Sending Food Back & Complaints
Use these phrases to politely but firmly address problems with your order or the food itself, while maintaining the respectful formal register expected with service staff.
Key Phrases
Scusi, può venire un attimo al tavolo?
neutralExcuse me, can you come to the table for a moment?
A direct but standard way to call the waiter over.
Senta, mi scusi. C'è un problema con il mio piatto.
politeExcuse me. There is a problem with my dish.
Starting with 'Senta' is a polite way to get someone's attention formally.
Purtroppo la mia pasta è arrivata fredda.
neutralUnfortunately my pasta arrived cold.
Using 'purtroppo' (unfortunately) softens the complaint.
Questo piatto è quasi freddo. Potrebbe farlo scaldare?
politeThis dish is almost cold. Could you have it heated up?
Uses the conditional 'potrebbe' to make the request more courteous.
Questo non è quello che ho ordinato. Avevo chiesto il pesce.
neutralThis isn't what I ordered. I asked for the fish.
A clear, factual way to state the mistake.
Credo ci sia un malinteso, non ho ordinato questo piatto.
politeI think there is a misunderstanding, I didn't order this dish.
Uses the subjunctive 'ci sia' which is perfect for intermediate level.
La carne è troppo cruda. Potete cuocerla un po' di più?
neutralThe meat is too raw. Can you cook it a bit more?
The plural 'potete' addresses the kitchen or restaurant staff as a whole.
Manca ancora il contorno di verdure. Arriva a breve?
neutralThe vegetable side dish is still missing. Is it coming soon?
Useful when part of your meal hasn't arrived with the rest.
Potrebbe portare indietro questo piatto? È davvero troppo salato.
neutralCould you take this dish back? It's really too salty.
Directly requests the removal of an inedible dish.
Le dispiacerebbe cambiarmi il piatto? Purtroppo non è per niente buono.
politeWould you mind changing my dish? Unfortunately it's not good at all.
Very polite phrasing using the conditional form.
Mi dispiace per l'inconveniente. Lo faccio rifare immediatamente.
neutralI'm sorry for the inconvenience. I'll have it remade immediately.
A phrase you will often hear from the staff when they fix a mistake.
Le chiedo scusa. Rimuoviamo subito il piatto dal conto finale.
politeI apologize. We'll immediately remove the dish from the final bill.
A formal apology you might hear from a manager or attentive server.
Non si preoccupi, non voglio ordinare nient'altro. Va bene così.
neutralDon't worry, I don't want to order anything else. It's fine like this.
Used if you lose your appetite for a replacement after a mistake.
Siccome non ho toccato il piatto, potrebbe toglierlo dal conto?
politeSince I haven't touched the dish, could you take it off the bill?
A respectful way to ask not to pay for food you couldn't eat.
La mia pizza è fredda. Mi sa che chiamo il cameriere.
casualMy pizza is cold. I think I'll call the waiter.
Only used when talking to your friend, never to the staff.