At the Bakery & Deli
Use these essential phrases to order bread, deli meats, and pastries naturally at an Italian bakery or deli.
Key Phrases
Prendo due etti di crudo e mezzo chilo di pane.
neutralI'll take 200 grams of prosciutto and half a kilo of bread.
Ordering by the 'etto' (100 grams) is the standard way to buy sliced meats and cheese.
Per me due cornetti, grazie.
casualTwo croissants for me, thanks.
A very natural, verb-free way to state what you want.
Mi dà quello lì, per favore?
politeCan you give me that one there, please?
Uses the formal 'Lei' form to make a polite request.
Prendo questo qui.
casualI'll take this one here.
Useful when you are pointing at something through the glass counter.
Può mettere un po' di meno?
politeCan you put a little less?
Use this if the deli worker has sliced too much meat or cheese.
Ancora un po'.
casualA little bit more.
Literally 'still a bit'. A fast way to ask them to add more to the scale.
Serve altro?
politeDo you need anything else?
The most common way shop assistants will ask if your order is complete.
E poi?
casualAnd then?
A fast, authentic way staff prompt you for the next item.
Basta così, quant'è in tutto?
neutralThat's enough, how much is it in total?
'Basta così' is the perfect phrase to signal you are done ordering.
Tutto qui. Quanto pago?
casualThat's all. How much do I pay?
A direct and informal way to conclude your purchase.