Dress for restaurants in Italy

[Fishboy1947]

I see regular discussions on acceptable dress on cruises but not in ports. What would be appropriate in a nice restaurant in Rome for dinner? Slacks with a collared polo shirt for men? More formal? Less?

 

Same for other cities in Italy?

[cruisemom42]

Well at the risk of wading into a potential minefield, I'll start by saying that most Italian restaurants I've been to do not overtly specify a dress code -- with the possible exception of really high-end restaurants associated with, let's say, a grand hotel.

 

That said, Italians definitely tend to read from their shared rulebook regarding appropriate dress. Most of them, when asked, seem to feel that items like shorts, t-shirts (collarless) and flip-flops are most appropriate at the beach, at a resort town or at a very low-key casual bar/eatery. Maybe for an outdoor barbecue.

 

In cities -- such as Rome, Florence, Milan -- a nice ristorante or osteria tends to attract well dressed locals ranging from those coming from work (linen suits or pants on men, dresses and a light weight cardigan on women) to those who are dressed in what I'd consider designer-type sportswear such as nice Ralph Lauren or similar.

 

Now I also fully understand that in certain parts of Rome and other cities, tourists make up a large part of the clientele of restaurants. There are those who feel tourists shouldn't try to look like what they are not. I am one who feels it is nicer to fit in.

 

I've read that Romans refer to tourists who insist on wearing flip-flops around the city as "piedi neri" ("black feet").  They can't understand why anyone would wear this beach wear in the city, where the streets are so dirty...

 

I generally visit Rome in winter, so shorts and flip-flops are not an issue. My general routine is to go hard touring all day, return to my hotel around 4:00 or so and take a little rest, shower, and put on new clothes for dinner.  Then I'll have an aperitif somewhere and head to dinner.  It may not be for everyone, but it's a habit I enjoy -- "when in Rome".

[marazul]

And definitely,  unless the male of the species is under 12 years old, wear slacks for dinner at a nice trattoria or restaurant in the cities. 

The female counterpart should wear skirts (any length) or pants. Just dress "nice."

 

Edited July 19, 2022 by marazul

[carlmm]

17 hours ago, Fishboy1947 said:

I see regular discussions on acceptable dress on cruises but not in ports. What would be appropriate in a nice restaurant in Rome for dinner? Slacks with a collared polo shirt for men? More formal? Less?

 

Same for other cities in Italy?

If you consider nice as what I guess you do, I would wear a long sleeved, collared, business or evening typ of shirt.

The further upscale and the lower the temperatures the more likely I will add jacket and a tie.  

[euro cruiser]

Whenever I encounter these topics my first thought is always a quote from David Sedaris, from his book "Me Talk Pretty One Day":

 

“Comfort has its place, but it seems rude to visit another country dressed as if you've come to mow its lawns.”

 

Italians put emphasis on "la bella figura", which is more than just dress, it's about how you think about yourself and how you present yourself to others.  Sometimes the difference is in the details, in subtlety.  For example, I have seen middle aged (and older) men at the opera in jeans, but they are nice, pressed jeans with a dress shirt and blazer. 

[Maverick!]

Interesting question -  as the recent heat wave (which seems here to stay for the whole summer) has had an impact on what would otherwise be considered appropriate dress for restos in Rome. 

Just back from Rome and it is a sauna. Since the pandemic, we were told by locals this was the busiest summer yet with more visitors expected throughout August. The city was certainly very busy with crowds of visitors of all ages from all corners of the world with different appreciation of appropriate wear.

Most venues have indoor and al fresco (outdoor) seating. There are also different categories of eateries with varied price points - osteria, trattoria, ristorante, pizzerias. I would say most non-locals were dressed for comfort, trying to manage not overheating, over-sweating, dehydrating while enjoying and taking advantage of the delicious and savory dining/wining the city center has to offer. Most of the restaurants in the city center are geared to accomodate tourists. We ate at a number of "nice" restaurants trying to avoid those that attract the first-time visitors.  Unless the question is related to a Michelin-rated or 5* high-end venue, to which the comments offered above would apply, then I would recommend dressing according to your perspective of good taste in consideration of the heat.

Men were in t-shirts, shorts, and ladies on average in the least amount of clothing possible- short-sleeve, sleeveless short or maxi dresses, tops, tanks, some younger set in crop tops, bra tops, and almost all in sandals and summer foot attire.

During out stay, i noticed people everywhere were occupied with eating, drinking, making merry and hoping this would be the start to a return to normal travel rather than formalities & what everyone was wearing, even within the prevailing bella figura standards. 

Edited July 23, 2022 by Maverick!

[blonde375]

We just returned yesterday from our first trip to Rome and a Greek Isle cruise.  I had the same dress code questions and was surprised that overall while we were all trying to beat the heat and humidity, people did tend to dress "nicer".  We chose to eat at the more casual to mid-scale dining venues with outdoor seating in Rome.  My husband wore dress shorts and collared short sleeve shirts for the apertivo and dinner.  I chose maxi dresses/sun dresses or shorts (mid-thigh length) and blouses.  I admit that it was nice to see people in other clothes besides athletic shorts and graphic t-shirts that seem to have become the norm here in the states.

[euro cruiser]

People who have lived for centuries in hot and/or desert climates generally cover their skin and wear loose, breathable clothing.  They know that you feel cooler that way rather than by exposing the skin to the sun, but try convincing Americans used to arctic level air conditioning of that.

[lisiamc]

There are the big cities, and then there is the rest of the world. 😁
 

We just stayed at a B&B in a small, agricultural, and somewhat gritty town in Emilia Romagna, not far from Piacenza. We stopped at a busy bar to have some Prosecco and aperitivi before dinner. I so wished I had a discreet way to take a photo of our fellow bar patrons. It was 7pm, and most of the people were there for a quick beer after work. My photo would have shown that DH and I were the only ones in long trousers, and also the only tourists. Everyone else, including the bar owner, was wearing faded t-shirts and tattered shorts, or cut-off jogging bottoms. Beat up trainers or old flip flops were the popular shoes. 
 

Our restaurant, recommended by the owner of the B&B, across the street from the bar, had creative, local, delicious food and wine, with prices that reflected that we were definitely not in Bologna or Parma.

 

As tourists, I think it’s worthwhile to take any opportunity to go off the beaten track and see what can be found.

[slidergirl]

During my month in France and italy this past july/August, I really didn't see any 'dress up' as i would see on a cruise ship.  During the day, everyone was dressing to endure the 99+degree temps.  in the evening i think i saw 2 types - those who were out all day and stopping for dinner and those who got home or to the hotel to change to comfortable casual clothes,  Still lots of shorts, but plain t-shirts/polos and sleeveless tshirt dresses.  I wasn't dining in the evenings at dives, either; i'd put on a Tshirt dress or my linen shorts with a sleeveless shirt and I never felt out of place.   this was what I encountered in both big cities and little villages.  

[cruisemom42]

Maybe my experiences are atypical since I am usually there in winter. No shorts, for sure. 😉

[slidergirl]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

Maybe my experiences are atypical since I am usually there in winter. No shorts, for sure. 😉

I was talking about my experience this summer.   There were also a lot of mini mini dresses and skirts. 

When i was around in the Fall, yes, no shorts.  not like here at home where people will wear their shorts and sandals in the middle of Winter when it's 10 degrees 😲