The Biggest “Don’ts” in Italy Every Traveler Should Know

Before you order that cappuccino after dinner or ask where to find the best spaghetti and meatballs, there’s something you should know.

Italians are surprisingly easygoing about many things. Food is not one of them.

Mention pineapple on pizza, break spaghetti in half before cooking it, or drown a perfectly good pasta dish in ketchup, and you might witness an Italian’s soul leave their body.

We know the stereotypes. Pizza. Pasta. The mafia. We’ve heard them all a thousand times. And while food really is at the center of Italian life, most visitors don’t realize just how many unwritten rules come with it.

The truth is that Italy isn’t just a place where people eat well. It’s a country where recipes are protected like family heirlooms, where fierce regional rivalries are fought over sauces and cheeses, and where ordering the wrong thing at the wrong time can instantly reveal you’re a tourist.

Are Italians a little dramatic about food?

Absolutely.

Are we convinced we do it better than everyone else?

Without question.

And after spending a few days in Italy, you may start to understand why.

So before you sit down at your first trattoria, here are the food mistakes that make Italians cringe, the habits that will help you blend in, and the delicious traditions that most travelers never discover.

After all, if you’re going to eat in Italy, you might as well do it like an Italian.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my small business.

11 Things NOT To Do When Visiting Italy

1. Do not order Pizza with pineapple!

It’s just gross. 

I put it first because it’s the biggest insult, and no matter how much I have traveled and how open-minded I think I am, pizza with pineapple is not pizza.

It even feels disgusting to write it. How do you dare order such a horrible combination of dishes? 

In any case,  you are free to eat whatever you want, just don’t order a pizza with pineapple in Italy, you run the risk of getting deported.  

The face of the waiter if you order a pineapple pizza

via GIPHY

2. When you want to order an espresso, just ask for a coffee!

Every time I go back to Italy and I go to a bar, I ask for an espresso and they look at me as if I asked the strangest thing in the world. 

The reason is that in Italy, there is no other coffee than espresso.

Espresso is THE ONLY coffee. 

If you want something different, such as an Americano, cappuccino, and so forth, you have to be specific, but if you order an espresso, just say a coffee. (un caffè, per favore= a coffee please) .

3. Do not order a latte

In Italy, we don’t have such a beverage that is called latte, or, better said, if you order a latte, they will serve you a glass of plain milk. So if you want a replica of your Starbucks latte, explain exactly what you want to the waiter, especially if you are in a less touristy area. 

4. Cappuccino doesn’t go with meals

We don’t drink cappuccino together with meals. 

It’s gross and also indigestible. 

We normally have a cappuccino for breakfast, preferably with a croissant. 

In rare cases, we have another cappuccino in the middle of the day, but not with meals. 

5. Do not order pasta Alfredo

I am sorry to break your heart, but Pasta Alfredo doesn’t exist in Italy. It’s just not an Italian dish. 

So forget about it when you are here and enjoy some authentic food. 

If you find it on the menu, it means the restaurant isn’t good and they just want to serve what tourists expect.

My suggestion, in this case, is to get up and choose a different restaurant.

6. Do not put Parmesan cheese on seafood pasta

I have to confess about this one: Some Italians do it, but if you want to eat Italian food in the real way, avoid this combination. 

It just doesn’t taste correct.

7. Do not order a risotto alla Milanese in Naples

Although you can eat good pizza almost everywhere, you must know that the original pizza is in Naples, the risotto and osso buco are from Milan, the tagliatelle and tortellini are from Bologna, and the Pasta all’ amatriciana is from Rome. 

Italian cuisine is great (almost) everywhere you go, but you need to choose the local dishes to get the best of every place.  If you don’t know what the typical dish is, ask the waiter, they will be happy to assist you if they speak English. If they don’t, they will communicate in some way. Worry not. 

8. You don’t need a spoon to eat spaghetti

We Italians are very judgmental, and we make fun of foreigners when it comes to food and fashion. But in a nice way, of course. One of the things that makes us laugh is when we see people eating spaghetti with a spoon because it’s simply not Italian.

I know, there is nothing wrong with doing it, it’s not that you are ordering a pizza with pineapple, but still, if you can learn how to roll the spaghetti around your fork without the help of the spoon, you get more “Italian style scores”.

And if you think about it, it’s exactly the same wrist movement, but instead of using the spoon as a base, you would use the plate. Try it and let me know how it goes! I am sure you will do great! 

Oh, and the spaghetti must not be cut!

9. Don’t order butter for your bread; instead, use it for the “scarpetta”

When you go out for dinner or lunch, you will be served bread, different kinds of delicious bread, which you can eat either while waiting for your meal if you are starving and can’t wait for the plate to come, or to clean up your plate when you are done.

This is called “fare la scarpetta,” and although it can seem gross, it’s common in Italy and socially accepted. And no, we don’t use butter on bread.

Mums used to prepare this for their kids for “Merenda.” At 4 p.m., it’s snack time for kids, and some of the old treats are bread with butter and sugar.

Ah, yes, we don’t even have salted butter, although somewhere you might even find it now.

10. Don’t ask for ranch dressing for your salad

Forget about whatever you are using to dress your salad, and say hello to your new friend: super-healthy Extra Virgin Olive Oil and balsamic vinegar. 

And now you will finally find out what the flavor of salad is, and you might even like it. 

11. Don’t ask for pepperoni pizza and expect this

I am sorry to destroy a myth, but first of all, “Pepperoni” is not salame (aka salami) in Italy; it’s pepperoni (with one P), which stands for sweet pepper.

If you want “salame” on the pizza, it’s accepted (as long as you don’t ask for the pineapple with it). You can either ask for a pizza margherita with salame on it or order a pizza alla diavola, which includes salame.

Yes, adding ingredients to your pizza is acceptable, as long as it’s not pineapple.  I know I am obsessed with this one. Sorry!

That’s all you need to know for now. I might add more stuff when I remember. If you have something else to add, please be my guest and let me know in the comments below.

I hope you didn’t get offended.

I was joking… or not, but for sure, please do not ask for pineapple pizza!! 

You are all welcome to visit our beautiful country, and please forgive us if we don’t speak your language or if we are not always so welcoming.

We do love you all, and we look forward to showing you our treasures.

For Further Reading

• Verona, Italy Map + Verona’s Most Popular Landmarks: Solo Travel Guide to Verona
• The best areas for a road trip in Italy: 5 Best Italian Itineraries
• 19 Amazing Beaches in Italy That You Must Visit This Summer
• The Italian “Passeggiata”: What is it, Exactly? Real Meaning and Myths
• 19 Best Things to Do in Milan, Italy + Tips from a Local