Low carb diet and "no menu" restaurants in Italy

You will not have a problem at "no menu" places as far I as know. Rarely does a restaurant serve only pasta, for example. There are secondi, the main course dishes of roasted meats, grilled fish, baked eggplant, etc. Sauces will contain some carbs, but I suspect they are rather incidental to eating a plate of pasta. Vegetables are ordered as "sides" called contorni and you will find steamed offerings like my favorite, cicoria ripassata as well as spinach, salads, or a grilled vegetable assortment.

Consider having a card printed up stating in Italian, what your limitations are. At the very least, say senza glutine as this is a very common request and a server will help you avoid preparations that may have hidden carbs.

I used to work for a "no menu" chef, and these places go to great lengths to design a (non-menu) meal. Let them know when you make your reservation about your specific requirements and I am sure they will be able to work with you. I understand that you don't want to send back a dish because it has too many carbs. If a half-portion of pasta would fall within your carb range, you can ask for that. Also ask if the secondi are battered or breaded.

Italy is great for gluten-free dining, but some places want to know in advance.

True non-menu restaurants are very rare. I cannot remember the last one I saw. Menus are somewhere - written on a black board, paper, something. And generally pasta is one of the courses, and not the basis for all the dishes. I rarely order/eat pasta simply because I am not a big fan of pasta and didn't have any problem finding plenty to eat.

Here's Dr. Michael Eades of Protein Power on low carb in Italy:
https://proteinpower.com/drmike/2007/07/16/low-carb-eating-in-italy/
and the Tuscan Feast which may have some things not appropriate for your limitations, but he presents strategies for a thing like this within:
https://proteinpower.com/drmike/2007/07/19/a-tuscan-feast/

I low carb, but it's ahead of the necessity to do so, but generally keep <40 in the US. You're right, it's not easy, but when you get in the flow, it can be quite wonderful.

In terms of courses, antipasti you can stick with caprese salads and various prosciutto/salumi presentations. Easy. Check on what the common antipasti are in the region you are going. You probably don't want lardo with your gluten limitation.

In terms of primi: skip. It is a starch course, everywhere, and with a limit of 70 and no gluten means that even small portions of polenta, risotto or GF pasta will put you over.

Secondi, as long as you have your phrase for gluten free, you should be good.

Contorno, as long as they are low gluten veg, go to town.

Dolce: I would guess you're not in the habit of doing much in the way of dulce.

I agree with the idea of having either a card or memorizing the phrases to describe your limitations, like:

basso tenore di carboidrati (low carbohydrate content)
Senza glutine (gluten free)
and the like.

There are companies that make picture and word translate cards for dietary restrictions.

You can do great and it is polite for you, as a diner, to be clear about your needs and limits at the start.

You will probably never see a no-menu restaurant during your trip. What is your dining budget? Unless you are hitting Michelin and other expensive places, this problem will not come up.

On the other hand, if you are traveling on a budget, and want the "Tourist Specials", you may have difficulty. Just like a diner in the U.S., it's "no substitutions." Incidentally, it is better to get out of the habit of ever using the word "menu" in Europe, because it frequently means (as an appropriated English word in the local language), in effect, today's special plate - so I've seen tourists request "a menu" and getting a meal they hadn't planned on. Learn the local word for menu, and use it if they don't bring one!

If you are ever in a no menu restaurant, just say you don't want pasta in your dishes.

What are you going to do for breakfast? Unless your hotel serves a protein like yogurt, deli meat cuts, and cheese slices, you're going to be served a pastry of some kind. I stayed at this convent in Rome once for ten days and I got a rosetta bun every morning. Nothing else. I still can't look at a rosetta bun, and I'll probably never be able to eat a rosetta bun ever again in my life!

Anyway breakfast is something to think about. If you go out to a coffee bar, they sell pastries and sandwiches for breakfast. An option is to shop at a grocery store and stock the fridge in your room with breakfast proteins.

Where are you going, btw. That might help with the specialities and the things to avoid.

Our very simple hotel did have yogurt as one of the choices, and hard boiled eggs upon request. I did order a side of vegetables one night, that did come battered and fried, so yes, learn all of the important nuiances

Hey everyone, thank you so much for your suggestions and information.

I am glad to hear that even those restaurants I can find some individual items to order. Also, nice to hear that they tend to be rather accommodating. I think what I would do is to order a couple of safe items for me, such as antipasti, secondi, and contorno, and my husband and son can enjoy the course dishes. Or, I will just say no to primi, pasta dishes. Dolce... I might have to cheat a bit and have a small bite of it...

I will print out some Italian phrase as suggested so I can be clear about my dietary needs ahead of time.

We don't plan to eat at expensive restaurants. That's just not how we want to spend our money.

For breakfast, we are staying at a hotel in Venice which serves cold cuts for breakfast. We are staying in apartments in Florence and Rome, so I plan to fix my own breakfast in those two cities.

Some people asked me where we are visiting. We will be arriving Venice, then, visiting Ferrara (to visit our friend), Florence, and Rome. If you have any dishes you can recommend within my dietary requirement, or avoid, please let me know!

My other question is caffeinated drinks. I want to enjoy coffee in Italy. Any drinks that I should avoid because it is automatically sweetened?

Thank you! You all are awesome!

Venice, the dominant primi starches are polenta and risotto. A lot less pasta. So, not a gluten problem, per se, though the carbs can rack up quickly. Fritti Misti probably worth avoiding, due to breaking.

Florence is a wheat growing region, but bistecca fiorentina is worth eating most certainly. As is Arista pork loin. Good charcuterie for antis. Some pork dishes available with wild boar instead of pigs. Very tasty.

Rome, so much good stuff. Porchetta is a secondi that originated in Lazio, and is celebratory feast everywhere else. So tasty. Saltimbocca is breaded.

Sometimes.es porchetta has some bread crumbs in the stuffing, you can ask.

Some sauteed proteins are floured (not necessarily breaded), but if you say you cannot eat gluten, you may have it grilled, or sauteed without flour.

Many Italians tend to drink their coffee (caffè - espresso) with copious amounts of sugar.

One of my favourite coffee bars in Rome is Sant' Eustachio Il Caffè who have been making excellent coffees since 1938. A word of caution - they make their caffè with their backs to the customers and it is rumoured that they already have a fair amount of sugar mixed in when served. Rumour only, but worth considering when you are looking for top grade coffee but are concerned about sweetening.

You can always ask for your espresso senza zucchero, that is without sugar. Good thing to do just in case you hit one of the rare bars that includes sugar automatically. I know Caffè Mexico in Naples does this, and as Nigel mentions, Sant'Eustachio may too.

Not a rumor, Nigel. Ask for it without sugar and control those carbs!

Thank you everyone for your suggestions! They are all so helpful.