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Travellers to Italy should prepare themselves for the variety of places in which you can enjoy the favourite pastime of eating in the country that invented the world's most famous cuisine. Here is a description of the more common types of eateries in Italy excluding Mc Donalds of course. Italian bars do, of course, serve alcohol, but are really cafes. They are casual places where one may have an expresso and tramezzini (two triangular sandwiches with the crusts trimmed off and not very filling) or panini sandwiches (flat rolls stuffed with meat and/or vegetables and no dressing or butter). An enoteca wine bar is a special type of bar that lets you sample regional wines by the glass while snacking on a variety of finger foods. An osteria is typically a small, very casual almost pub like restaurant, serving basic local food. Prices tend to be relatively inexpensive. A trattoria is a sort of family style restaurant serving regional fare in the home-cooked atmosphere. Usually a little more expensive than an osteria. An agriturismo tends to be on the outskists of a town and serves all home grown produce. Prices and menus tend to follow those of a tytrattoria. A ristorante is a formal up-scale restaurant, with more elaborate menus and an extensive selection of wines. The prices depend on the extent of the dress and decoration. In the larger Italian cities, many restaurants have what they call a menu turistico (tourist's menu). They are usually a safe bet and good value for money especially at lunch time. |