Giving directions to dine out in Milan is impossible: prices can go from as low as 5 euros to basically infinite. Just roam Tripadvisor for ideas or TheFork for deals, you will find each and every type of cooking in the city.
What i want to do here is just give a couple of directions, specially for guests coming from the US or northern Europe that may have diffent habits.
First of all: we don’t tip. In Italy is illegal to hire someone and rely on tips to increase the wage, so each and every worker have full salary. If you are satisfied with the service, you can obviously tip, but don’t feel “pressed” as it’s really not expected.
We normally pay the bill after eating or drinking. In pubs, you normally pay at the waiter when order is delivered but in many it works like in restaurants so you pay before leaving at the cashier.
All prices must be visible outside the restaurant on a menu, the price is net and fixed so no taxes, service charge or whatever else has to be added. If some spaghetti is 9 euros on the menu, MUST be 9 euros on the bill.
No processing fee can be added if you pay with any type of accepted credit cards.
Some restaurants add “coperto” (cover charge) for bread and cutlery. Really depends on how expesive the restaurant is, normally from 1.5 to 3 euros fixed price for each person.
Water is never included in the cover charge. Even if tap water is safe and drinkable, it can’t be sold or served in restaurants.
Most of restaurants are open for lunch up to 2-2.30 pm and then for dinner from 7 pm on. It’s therefore difficult to have dinner or lunch in a proper restaurants in the middle of the afternoon.
In all restaurants, bars, pubs, discos and so on it’s NEVER allowed to smoke (cigarettes or e-cigarettes it doesn’t matter). You have to walk outside if you want to smoke.