commonplace. These can be big faux-pas when visiting Italy.
Irene S. Levine
May 14, 2019 at 8:47 amI actually only ran into one “rule cop.” I ordered carpaccio as an appetizer, which I often do in the U.S. and he urged me to order it as a secondo. He said I could, of course, do whatever I wanted but I ordered a pasta dish instead:-)
Marilyn Jones
May 14, 2019 at 1:03 amI enjoyed your creativity with this post!! I did break rule #8 over and over again though. Diet Coke is my vice. 🙂
Irene S. Levine
May 14, 2019 at 8:48 amI’m pretty addicted to Diet Coke myself but it is usually more expensive than a glass of wine in Italy so I always opt for the latter!
Doreen Pendgracs
May 14, 2019 at 5:53 pmWell, I’ve broken a lot of these rules, but never the one about ordering pop! I’d never drink pop with Italian food, and rarely with any food. I have, though, been guilty of having grated parmesan cheese on my pasta with clams. Thx for sharing these Italian food rules with us.
Irene S. Levine
May 15, 2019 at 6:54 amIt was fun to brainstorm and compile the list!
Lori
May 16, 2019 at 10:25 amThis is great. As frequent travelers to Italy our first mistake was ordering a Cappuccino in mid-afternoon. I can’t stop smiling while reading this. Love the article and all true.
Irene S. Levine
May 16, 2019 at 7:13 pmGlad you enjoyed it!
Cindy Carlsson
May 17, 2019 at 10:15 amWow! So much I didn’t know. What an interesting (and useful) list. (No cheese with fish –there’s a mistake I’m sure I’ve made!) I wonder if any of these vary depending where you are in Italy or are they pretty much a given across the country?
Irene S. Levine
May 18, 2019 at 7:45 amThey probably vary from home to home:-) but these are general rules across the regions!
Kemkem
May 19, 2019 at 8:45 amI was nodding my head for the most part as l read this :-). My husband is Roman and he abides by these mostly. I’m proud to say l am the cause because one in a while, I want an extra cappuccino when he has a “cortado” in the afternoon. I also found it hard to eat salad last like they do as opposed to how we eat it at the beginning but l am getting used to it. His mom has given up trying to make me do it their way..haha! .
Irene S. Levine
May 19, 2019 at 10:39 amSounds like you’re an almost convert!:-)
Sheryl Kraft
May 22, 2019 at 9:29 pmSomehow, I can’t follow the no-cheese rule…
Marilyn Scalf
October 9, 2019 at 2:41 amAnd don’t use a spoon against your fork when twirling your spaghetti!
Nancy J Hayes
October 9, 2019 at 11:16 amAlthough my grandparents came to America as toddlers and went to American schools, their parents instilled in them all of those rules. We never had salad before dinner. We had soup or antipasti as a primo & never had meat mixed in with the pasta. The pasta was in one bowl & the meat in another. The meat was cooked in the sauce but never just dumped on the pasta.
Irene S. Levine
October 9, 2019 at 6:15 pmThanks for sharing your family story!
Sam
September 19, 2020 at 11:03 amGreat article and very atmospheric pictures, thanks!!