| If you plan to visit Italy, it's important to organize your trip considering Italian rules and uses concerning an Italian restaurant. • They usually have a rigid closing time. Usually they open around midday and closes at 2.30pm to re-open for dinner around 7.00pm. It's normal in Italy, but may cause surprise in foreign people, who maybe have an american breakfast and feel like having lunch at 4.00pm. • Nowadays, in main cities, you may find some tourist restaurants that remain open, but remember they are tourist (what means they will probably serve international dishes or local ones but with no special attention to pasta boiling time or other details that a tourist may not notice) and you may find them only in the main tourist points. • The tip isn't mandatory in Italy... even if they expect it specially from tourists and are always happy to get it. • When you read your bill, your check, you'll see the voice "coperto", what means "covered" (??). In Italy you pay for the place you occupy in the restaurant, plus the bread and napkin. I know, it sounds absurd, but it has always been like this, what to do? I personally would prefer to have it included in the meals prices, but it is part of the culture. • When the waiter comes to serve you, he'll suggest you dishes beginning with the antipasto, then a first dish and a second dish, as a
traditional Italian meal
. • While ordering wine, they usually have the own one ("da casa"). It costs less and sometimes is really good. You can ask to try it; if you don't like it, you can order a bottle. • In Italy the taxes are included in the prices. You don't hear: "it costs 20", and when you go to pay it is 20 plus taxes. This tax (IVA, that is from European Union) is usually 20% for most things you may buy, but can vary between 4% (bread, for example), 10% and 20%. | 
