If you are hosting family and friends from Italy and taking them to an authentic Italian restaurant, you might be worried that you won't know Italian etiquette and dining rules. Follow these etiquette rules in order to make your dinner go more smoothly.

1. Try to Avoid Eating the Bread Before Dinner

The most common mistake is a guest at an Italian restaurant eating the bread before dinner. The purpose of the bread is to help you eat every last bite of the sauces that are still on your plate after the meal, not to keep you from starving before your meal arrives. If you are worried that you are going to be hungry, eat a snack before you go to the restaurant. Do not ask for any olive oil or mustard to dip your bread into because it might be taken as an insult. The waiter or waitress might read your request as a preference for simple olive oil over the sauces that the cooks have labored over in the kitchen.

2. Don't Order a Cappuccino After Noon

Italians believe that the whole milk in cappuccinos will make it difficult to digest food, so avoid ordering one after noon. Drinking an espresso, which does not have any milk, is a safer bet. Many Italians believe that you should only drink cappuccinos before you have eaten breakfast.

3. Don't Order Coffee Before Dinner or During Dinner

You should also avoid ordering coffee before dinner or during the dinner, since the entire point of the coffee is to help you digest your food. Order it after you eat, or drink some coffee at home in order to keep you awake before dinner. 

4. Don't Ask for Parmesan Cheese

Unless the Parmesan cheese is offered to you, don't ask for it. It is considered rude to alter a dish in a way that the chef does not intend. If the waiter offers you Parmesan cheese, then the chef intended for cheese to be added if the guest so desired. Your waiter will likely add the correct amount to the dish without you having to ask, but if you are told to say when you would like him or her to stop, then simply request that the waiter put as much on as he or she would.

5. Be Ready to Ask for the Check

At particularly authentic Italian restaurants, your check will not be brought to you immediately. Instead, you will have to ask for it when you are ready to leave. You are expected to stay as long as the engagement requires. Don't be afraid to gesture to your waiter for the check.

For more information, talk to the family and friends that are visiting from Italy. They will be able to advise you. If you're looking for an Italian restaurant in your area, visit Ynot Italian.