Any Tips for Having a Good Restaurant Experience?
Hi...
Okay, I've been torturing myself with bad restaurant experiences on TripAdvisor. I'm a little sensitive about this because my husband and I are Asian, and I'm still not sure how we will be treated.
I'm learning basic Italian and about the regional cuisines. I hope to memorize enough vocabulary to decipher a menu without constantly consulting a book, and to ask things politely in Italian.
Do you have any other tips? I'm kind of wondering when to clue in and just leave, too. I was reading about a Japanese couple at an adjacent table (to the reviewer) who was openly berated/ridiculed by the waiter because all they ate was one pasta dish each and bottled water. :(
I've seen posts on this forum about how you don't have to order all the courses and you don't have to tip... but I don't really want to get yelled at either!
We are going to Venice, Florence and Rome and really prefer to seek out non-touristy restaurants. I'd be interested in your thoughts. Yes, I'm probably looking for reassurance, or at least the best way to handle it if things go wrong. The latter would probably be useful to any traveler. Thank you in advance. :)
Edit: Wow my paranoia got the best of me and I mentally confused a couple of reviews. I really apologize!
Elaine
CA 2/11/13
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My personal observation is that restaurant prices in Italy are remarkably constant - a bad restaurant costs about the same as a good restaurant (I'm talking regular places not fine dining).
The key to finding a good restaurant? Ask. We had pretty terrible food, at the going rate, whenever we were famished and stopped somewhere near the tourist areas. When we asked locals for recommendations, however, we had great meals and service (at the same price).
My impression is Chinese have a bad rep as tourists. The stereotype is they are demanding, argue about minor details (which the Italians hate), and don't tip.
Many Americans think we have a bad rep but it's not as bad as other nationalities. Your story about speaking "American" rings true. Once they hear your accent, they will see you as Americans (for better or worse) regardless of your race.
I am Japanese Canadian and travel to Italy almost every year. There are cultural differences in the way things are done especially in Tuscany.
I recommend that you always make a reservation even if it's just 30 minutes ahead of time. Get your hotel to call or try calling yourself. In Florence chances are excellent that you can book in English with the person on the phone.
Be polite - treat the restaurant like it's your friend's home you are visiting and remember a smile goes a long way.
Try to find a restaurant with handwritten daily specials that change every day. I find these usually have good food and that the daily specials are very good in general.
My Florentine friend explained very carefully to me that proprietors in Tuscany have a very different attitude to customers than in America (his wife is American but they live in Florence). The customer is NOT always right in Tuscany - don't try to pull that on the proprietor - he might throw you out. Always be very polite when asking for something - my friend said that he himself would be very polite even if he had ordered soup and he needed to ask for a spoon to eat it.
Respect the eating hours. Dinner is later in Italy. 7:30 is early and the staff may still be eating dinner at 7:30 before they have to serve. Don't try to eat earlier at a good restaurant.
I've never felt any animosity because I'm Asian (I have in other countries, but not in Italy). And, there are now a lot of Chinese immigrants in Italy. I watched a fascinating documentary on Italian TV last year about the Miss China in Italy contest. The contestants interviewed all spoke Italian. I think there are now second generation Chinese Italians - I went to a Chinese restaurant where the owner spoke Mandarin, Cantonese, English and Italian, but his kids really only spoke Italian.
LOL Roberto - reminds me when we were in Cinque Terre and there was a couple there and she had on a Roots Canada sweatshirt. These 2 guys were like...'Oh, Canadians, where are you from?' (they were Canucks)...the girl looked pretty abashed when she said...'New York'...
...and us being mistaken for Irish (well, here in Nova Scotia, we do have a little teeny 'brogue') by a so-called linguist in Italy, and my husband being mistaken for Scottish by someone from...Toronto...lol. (My sister lives in UK now for 5 years, people all the time think she is Irish or Scottish).
We've never ordered all the courses - I don't have a huge appetite, so even a pizza sometimes is hard for me to finish, let alone app, 1st and 2nd course and dessert. A few times we may have left a few euro, but tip is included, but we are just ingrained here in NA to leave tips. And of course, here we are so used to being rushed right out of a restaurant...Italy - it's hard to leave when you want! You have to be good about catching their eye...as mentioned - we were in CT last year and we sat at a rest. for at least 3 hrs chatting with a New Zealander...not once did we get the 'are you leaving yet' look...
I prefer restaurants or cafes where I can order just pizza or pasta and salad.
Getting the bill can be a challenge if you don't do it "just right." After finishing my pizza at one place in Venice, I signaled to the waiter and tried to indicate I was ready to pay. He seemed clueless about what I could possibly want.
Another time, in Sorrento, I indicated to the busboy (no waiter in sight) that I was ready to pay my bill. He repeated my request in English, so I'm sure he understood. Then nothing happened. There was no longer a waiter or busboy anywhere visible. I finally just left money on the table and left.
Swan - your post reminds me of some of my favorite people-watching at Italian restaurants. Watching some customers, usually American, sit down to lunch with only 15-20 minutes to eat before dashing off to a tour or museum. Most practically blow a gasket as time drags on just to get a waiter, not to mention how long it takes to get a check...
The bad thing about the waiters not wanting to come check on you...our 1st trip in 2008, we are in Rome eating near the Vatican...well, my husband ate, they never brought me my meal...so after about 45min (I guess I must have been patient)...we finally got up and went in to the cash, I told them we wanted to pay...and that I never got my meal...well, the waiter was flabbergasted! By this time I was pretty peeved, so we just paid and left. This was our 2nd day of our first big trip anywhere, so now I know more about eating in Italy, I would never let it happen again - I'd give it about 5-10 min then go after someone (in a polite, Canadian kinda way)...needless to say that evening we stumbled across an Irish pub near the Trevi Ftn...OMG, soooo good...
I had not realized this thread had gone to a second page!
Thanks everyone for sharing your travel experiences. I loved reading your stories and insights.
I guess it's about learning the customs, being a gracious guest, expecting that anything can happen, and hoping to be pleasantly surprised. :)
My best restaurant experience in Italy: in Siena on a RS tour, one member of the group had a recommendation for a restaurant; about 8 of us walked half a mile to a small restaurant and were seated outside. We ate splendidly; the only food I remember was incredible, fresh gnocchi. After our meal the owner came out and treated us to an after-dinner drink in a most friendly manner. Each of us paid a portion (probably an eighth) of the bill. We walked away fully happy and satisfied.
I think the lesson here is: go to dinner with someone who knows what he/she is doing and has a connection.
In October, we spent four days in Verona. There was a pizzaria right across the street and we ate nearly every meal there. It was family-run and after the second day, they treated us like family. It's one of my favorite memories of Europe.
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