Hello to all,
I am planning on a week long trip to Rome (this being my very first trip on my own) and I am concerned mostly about food. I am not allowed to drink alcohol (wine being an example) and i can't have pork, ham etc; I do know I can buy food from grocery stores like cheese and stuff, but what restaurants should I go that won't have wine options and I still get the roman experience. I am sorry if this question sounds stupid, but I don't want to offend the waiters by saying I cannot have wine and get into that sort of awkward situation. Thanks.
Posted by
Wiesbaden, Germany
791 posts
You do realize that drinking wine here is not a law, right? Seriously, order whatever you want at a restaurant, they won't care. Not every Italian drinks wine and many don't eat pork.
Posted by
Wiesbaden, Germany
791 posts
Sent you a pm but I'll repost here for the benefit of anyone with similar fears. There are plenty of people who don't drink wine or eat pork here. There are also a ton of dishes made with meat other than pork. Chicken (pollo), turkey (tacchino), lamb (agnello), veal (vitello) are all very popular. Most restaurants will also have fish dishes as well, they do fish very well here. If you want to avoid pork, the word to look for on the menu is "Miale" (pronounced "my-AH-lay". Sometimes dishes that feature pork won't actually list it in the title so when in doubt, just ask the waiter "Miale?" and he'll tell you if it has pork or not. To be safe, you can also learn how to say "I can't eat pork" ("No posso mangiare miale") and tell the waiter that right up front, that way he will be sure not to let you order anything with pork. There are also plenty of muslims and jews here who don't eat pork so it's nothing strange for the Italians, trust me.
Posted by
Cesena, Italy
791 posts
Agree with Rik. You'll find plenty of dishes without pork and we very seldom order wine with our meals. You will have no problems.
Posted by
Coraopolis, Pa, USA
1018 posts
This is not a problem. If you do not drink alcohol drink something else. As for pork, there are 100's of other things to eat on the menus. In rear of the RS Italy book you will find a glossary of English/Italian menu words and many other tour books include this terminology. Take the time to learn the menu items so you will know what you are ordering. Also, many Rome restaurants have English menus. Since many of the wait staff will speak some English you can always ask about ingredients of a certain dish. Relax. Buon viaggio,
Posted by
Alta Loma, CA, USA
1446 posts
Don't be concerned about this...it won't be a problem! I'm mostly vegetarian and don't drink wine & had no problems at all. Every restaurant we visited had a variety of dishes on the menu that did not involve pork. Have a great trip & enjoy eating in Rome.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Minor point - the word is spelled "maiale", not "miale". The pronunciation Rik gives is correct. And "mangiare" is pronounced "mahn-JAR-eh". "Non posso" is pronounced as written. Happy travels.