"Dining in Italy is about more than just having a good meal. It's an experience, a rite, a veritable event. And we're not just talking about fancy dinners or Sunday lunches. We're talking about every single meal, meaning lunch or dinner, any day of the week. Breakfasts may be afterthoughts in Italy, where people get by with a coffee and some biscuits, or a croissant at best, but dinners and lunches are another story."
"But precisely because these meals are so important, there is a long set of rules that go with them, some written in the official etiquette, known as the Galaeto, and others unspoken but known by all, lest they be publicly ostracized. We have already opined about some mistakes one might make when dining in Italy, so here we'll focus on the unspoken rules tourists or newbies might not be aware of, but which might earn them a few snubs or disapproving looks from waiters"
"If you're planning on dining at a restaurant in Italy, remember that you may be expected to get up and pay your bill at the till when you're ready. That is, your server won't bring you the bill in most cases. Some exceptions are found in touristy areas where most restaurant patrons are not Italian, or in very fancy restaurants, where you are to be waited on hand and foot."
Meals in Italy, especially lunches and dinners, function as important social rituals treated as events rather than mere sustenance. Breakfasts tend to be light and quick, while lunches and dinners often involve full spreads and socializing, even on ordinary weekdays. A mix of formal rules like the Galaeto and widely understood unspoken customs governs behavior; breaches can draw disapproval or social ostracism. One common restaurant practice requires diners to pay at a till themselves after eating, with exceptions in touristy or very upscale establishments. Paying at the till offers practical security benefits for payment handling.
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