When should you tip a waiter or waitress?

[pantherhound]

Don't tip in Italy, they don't know the meaning of it over there.

[BennyLaRue]

Don't tip in Italy, they don't know the meaning of it over there.

With the Mafia's cut though, you'd be adding 40% to the bill and it's just too much.

[kiwiMark]

Don't tip in Italy, they rape tourists for every cent with hidden service charges and other charges and tactics like moving you from desirable tables as soon as you've ordered to keep them vacant

fyp

[pantherhound]

fyp

lol nh.

Eating out in Italy (or at least Italian cities) is more often than not a terrible experience food-wise too.

[NightGizmo]

Eating out in Italy (or at least Italian cities) is more often than not a terrible experience food-wise too.

You must be really bad at picking/finding restaurants. I spent 2 weeks in Italy and we did not have a bad meal (most meals were excellent, only a few were just good). Avoid the tourist traps, get recommendations from your hotel concierge (or locals).

[pantherhound]

You must be really bad at picking/finding restaurants. I spent 2 weeks in Italy and we did not have a bad meal (most meals were excellent, only a few were just good). Avoid the tourist traps, get recommendations from your hotel concierge (or locals).

Well, let's take Rome as an example.

With the vast number of trattorias all selling more or less the same simple things, you expect to see them all do it well and do it properly. But the pasta is never fresh, the pizza flour is often bog standard and the pizzas themselves are thus ordinary. The meat option is usually veal in canteen-like slop. Bread is never made freely available and when you ask for it it's terrible. Desserts usually suck.

The amazing alfresco atmosphere and vibe makes up for it a little, but in Milan there's no atmosphere either.

In the best countries for food (France being an example) a certain quality comes as standard. In Italy it's too often just lazy. People have told me you need to eat in some family home in Italy to get a really great meal and not in restaurants. Or just get a picnic with the great cheese and hams.

I mean it CAN be great but overall I just think it's the most overrated country for food ever. I'm not alone in this either (see Giles Coren).