Everything in Italy is delicious
You’ve just been to the most wonderful restaurant in Rome and have just tasted the best carbonara in your life.
You want to thank the chef but when the moment comes, something stops you. You don’t know how to say delicious in Italian!
You end up making some awkward gesture and going away in shame as the chef sadly shakes his head and goes back to his business.
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered and this scenario will never happen. Here’s how you can say delicious in Italian and some phrases to practice.
To learn more about Italian delicacies, check out the expert guide Delicious Italy.
The Italian words for delicious
If you want to say delicious in Italian, the word you’re looking for is delizioso. Easy to remember, isn’t it? But of course, it’s not the only word you can use.
Quite predictably, Italians have many ways of expressing their appreciation for food.
You can opt for synonyms like squisito, or you can go with other compliments that the chef will certainly appreciate:
- “Buono!” (“Good!”)
- “Eccellente!” (“Excellent!”)
- “Fantastico!” (“Wonderful!”)
- “Ottimo!” (“Very good!”)
- and the list goes on…
You can say that your food was saporito or gustoso, both words meaning that it was really tasty. Here are some examples of how you can use these Italian words.
Complimenti, la sua Caponata Siciliana era davvero squisita!
Congratulations, your Caponata Siciliana was really exquisite!
Ho mangiato una pizza fantastica!
I’ve had a wonderful pizza
Devo dire che il suo menù sembra davvero invitante! Posso mangiare qui?
“I must say that your menu looks very tempting. Can I eat here?
Finally, if you haven’t eaten yet but your food looks delicious, you can say that it is invitante (very good looking) or that it “fa venire l’acquolina in bocca” (trans.: “it makes me salivate”).
Go and thank the chef!
Now you have all the words you need to make your favorite chefs very proud.
Go and compliment them, then come back to learn new Italian words!
See you soon!
Still translating in your head? Wanna speak Italian for real? Check out Stefano's courses to think directly in Italian and become fluent fast!
2 Responses
Interessante. Ho già imparato l’espressione “acqua in bocca" (non dire un segreto) che non è mica uguale a “acquolina in bocca".
Eheh, è vero!