Italian Menu Translator

  • The following is a translation of most of the words and phrases to be found on an Italian menu.

Types of Italian Restaurant

    • Ristorante:  Full Service, usually positioned in main thoroughfares
    • Trattoria:  similar to a Ristorante, usually family-run, located in smaller side streets
    • Osteria:  similar to a Trattoria but less formal and more local
    • Taverna:  similar to the Bar, limited Menu, off the beaten track
    • Bar:  quick snacks, limited menus
    • Pizzeria:  Pizzas, but also other menus
    • Gelateria:  Ice Creams, but also offer Cooked Food
    • Rosticceria:  Roast Chicken and other roast meats, and pre-cooked meals
    • Tavola Calda:  Has a Counter with pre-made Dishes ready to be heated

1. Drinks

Acqua:  Water

    • Una brocca d’acqua:  a jug of water
    • Una bottiglia di acqua minerale:  a bottle of mineral water
    • Acqua con ghiaccio:  water with ice

Aperitivo:  Aperitifs

    • Campari:  Red Bitter-Sweet Vermouth
    • Punt e Mes:  Dark Brown Bitter-Sweet Vermouth (It Means ‘Point and a Half’)
    • Martini:  Red or White Vermouth
    • Cinzano:  Red or White Vermouth
    • Aperol:  Light Red Vermouth
    • Prosecco:  Sparkling White Wine

Birrha:  Beers

    • Birra alla spina:  draft beer
    • Birra chiara:  lager beer
    • Birra prodotte con malto marrone:  Brown ale

Vino:  House Wine

    • Un quarto di rosso della casa:  a quarter litre of house red wine
    • Un mezzo litro di bianco della casa:  a half litre of house white wine
    • Una bottiglia di vino rosato:  a bottle of rose wine

Cocktails

2. L’Antipasto:  Starters (usually cold)

    • Calamari Fritti:  Fried Squid
    • Pomodoro Fritti: Fried Tomato
    • Prosciutto:  thinly sliced ham
    • Bruschetta:  toasted bread with oil and garlic
    • Zucchini:  courgettes
    • Bocconcini:  mozzarella cheese balls
    • Insalata (verde-mista):  salad (green-mixed)  
    • Asparagi:  Asparagus
    • Gnocchi:  small potato dumplings
    • Ravioli:  a filling surrounded by pasta, served in a sauce
    • Carciofi:  Artichoke hearts
    • Mozzarella e Pomodoro:  a salad of slices of mozzarella and tomatoes
    • Foccacia:  flat bread
    • Bucatini:  a type of thick spaghetti which is hollow
    • Orecchietti:  (small ear) small pieces of pasta
    • Grissini:  dry breadsticks
    • Ragu alla Bolognese:  Bolognese sauce, a meat based sauce

3. Primo:  light non-meat dishes

    • Pasta alla Carbonara:  spaghetti dish with egg, hard cheese, cured pork and pepper
    • Risotto:  creamy rice Dish
    • Rigatoni:  tube shaped pasta
    • Spaghetti:  long thin cylindrical pasta
    • Linguini:  long elliptical pasta
    • Capellini:  (little hairs’) a very thin pasta
    • Fettuccini:  (little ribbons) a long flat pasta
    • Lasagne:  a dish made of layers of flat pasta, meat and tomato sauce
    • Ravioli:  fillings surrounded by pasta served in a sauce
    • Farfalle:  (butterfly) pasta shaped into bow ties
    • Penne:  (pen) short tubes of pasta cut at an angle
    • Fioretti:  stuffed pasta
    • Tortellini:  ring shaped pasta with meat stuffing
    • Fusilli:  twisted corkscrew shaped pasta
    • Paglia e Fieno: (straw and hay) green and yellow tagliatelle cooked together in nests
    • Orecchietti:  (small ears) small pieces of pasta
    • Pappardelle:  broad flat pasta

Zuppa:  Soup

    • Zuppa di Giorno:  Soup of the Day
    • Minestra:  Minestrone
    • Tortellini in Brodo:  eggs with spinach
    • Stracciatella alla Romano:  meat broth with shredded egg
    • Zuppa de Pesce:  Fish soup

4. Secundo:  Main Dish (Meat and Fish)

  • Piatto del giorno:  Dish of the day

Insalata:  Salads

    • Insalata Caesar:  Romaine Lettuce, Croutons, Parmesan Cheese, Anchovies, Eggs
    • Insalade:  Green Salad

