Dining and splitting

First off, the standard entree is about half the size of a US entree. So I would try a couple of entree before splitting. Second, while we frequent split in the US, we don't in Europe. We don't see that done as often by the locals so we don't either. But we kind of do it by order different single items and sharing them. Don't know about splitting check since we travel as a couple. And if it is just the two of you, you can easily split the check by yourself.

Personally, I wouldn't do it although I'm sure you "could" if you asked. I'd order smaller appetizers instead, you'll have plenty to choose from. Entrees are nowhere as big, fatty, and salty as in the US, so you don't have to worry about giant portions. Also, the way to get around a tight budget is to simply pick a place where the prices of dishes match your budget. There are plenty of casual places that will do the trick, including markets or places where you can take some prepared food to go.

My sister and I recently traveled to Sicily and Rome together (and I've traveled to Italy at least 6-8 times previously) and neither of us are particularly "big eaters." Sometimes, one of us would order a side salad ("insalata verde" or "insalata mista") and a first course (pasta) and the other would order an entree. Or one would order a side salad and a side dish (a veggie) and the other would order a side salad and a pasta, then we would push food around from one plate to the other, or take turns eating from one plate. This seemed to be fine with the servers in various restaurants. Note that entrees are usually not plated with side dishes as part of the entree (as they often are in the States), so all veggies, pastas, etc., are ordered and plated separately. We also never attempted to split checks, but kept a running ledger of who had paid for what, so in the end we were pretty equal in food expenses.

My wife and I split all the time and we've never had the slightest push-back. That said, I would not consider it fair to ask a real sit-down restaurant to split just 1 entree. Last week in Viterbo at Al Vecchio Orologio we split 1 antipasto, 1 primo, and 1 secondo. When ordering add 'uno per dividere' after specifying the dish you want. Some restaurants will just give you an additional plate along with the food, others will do the splitting for you, often depending on the type of dish. Splitting checks is not going to happen - unless the staff is looking for entertainment.

We just returned from a week in Rome and two weeks in Sicily. Be frugal with whatever you want but dine well. Places that cater to tourists with buskers outside, touristica menus will serve you lousy food (mostly frozen) at a high cost. Away from the main tourist drags you’ll find trattorias frequented by locals at less cost and higher quality. Salads can be had for 4-9 Euros, pastas for 7-12 Euros, main course 10-14 Euros. Sides of potatoes or veggies from 4-5 Euros. And, many many appetizers. Don’t feel compelled to order more than you want but each of you should order something and share at the table. Fresh fish grilled is delightful and shareable but be sure you know an approximate cost as they charge by the 100 gram. Appertivo, a before dinner drink, from about 4 PM, comes with an assortment of snacks gratis-olives, chips, sometimes a bit of cheese or salami. So, you spend 8-10 Euros on a drink but really get a mini meal. We did that often, dined late for dinner with the Italians (8:30-10) and ordered appetizers and shared a pasta by pushing the plate around or using the bread plates. House wine may not be evident on the menu but they have it, its good and cheap, just ask. Bread often comes with a charge which covers service. One time early in our trip we turned it away but were charged anyway as that’s the way its done. So, enjoy the good bread. Do not ask for separate checks just split the one you get (which you will not get until you ask).

Hi ulfs,

Since I don't know where you'll be in Italy, it's hard to list every single thing.

But to answer your inquiry:

In Italy, no, it is not customary to split a "check." Since it's your sister, just decide on a price point and order accordingly. One check for the table. Know what the cost is of each item ordered. Double check your bill at the end. Sometimes, mistakes can happen.

A lot of the casual restaurants like the Euro. No tipping of the waitstaff is expected. Some may "round up" a Euro or two if the service was above and beyond.

Some restaurants charge for bread or to sit down. Be mindful of the extra cost. Pane is usually 1,30€. If you don't want to eat the bread, tell the waiter beforehand - before he/she cuts it and brings it to your table.

I frequented casual dining which had good, simple home-cooked foods, a cozy atmosphere, good waitstaff.

For example, a pizza (in comparison to USA, is about the size of small-medium.) You are served your own pizza on a dinner plate. In most places, a pasta dish is "just enough" - meaning you won't go hungry. Also, it depends on the type of pasta ordered. (You'll get differing views on this, but each restaurant is different in terms of their plating food.)

Some eateries may compliment you with either Limoncello or espresso and little biscuits after. (My favorite restaurant did.)

If you drink wine, the "house wine" in most places is relatively inexpensive for a carafe. "That" you can split with no raised eyebrows. They bring you the carafe and glasses. Or, that has been my experience with a friend.

I like Pinot Grigio, so I would order that usually. The restaurant I went to, a glass is 5€, but they were generous with the wine - almost to the top of a wine glass. So, I didn't need another glass.

If you order water - Naturale or Frizzante (like sparkling water), you get charged - but "that" you can split for two - they bring it in a carafe for the table. Italian restaurants don't bring "tap water" to the table.

As a side note: If in Rome, and depending on time of year, you can fill up an empty water bottle at one of the many "nasoni" around the city. It's cool, crisp water, no aftertaste.

Unless you go into a touristy or high end restaurant, the cost of most meals are not that expensive. Some cities/towns will be less or a bit more.

You can get a pasta dish starting at 7€ or a pizza starting at 6€ (depends on your location.) Of course, meat and fish dishes will be more money. And, usually don't come "with a side." For example, I saw people order a chicken dish, potatoes were on a separate dish and priced accordingly as an extra. Again, it depends on the restaurant and area. Check the restaurant menus beforehand. Most of them are online.

