A Guide to Aperitivo in Italy
Ah, aperitivo. Truly one of my favourite things here in il bel paese.
While Italy may have gifted the world pasta and pizza (then watched on in horror as we ruined them both with cream, chicken and pineapple) they seem to be keeping aperitivo all to themselves.
Aperitivo literally translates to "to open" - as in, to open the stomach before a meal. In reality it refers to the practice of enjoying a drink prior to dinner, along with a selection of snacks, ostensibly designed to prepare your body for the meal ahead. Here in Italy, you can have an aperitivo at pretty much any time of the day - just as long as it is before about 8pm in the evening.
Only the other Tuesday I found myself, quite unexpectedly, having a glass of wine at 11am at a bar in the piazza with a friend. We were served a tray of salted peanuts, crisps and olives. We were by no means the only ones! In fact, the bar was full of local Italians doing the exact same thing...
While the aperitivo experience varies depending on where in Italy you are, fundamentally the proposition remains the same. Pretty much anywhere that serves alcohol (which, as previously discussed, is everywhere at any hour of the day) will offer aperitivo. The deal is this - pay maybe one or two euro more than you would otherwise for the drink you're ordering, and you will be given access to bottomless bar snacks. The replenishment of these snacks will either be provided by the bar staff, or in some locations you will be able to serve yourself from a small buffet at the counter. The snacks themselves will also vary greatly from establishment to establishment. Most small bars will have chips and salted nuts, maybe some olives or taralli, while more expensive cocktail bars will actually plate up some seriously amazing bites.
In Milan (aka aperitivo mecca) the joke is that many people often end up having 'apericena'. Cena being the Italian word for dinner. The evening starts out with an aperitivo, but then a few too many delicious snacks are consumed. I spent a semester there on exchange and I can certainly attest to this. It is a fine line between preparing the stomach and ruining your appetite!
If you are ever in Milano, I highly recommend visiting the Navigli district, which is full of fantastic bars along two major canals. My personal favourites are Rita and Ugo. Also if you are planning in advance to have apericena, the buffet situation at Le Biciclette is ridiculous.
In summer, a spritz aperitivo in an ancient piazza is one of the most perfect Italian experiences. Don't worry though, a cosy bar with a generous glass of vino rosso or a warming negroni in winter is right up there as well.
Why do I think the aperitivo hasn't really left Italy's shores and taken off elsewhere? Unfortunately I think it does come back to some fairly critical cultural differences. The phrase "and this is why we can't have nice things" often comes to mind when I try to imagine how aperitivo would go in Australia...
Now I'll leave you with one final word of warning. Beware the Italian free pour in any mixed drinks or cocktails. I had a single gin and tonic the other day at Undici Undici and I was definitely zig zagging on my walk home. I'd be surprised if it was less than three or four standard drinks. Don't guzzle cocktails, or you will definitely be the only very drunk person and immediately judged as a messy tourist.