Carne:  Meat Dishes

    • Saltimbocca;  marinated veal wrapped in prosciutto ham
    • Ossobuco:  braised veal steaks on the bone
    • Fiorentina:  a Florentine steak which includes sirloin and tenderloin
    • Polpette:  meatballs
    • Salcicce grigliate:  grilled Italian sausages
    • Brasato al Barolo:  beef stewed in red wine
    • Arrosticini:  mutton kebabs
    • Pollo alla cacciatora:  a dish made with chicken
    • Picchiapo:  beef strips in a sauce
    • Involtini al pomodoro:  beef rolls in a tomato sauce 

Pesce:  Fish Dishes

    • Calamari Ripieni:  stuffed squid
    • Spaghetti alle Vongole:  spaghetti with clams
    • Fritto misto di Pesce:  deep fried crustaceans and molluscs
    • Linguine allo Scoglio:  Linguine with shellfish
    • Cacciucco:  Fish stew
    • Brodetto:  tomato based seafood stew
    • Aqua pazza: (crazy water) poached fish
    • Linguine all’astice:  Linguine served with lobster meat
    • Involtini di pesce spada:  Stuffed swordfish fillets

Contourno:  Side Dishes (Salad or Vegetables)

    • Caprese salad: Tomatoes with olive oil and vinegar
    • Insalata Tricolore:  Salad made with slices of Mozzarella, avocado and tomato
    • Risotto alla Milanese:  Rice in a sauce made with Saffron
    • Angioletti fritti con Rucola e Pomodori:  Fried doughballs with tomatoes
    • Pecorino Tortas con salsa di Pomodoro:   Pecorino Flans in tomato sauce
    • Pomodori con Riso: Rice stuffed tomatoes
    • Carciofi Arrostiti:  Roasted artichokes

Formaggio e Fruta:  Cheese and Fruit

    • Formaggio di Capra:  Goat’s Cheese
    • Formaggio di Pecora:  Sheep’s Cheese

5. Dolce:  Dessert

    • Tiramisu:  (Pick me up) Cake made with Ladyfingers (Sponge Biscuits) dipped in coffee, with layers of a mixture made of custard and Marscapone Cheese, with added Cocoa and Liqueur.
    • Zuppa Inglese:  Ladyfingers dipped in Liqueur with Custard layers made with Crema Pasticciera and Crema alla Cioccolata mixed together.
    • Zuccotto:  Cake with Chocolate and Hazelnut Filling
    • Zabaglione:  a very light whipped custard made from egg yolks, sugar and sweet white wine
    • Panna cotta:  (Cooked Cream) made with cream, milk, sugar and gelatin topped with fruit
    • Dolcelatte Torta:  Cake made with Marscapone Cream and Dolcelatte Cheese
    • Gelati:  Ice Cream

Caffe:  Coffee

    • Espresso:  Produced by an Espresso Machine which forces boiling water at very high pressure through finely ground coffe beans, producing a very concentrated coffe drink with foam on top, served in small ‘Shots’.
    • Espresso Macchiato:  Espresso topped with either Milk Foam or a drop of milk (Macchiato means marked)
    • Cappuccino:  Espresso, Hot Milk and Steamed Milk Froth, in equal thirds
    • Caffe Latte:  Espresso and Steamed Milk
    • Americano:  Espresso diluted with Hot Water
    • Mocha:  Expresso, Hot Milk, steamed Milk Froth (or whipped cream), Cocoa Powder and Chocolate Syrup.

Digestivo:  After Dinner Drinks

    • Grappa:  a clear Brandy made from Grapes
    • Amaro:  Bitter sweet Liqueur made with Herbs
    • Amaretto:  Almond flavoured gold Liqueur
    • Centerba:  light green Liqueur flavoured with Herbs made in Abruzzo.(Centerbe means one hundred herbs)
    • Strega:  Yellow Liqueur flavoured with Herbs and Aniseed
    • Genepi:  Pale gold Liqueur flavoured with Alpine Herbs from the Aosta Valley.
    • Sambuca:  Clear Aniseed Liqueur
    • Limoncello:  Yellow Lemon Liqueur

6. Light Snacks in Cafes

    • Focaccia:
      • Bread made with Olive Oil, Salt and Herbs with various toppings, very similar to Pizza
    • Panini:
      • Toasted sandwich made with Ciabatta Bread (White Bread with added Olive Oil)
    • Bruschetta:
      • Roasted bread rubbed with Garlic, Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper served with various Toppings sometimes grilled.

 

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