It may be known (like anywhere in the World), that restaurants and shops that hug around a particular attraction, will be more expensive. You're paying for the view or ambiance. But, I liked the cozy atmosphere of my little restaurant I frequented while in Rome.

If you'll be in Rome, there are places you can get a "to go" pizza slice, panino, or a gelato which can be filling until dinner. Then there is the "Trapizzino" https://www.italymagazine.com/dual-language/trapizzino-romes-street-food-craze

Markets like The Coop in Italy have ready made, fresh sandwiches, salads, accompaniments, drinks, snacks, packaged desserts - bottled water is usually not expensive - maybe 1€ to 1,30€.

At Termini, there is a big food court with all kinds of food - to go or you can sit down in the court. There is also The Coop there too.

If you want tap water instead of pricey spring or sparkling water, ask nicely for “acqua del rubinetto, per favore.” They may or may not bring you a pitcher or carafe of tap water, but it’s usually worked for us, and worth a try.

You'd be surprised, but house wine can be as cost-effective as mineral water...so why not take advantage of good value? You can be frugal and get a good meal too, they're not mutually exclusive.

We often share dishes because we have small appetites. I do beg to differ with some of the other posters on one point. The primi can be quite large. I sometimes ask the waitperson about the size if I’m not sure. A pasta can be 4 raviolis on a small plate, or a big bowl of them, for example.
Also, if you order a menu, a set meal, 2 or 3 courses with limited choices, at a very good price, do not ask if you can split it. If we want to have that, but think 2 orders would be too much, we order an additional ala carte dish and share as people have described above.

In Italy you do not need to order the entire meal at one time, so you can gauge if you want to order something to share after appetizers, for instance.

We found the pizza to be larger than what one of us could eat, so I typically ordered a mixed salad and my husband ordered the pizza (to share). Pasta entries were always a one-person size instead of the large American serving.

If you need to save money, have your nicer meal at lunch, and shop the veggie & meat markets or panini shop for your other meal.

One last comment- in the US, we eat dinner fairly quickly and then go do something else. In Italy, eat a bit later and enjoy the whole dining experience. Lots of interesting culture experience and people watching; you have the table for as long as you wish, so savor the ambiance. Waiters won’t be pestering you to hurry and eat, ask “how is your meal”, etc. Very refreshing!

With this thread, a story just popped into my mind about big dishes of food in restaurants.

At my fav restaurant (in Rome) one day, I saw these two young women sitting across from me. I took an "earlier dinner" that day since I had plans elsewhere to meet a friend.

While I was waiting for my pizza and wine, I saw the waiter bring the girls huge dishes of spaghetti or similar. They ate it all. Then the waiter brought out dishes of the chicken and out came the side dish of roasted potatoes - I don't know if it was an afterthought or it took longer, but they were already cutting into their chicken and eating before the potatoes arrived.

The woman who ordered the potatoes had just a few; her friend ate some so as not to waste them. They had two carafes of Frizzante. Then, they ordered dessert! Good for them, lol.

My point is - it was no big deal for the two friends to eat the potatoes. The other woman just picked them off the original plate.

The biggest thing is: Italian waiters do not write separate checks.

Note that a few larger primi and secondi are specifically meant for sharing, and priced accordingly. For instance, some restaurants will only make risotto or certain pastas (like mixed seafood) for two people. The price may be listed the same as other dishes in the category, but with a minimum charge x 2. Also, if ordering a whole fish or a Bistecca Fiorentina (premium rare steaks sold in Florence and the rest of Tuscany), it is sold by weight, which the minimum weight available often rather large, like a 400-gram (about 1-pound) minimum cut of steak, and the price usually described per 100 grams. You can request to see a smaller fish, but you can't request a 100-gram fish, nor a 100-gram Bistecca Fiorentina. Some other cuts of beef and fillets of fish are sold in smaller portions at a set price. Also, some secondi like fried squid/ fried small fish/ or fried mixed items are just naturally easy to share, as are many antipasti.

You may find it beneficial to make lunch your main meal of the day, eating a lighter dinner or having a picnic dinner at your hotel. Many good restaurants offer lunch specials, which are smaller portions at much lower prices than similar dishes at dinner. You can order a first course, a second course, a side dish or a discounted combination thereof, and these lunch menus are designed to allow you to order less food if that's your wish. Some restaurants without lunch specials offer a mezza porzione (half portion) of dishes at lunch, but you'll have to ask to find out. It's mainly pasta and meats that are available as half portions. A third alternative is a tavola calda, where you can pick and choose the foods and the quantity you want. Many have a place to sit and eat, and they'll heat the food if it's not already sufficiently hot. None of these are tourist menus (often terrible) and they won't be available everywhere, but they are options to consider. In some cases you'll be able to pay individually, although single checks should be pretty easy to amicably split on your own.

I have traveled several times with my college roommate and we handle finances the way we did as roommates: we kept track of joint expenses paid by each of us, and at the end of the trip we added up the totals and one of us paid the other the difference between half of the total and what she had paid in. So not splitting each check but splitting the total (generally only a small true-up amount at the end.)

Sounds great. We travel with my mom. We have no problem figuring what she owes on a cheque and they we put the rest and we all leave some change of a few euros as a thanks not really a tip if it was quite good. We do it each time. Saves having to remember who owes what for too long.

In Italy now and have been splitting and sharing dishes all week at all kinds of restaurants- no problem at all! When we split an app, main, or dessert they even bring an extra plate or utensils without even being asked. And when we do a swap of our plates halfway through so we can share dishes no one bats an eyelash that we finished with a different plate than we started with. It’s been our way to try as many different dishes as possible.