Italian food in Rimini: An Overview

One can’t imagine visiting a country and not taste its traditional cuisine. Therefore, anyone travelling to Italy is invariably interested in knowing about: What should one choose from the variety of food served in restaurants, and what do Italians eat? In this article, you will learn about the composition of a typical Italian lunch and dishes served in Italian families, as well as in the outlets, where you get delicious and inexpensive food.

Italian food: main courses

So, a typical Italian lunch or dinner is traditionally divided into 4 parts: antipasto (starters), primo (first course), secondo (second course), and dolce (dessert). Servings in Italian restaurants are quite large, so if you are not planning to spend a few hours for a meal, it would be better to order one serving of starters for two, and then choose just one thing i.e. either first or second course, and finally eat dessert.

• Starters

Every connoisseur of good food will appreciate Italian cold cuts (speck, salami, culatello, prosciutto and pancetta), and you should definitely taste salad or assorted seafood. If you are not sure of your appetite, it is better to order one serving for two. Prices for starters range from 6 to 12 EURO.
In Italy wine is naturally considered the traditional drink for dinner. In Italian restaurants, you find a large variety of its grades from ordinary to most astonishing ones. If you want to save money without compromising on taste, you can simply order for homemade wine (vino di casa), which is served in a pitcher of 0.5 or 1 litre. You can buy them at very affordable prices i.e. about 8 EURO per litter, and the taste will undoubtedly make you happy.

Assorted meat: prosciutto, pancetta, speck, salami

Seafood salad

Homemade wine in pitcher

• First course

In Italy, the traditional first course is the popular macaroni (noodle products) - pasta and pizza have become the country’s symbols. You should definitely try carbonara with bacon, tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms, spaghetti with mussels and other shellfish or fish and also, risotto, gnocchi, cappelletti and, of course, pizza. The cost of meals may vary from 6 to 15 EURO in majority of restaurants.

Tagliatelle with mushrooms (porcini)

Pasta with mussels

Carbonara

Risotto

• Second course

After the first course, if you still have appetite for second, go for meat or fish. Your “compulsory package" should include zuppa di pesce (fish soup) and grilled fish (grigliata mista di pesce). You may also share the second course with a friend, and so you can happily order one serving for two.

Roast Beef

Grilled fish

• Desert

Italian cuisine has something to please those, who have a sweet tooth. Crème caramel (caramel custard), mascarpone, tiramisu, panna cotta are all traditional Italian delicacies. Each connoisseur will be interested to try them in Italian coffee shops and compare with those that are served in his homeland.

Tiramisu

Mascarpone

Panna Cotta

Italian Quick bite

If you don’t have sufficient time for a full-fledged meal, and still want to eat, you don’t always need to run for burger or shawarma. In any Italian city, you can find a lot of pizzerias, cafes and bars, where you can have a quick bite. For example, order piadina i.e. a stuffed pita sandwich. The filler may be a ham with arugula, cheese, prosciutto, and other stuff. You can also have hot pizza or sandwich as a quick bite. The price of such “fast-food” dishes is quite less: about 4 to 5 EURO. A slice of pizza will cost even lesser - only 2 EURO.

Piadina

Slice of pizza

Kebab

Panino (sandwich)

Italian breakfast

Many people miss breakfast in the morning rush, but in Italy, the situation is different. Breakfast for Italians is almost a ritual: a cup of coffee, bun, and turning through newspaper pages: this is how Italians spend their mornings. Follow their footsteps! The price of this breakfast will just cost you about 2 EURO, if you drink coffee right at a bar counter. If you want to be served on your table, you may be charged extra in some bars.

Trattorias, bars and restaurants: Distinctive features and choice

Restaurants in Italy may differ from each other; they include very exclusive and expensive, as well as moderate and cheaper ones. As a matter of fact, before entering any outlet, price menu is usually displayed and after glancing through it, you can easily assess the standard of restaurant. There are even trattorias – these are more affordable than usual restaurants, they offer cool service, stress-free homely atmosphere and low prices. Locals generally prefer visiting trattorias, and majority of tourists willingly follow their example.
In the same way, you can find a huge variety of bars, pizzerias, delicatessen shops and kebab corners on the streets of Italian cities; some of them even have seating arrangements, and some others offer only take away service. The latter are the most economical option for dinner or lunch in Italy.

Useful Information

• Opening hours of restaurants.
It is important to know that almost all restaurants remain closed from 3 pm to 7 pm except for delicatessen shops and bars with take-away service. Also, restaurants have one day off in a week. Usually, neighbouring outlets mutually agree on their weekly schedule so that their holidays do not overlap.

• Average cost of lunch in Italy.
Of course, this primarily depends on outlet, where you decide to have lunch. You can eat in a bar for 5 EURO per person, and you can take a four-course lunch at a trattoria for 20 EURO. In top-end restaurants, lunch can cost even 2 to 3 times more.

• Tipping in Italy.
Locals normally do not leave a tip and tipping is not compulsory in Italy. However, if you decide to leave a tip, you should know that attendants will be very happy to receive, and they will never decline from it.