Restaurant Menu Prices in Italy

How much does eating out cost in Italy?

Italy is famous for its independent trattorias and pizzerias, and those don't appear in a chain database. What we track instead is the country's chain scene, which is smaller and more modern than most visitors expect. It includes fast food, sandwich and piadina shops, and a few restaurant groups.

Across the 51 items we track for 11 Italian chains, the middle price is €8.20, about $9.35. The cheapest thing we list is a €1.50 bottle of water, sold at McDonald's, La Piadineria and Poke House. The dearest is a €38.00 Old Wild West "Western Grill" for two people, which is a sharing platter.

For one person, a fast-food meal is usually €6 to €11 on our lists. A sit-down pizza is €8 to €12.

What do the most popular Italian chains charge?

Here are everyday orders from the menus on this site. Dollar amounts are approximate.

Look at how McDonald's Italy works. A Big Mac alone is €6.50, and the "McMenù" with fries and a drink is €9.60. The word menù means the full meal, and da solo means the item alone.

Which chains are cheapest, and which cost the most?

If you rank chains by the middle price of the items we list, snack and drink stops are cheapest.

Cheapest end: McDonald's (about €3.00), La Piadineria (about €4.25), Cioccolatitaliani (about €4.55), Chef Express (about €5.15) and Subway (about €7.50).

Priciest end: Poke House (about €14.25), Rossopomodoro (about €11.00), Old Wild West (about €10.90), Burger King (about €10.30) and KFC (about €8.85).

A single McDonald's item can be a €1.50 water or a croissant, so its middle price looks very low. The more meaningful comparison is meal to meal.

Which Italian chains are home-grown?

• Rossopomodoro was founded in Naples in 2000 and is built around genuine Neapolitan pizza-making.
• Panino Giusto began in Milan in 1979 as one of Italy's original gourmet sandwich chains.
• La Piadineria started in Forlì, in Emilia-Romagna, in 2004 and specialises in piadina, the region's flatbread.
• Old Wild West opened in Legnago in 1995 and is an Italian burger and Tex-Mex chain with a Wild West theme.
• Poke House was founded in Milan in 2018 and sells poke bowls.
• Chef Express is part of the Cremonini Group and is Italy's leading operator of bars and fast-food outlets.
• Cioccolatitaliani is a gelato and chocolate chain with locations in Milan and Turin.

What do the Italian menu words mean?

• Coperto: a cover charge per person at table-service restaurants.
• Servizio: a service charge that some restaurants add.
• Da solo: alone, without the meal.
• Menù: a meal deal with a side and a drink.
• Cornetto: the Italian croissant, often filled.
• Piadina: a thin flatbread folded around fillings.
• Primo: the first course, usually pasta or rice.
• Spremuta: fresh-squeezed juice. McDonald's Italy sells an orange one at €3.90.

What can you eat for under €5 in Italy?

Quite a lot, especially at bars and dessert shops. On our lists, these all cost less than €5:

• McDonald's croissant with cocoa and hazelnut: €1.60
• McDonald's chocolate donut: €2.10
• Cioccolatitaliani single scoop: €2.50
• Chef Express cornetto: €2.50
• Chef Express small cappuccino: €3.50
• McDonald's fresh orange juice: €3.90
• Cioccolatitaliani hot chocolate: €4.50
• Cioccolatitaliani waffle or pancake creation: €4.60

What is the "coperto"?

This is the one Italian bill item that surprises visitors. A coperto is a small per-person charge at sit-down restaurants, usually about €1 to €3. It covers the table setting and bread. It's legal, and the restaurant has to state it on the menu.

You shouldn't normally see it at fast-food counters, but it's common in table-service restaurants such as pizzerias. Some restaurants also add a servizio, a service charge of 10% to 20%.

Is tax included in Italian menu prices?

Yes. Menu prices include IVA. The usual rate for restaurant food and drink is 10%. The price on the menu is what you pay, plus any coperto or service charge shown.

Do you have to tip in Italy?

No. Tipping isn't required, especially if a coperto or servizio is already on the bill. If the service was great, leaving a few euros in change is a kind gesture. At fast-food counters and coffee bars, no tip is needed. The tip calculator can help if you'd like to add something.

Are delivery apps more expensive in Italy?

Often. Delivery apps price menus above the counter, then add fees. Use our delivery markup calculator to check the real cost.

How can you save money eating out in Italy?

1. Try the piadina. La Piadineria's piadina starts at €5.58 on our list.
2. Eat at the counter. Coffee bars charge less for standing at the counter, and you avoid table charges.
3. Choose the simplest pizza. Rossopomodoro's Marinara is €8.00, against €11.90 for a Capricciosa.
4. Watch the small extras. Water is €1.50 at McDonald's, La Piadineria and Poke House, but €1.90 at Panino Giusto.
5. Order in person. You'll avoid delivery fees.

Browse Italian menus by type

• Fast food: McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Subway, Old Wild West
• Pizza and sandwiches: Rossopomodoro, Panino Giusto, La Piadineria
• Healthy and dessert: Poke House, Cioccolatitaliani
• Bars and quick meals: Chef Express

Travelling to Italy? The currency converter handles euros, and our Price Index compares Italy with other countries.

How accurate are these prices?

Italian chains rarely publish one national menu. Prices vary by city and by location, and motorway and station outlets often differ from high-street ones. Our figures come mostly from menu-price websites, checked in late August and early September 2026.

Treat each price as a good, representative guide rather than a promise about your local restaurant. Each menu page shows when we last verified it, and you can read how we work on our methodology page.