What makes a good Italian restaurant

When you eat out it can be an expensive investment or hold a high level of importance for a date. So when you do opt to eat out you want to make sure that you have a good experience. Unfortunately this doesn’t happen all the time so you want to make sure that the next time you’re looking for a good Italian restaurant it has these following things.

The atmosphere
A good Italian restaurant should have an atmosphere that promotes an enjoyable social experience. It should allow you with plenty of time with your dinner guests while not feeling rushed to leave. The restaurant setting encourages the enjoyment of food and relaxed conversation but there are some things in place for this to be achieved.

Background noise is very important when choosing a restaurant. You want it to be appropriately busy where there is a hum of other diners talking but not so busy that it’s packed and people are giving you looks to hurry up so they can eat. On the other end of the spectrum you don’t want to sit in a dead silent room. It creates a weird vibe and no one will enjoy their experience.

The service
Italians are widely known for their hospitality and approachable personalities. Good customer service is all about balance where you should have wait staff that are attentive and don’t hover making conversation awkward between you and your guests.
Overly friendly staff that engage in too much conversation can make the experience feel awkward and disingenuous. On the other hand you don’t want to have to wait 20 minutes for another bottle of water for your table. To reiterate, good service is all about balance to create a good dining experience.

The food
One of if not the most important things about going out to a restaurant is their menu. There are many different Italian menus out there but making sure that it appeals to you and your guests is very important. If you’re one of those people who gets anxious about ordering, have a look at the menu beforehand and get a sense of what type of food they serve. If you’re completely lost when it comes to Italian food, here are some dishes that all good Italian restaurants should have;

Garlic bread
A staple Italian appetiser but making sure it is hand crafted rather than pulled from a packet is most important. Food quality can make or break your dining experience so look up and see if anyone has taken photos of past dining experiences.

Wood-fired pizza
If you or your company is a pizza fan opt for a place with a wood fired oven. Nothing compares to an authentic wood-fired pizza. Again it’s all about quality. Dough that is handmade and rolled will taste significantly better than a frozen pizza base.

Pasta
No good Italian restaurant would be complete without a pasta selection. If you can’t get enough of the stuff and are feeling adventurous, ask the wait staff or even the owner their personal recommendation. Sometimes family owned businesses will have a dish that isn’t on the menu to the public that they make for themselves. If you’re lucky enough you could be invited into a new world of flavour and Italian cuisine.