Trattoria. A “trattoria” is an Italian restaurant that is less formal than a ristorante but more formal than an osteria. The name is derived from the French word "traiteur," which means host. One of the key distinctions of a trattoria is that it's traditionally family owned and operated.
Italian restaurants often have names starting with Osteria, Trattoria or Enoteca, etc. other than Ristorante, a word we usually know as a restaurant. There are plenty of options when it comes to different types of Italian restaurants to eat in Italy. Each type of Italian restaurant has its own features.
A trattoria (plural: trattorie) is an Italian-style eating establishment that is generally much less formal than a ristorante, but more formal than an osteria.
Taverna (tah-VEHR-nah) – Like the English word it resembles, a taverna is a small eatery that may focus more on the stuff behind the bar than a ristorante or a trattoria, and is more likely to be rustic in its interior.
Italian restaurants are stylish and elegant high-class establishments. Here the service is at a very high level, the interior is thorough to the smallest detail, and the food is most often taken care of by a world-famous chef. There are also more than just a few restaurants that have one or several Michelin stars.
They serve exceptional dishes and maybe pricier. The décor scheme is top-notch, and the ambiance is also world-class. The building architecture, staff etiquette, table settings, and lighting options are classy to reflect the high standards of dining in a luxurious restaurant.
The trattorias are traditionally family owned, casual, rustic neighbourhood restaurants found throughout all of Italy that serve fresh, unassuming, conventional local food.
A cafe is actually called a “bar” in Italy
First, it's important to know that what we call a “café”, Italians call a “bar”. (What's especially confusing, but we'll get to in a minute, is that caffè actually means “coffee”.)
In the ancient Greco-Roman world, a thermopolium (plural thermopolia), from Greek θερμοπώλιον (thermopōlion), i.e. cook-shop, literally "a place where (something) hot is sold", was a commercial establishment where it was possible to purchase ready-to-eat food.
Italian aperitivo meaning. Aperitivo is the tradition of meeting up for a pre-dinner drink and some small plates of food usually in a bar or a cafe, rather than a restaurant, offered in the form of a food buffet.
ʁi]) is a type of French restaurant with a relaxed setting, which serves single dishes and other meals. The word brasserie is also French for "brewery" and, by extension, "the brewing business".
A bistro or bistrot (/ˈbiːstroʊ/), is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant, serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. At the Bistro, Jean Béraud.
There are three types of Italian restaurants: trattorias, osterias and ristorantes. Each type of Italian restaurant serves a specific purpose, and the menu is usually different. Trattorias are small restaurants which specialize in traditional Italian food. It is usually more casual than a ristorante.
#1 Il Bar – Italian bars
Places similar to what we know as bars in the States usually are called “American bars,” and they are generally part of hotels. What is this? While you can buy beer, brandy, or other alcoholic beverages at Italian bars, their central feature is the espresso coffee machine.
Like pensiones, locanda (or inns) are associated with smaller, family-run businesses. They're usually less expensive than albergos and pensiones, which means the rooms are even smaller and you're likely to be sharing a bathroom.
The primo: In Italy, pasta is a first course, or primo, served as an appetizer, not as the main event. Soup, rice, and polenta are the other options for the primo. The secondo: The main course is called il secondo, or the second course. Chicken, meat, or fish are the usual choices, and portions are generally small.
Traditionally, in Italy, people have four meals a day: colazione (breakfast), pranzo (lunch), merenda (afternoon snack) and cena (dinner or supper).
An Italian Sunday dinner "il pranzo della domenica" is the occasion for family bonding and celebration. There is no need for a special occasion, it happens every Sunday.
Another word for a self-service restaurant is a buffet. However, self-service restaurants come in many forms. A cafeteria, similar to a buffet, is another example of a self-service restaurant. Fast food restaurants also use self-service.
Upscale restaurants offer full table service. They focus on the quality of their cuisine and the ambiance of their facilities. Fine-dining establishments are at the highest end of the upscale restaurant category and charge the highest prices.
A gourmet restaurant or a fine dining establishment are both terms that can be used to describe a fancy restaurant.
Gourmet (US: /ɡɔːrˈmeɪ/, UK: /ˈɡɔːrmeɪ/) is a cultural idea associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterized by refined, even elaborate preparations and presentations of aesthetically balanced meals of several contrasting, often quite rich courses.