10 Types of Italian Restaurants to Try on Your Travels

If you’re planning a trip to Italy, you might be wondering about the difference between an osteria and a trattoria. What about an enoteca? And does ristorante just mean restaurant? During your travels, you’ll discover many types of dining establishments, and the distinctions between them aren’t always clear.

Now that I’ve been living in Rome for the last five years—and have traveled around the country trying to dine at as many types of restaurants as possible—I’ve learned a thing or two about the differences between them. That said, the lines between the various kinds of Italian eateries have blurred. In the past, there was a clear hierarchy, with an osteria being the most spartan type of establishment and a ristorante being the most elegant and expensive. Nowadays, though, you might find that eating at an osteria costs more than dining at a ristorante. Read on for a handy guide to the many types of restaurants you’ll find in Italy.

Osteria

Historically speaking, an osteria was a spartan, no-frills establishment where people would go to have a drink. The original osterias date all the way back to the Roman Empire. “If you go to Ostia Antica or Pompeii, you find the osterias of the era,” says Elisa Valeria Bove, an archeologist and CEO of high-end tour operator Roma Experience. She adds that they were like bed-and-breakfasts, with rooms for rent above the dining room where people could listen to music. In the past, osterias didn’t necessarily have a kitchen, so people could even bring their own food. 

Over time, the definition of an osteria has evolved. The three-Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana, for example, has adopted the term as a nod to the simple osterias of the past.

Trattoria

If an osteria is the most casual type of establishment and a ristorante is the most elegant, a trattoria is somewhere in the middle. According to the Italian encyclopedia Treccani, a trattoria is generally more modest than a ristorante and is always autonomous—in other words, it’s not connected to a hotel, train station, or ship. When I travel around Italy, I usually seek out trattorias because that’s where I expect to find classic versions of traditional local dishes for modest prices served in a casual, often family-run environment.

“If you run a trattoria and you serve revisited dishes, people will throw them back at you because they’re expecting to find faithful versions of traditional dishes like what they would eat at their grandmother’s house,” says Bove. Of course, there are sure to be some exceptions to this rule.

Ristorante

When Italians talk about going to a ristorante, the idea is that they’re expecting the kind of place with white tablecloths, higher prices, and elevated service, including the presence of a sommelier to help choose a bottle of wine to pair with the meal. In the past, there was an element of showmanship, which you can still find in some places, like the historic Ristorante Diana in Bologna, where white-jacketed waiters serve tortellini in brodo tableside out of a silver tureen. At the Michelin-starred Ristorante All’Oro in Rome, the concept and presentation are much more modern, but there’s still a theatrical element in addition to creative versions of traditional dishes.

Enoteca

An enoteca is a wine bar, but these too range widely from simple hole-in-the-wall spots with a wide selection of wines and maybe some things to nosh on to elegant establishments with well-thought-out menus. Italians might stop by an enoteca to have a drink before going to an osteria or trattoria for dinner. Personally, I sometimes like to go to an enoteca for a light bite paired with some wine instead of having a formal dinner. On a recent trip to Bologna, for example, my husband and I had a leisurely lunch at Ristorante Grassilli, and that evening, instead of going to another formal restaurant and eating more pasta, we went to Enoteca Storica Faccioli, split a bottle of wine, and shared some charcuterie and a focaccia topped with pears and gorgonzola.

Bar

You might be surprised to hear Italians invite you to meet them at a bar for breakfast, but in Italy, the term “bar” doesn’t have the same meaning as it does in the U.S. In Italy, bars are typically open from the morning until the evening, closing just before dinner time, and they serve coffee as well as alcoholic drinks. In fact, you could go to the same bar for a cappuccino and cornetto in the morning, a quick sandwich for lunch, and an Aperol spritz in the evening.

Caffè

As you would expect, a caffè or caffeteria is focused on coffee. Nowadays, these places are being replaced by bars, but you can still find some traditional cafés like the Tazza d’Oro and Caffè Sant’Eustachio in Rome, Caffè Florian in Venice, and the Gran Caffè Gambrinus in Naples. These establishments often roast and sell their own beans and blends of espresso. “These historic cafés, especially in Naples, evolved to serve aperitivo, but they keep the name caffeteria because they were born as cafés,” explains Bove.

Tavola Calda

If you ever find yourself getting hangry while wandering around Italy between mealtimes (when sit-down restaurants are closed), you might want to look for a tavola calda. The term literally translates to “hot table,” but it’s like a cafeteria-style spot where you can choose from a selection of ready-made dishes at the counter. Unlike bar counters, which usually just display sandwiches and pastries, a tavola calda serves a variety of hot dishes, including pasta, rice, meat, fish, and vegetables. These are places where you can get a cheap, quick bite and sit down to eat it.

Friggitoria

A friggitoria is a place that specializes in fried foods like supplì (Roman fried rice balls) and arancini (Sicilian fried rice balls). “Italians can agree that the friggitoria has its origins in Naples, the home of the fry—but they are found all over Italy,” Rome-based author Maria Pasquale writes in her book, “The Eternal City: Recipes and Stories from Rome.” She cites examples like supplì, filetti di baccalà (battered fried cod), fiori di zucca (battered fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies), croquettes, mozzarelline (fried mozzarella balls), and olive ascolane (fried olives stuffed with meat).

Forno

In Italian, there are two different words that both mean bakery. A forno (literally meaning oven) typically focuses on bread, though it might also make biscuits or tarts. “The concept of buying bread at a bakery (rather than baking it yourself at home) is said to have originated in Rome sometime around 280 B.C.E. By the time of Emperor Augustus (27 B.C.E. to 14 C.E.), there were over 250 bakeries in Rome and even a baker’s guild,” writes Pasquale. At the Antico Forno Roscioli in Rome, people line up for bread and pizza, though they do sell some sweet treats, including panettone for Christmas. 

Pasticceria

A pasticceria is a type of bakery that focuses on sweets. This is where Italians go to buy cakes, cookies, and pastries. For example, if you want to try an authentic maritozzo (a sweet bun split in half and filled with whipped cream) in Rome, you should go to Pasticceria Regoli, which also sells fruit tarts, cream puffs, and other cakes and pastries.