Food and drink in Italian

Italy runs on food, and this vocabulary is your passport to every bar, trattoria and market. Here are the staples, plus the phrase that turns the list into an order.

Drinks

Food

The phrase that puts it to use

To order, use vorrei ("I'd like") or per me ("for me"): Vorrei un caffè, per favore. Per me, il pollo. Ask for the bill with il conto, per favore.

A coffee tip: order un caffè and you'll get an espresso — ask for un caffè latte if you want milk (just latte means a glass of milk!).

Make them stick by saying them

Food words stick when you order with them. Navoq has you use these in real café and restaurant sentences out loud, with pronunciation feedback — so you're ready at the counter.