The 5 Best Types Of Places To Eat In Italy On A Tight Budget (That Won't Sacrifice Quality)

Tourists flock to Italy every year to taste real Italian food for themselves — and for good reason. With a combination of the freshest ingredients harvested in season and classic favorites like delicious breads and cheeses, it's no wonder that people travel for classic meals. Like any other touristy area, however, Italy's big cities are known for expensive cafes and restaurants catering to visitors rather than locals. Even if you don't pick a cafe facing a monument and are about to dive into some delicious Italian food, you might find prices a little steep if you're on a tight budget. If you're trying to save money, consider eating at a trattoria, osteria, pizzeria, friggitoria, or bar. Not only will you save money, by choosing local favorites, you'll probably have more authentic restaurant experiences while traveling through Italy.

While in the United States, we tend to call everything from Michelin Star establishments to fast food spots "restaurants," the term ristorante in Italy refers to a more traditional dining experience with table service and the option of multiple courses. Today, Italians definitely also blend the definitions of these terms for different establishments, but in general, they will give you a good idea of what kind of place you're about to order from. If you're open to some slightly less formal dining options, you can find a wide range of great places to eat and hopefully save money along the way.

If you're looking for a traditional sit-down restaurant in Italy but want to spend a little less money, a trattoria may give you the experience you want at a price you can afford. Especially with the way that the lines between these types of eating establishments have blurred, it can be tricky to tell exactly which type you're walking into, but if you see long shared tables rather than private dining, menus in Italian only, or paper napkins, you're probably in a trattoria. While you can probably still expect to see an added coperto fee at a trattoria, usually, prices are lower, too.

Traditionally trattorie will give you something closer to a home-cooked meal, and the type of dishes offered will vary significantly from region to region. Generally, a trattoria is more relaxed and casual than a ristorante — but that doesn't mean the food isn't as delicious. In fact, trattorie are traditionally more local, family-owned places that base their menu on what food is in season at the time. So if you find one, you're in for a meal made from the best locally-grown ingredients.

Historically, osterie were places where travelers gathered to rest along the road, and while these places have changed from the inns and taverns of the past, they can still be the perfect place for you to relax on your travels. If what you're really looking for after a long day of sightseeing is a glass of wine, you're in luck. Sometimes, these spots only serve wines, but if you find one that serves food, it might be the perfect place to enjoy an evening with quick bites and drinks without blowing your budget.

These places are definitely on the more informal side of Italian dining, but if you're trying to keep your dinner bill low, that's a good thing. It can also be the perfect place to try eating and relaxing the way the local community does. Besides trying tasty new dishes, it's a fun way to communicate with locals in Italy so you can learn about the country not only through its popular tourist attractions or ancient history, but also the way it is today.

When people think of Italian food, one of the first foods that comes to mind is probably pizza. If you're visiting Italy to try out the cuisine, you won't want to skip the pizzerias, no matter what part of Italy you're visiting. Pizza varies widely by region, and if you're a fan, you'll love exploring this corner of the local culinary scene. There's everything from the soft, wood-fired style in Naples to Rome's pizza al taglio (by the slice) for a quick lunch and Venice's fluffy-crusted variety known as pizza gourmet, which looks almost like a cake.

Pizzerias are also great ways to save money in Italy. Just like pizza varies from region to region, the prices will vary depending on where you're buying it. A study from CasinoItaliani used Just Eat Data (via Reporter Gourmet) to determine where the cheapest pizzas in Italy are. It found that the prices of pizza ranged from Florence's nearly $7.50 to Cagliari's affordable $4.10. While that's a pretty significant difference, even if you are staying in Florence, spending less than $10 for an iconic staple of Italian cuisine is still a pretty reasonable expense on your vacation.

If you're rushing from tourist spot to tourist spot trying to see all the things on your itinerary as quickly as possible, you may not want to stop and spend a few hours sitting in a restaurant. Fortunately, that's where friggitorie come in. There's a lot of competition for which country has the best quick-on-the-go snacks, from Thailand's chicken satays and oyster omelets to Mexico's tlacoyos and quesadillas — but you won't want to overlook Italy's friggitorie if you're looking for classic food you can get without spending a lot on a sit-down meal. These hole-in-the-wall spots might be tiny, but the food inside is delicious.

Friggitorie specializes in fried food and they can be found in major cities all over Italy, but are enormously popular in Naples. You'll find all kinds of tasty snacks here, from fried rice balls to breaded and fried mashed potatoes. Generally, your fried foods will be handed to you in a paper cone that you can take with you and snack while you eat.

If you're enjoying a lazy evening walking through the streets of Milan and checking out the local bar scene, you can't go wrong sitting down and ordering some food as well. If you happen to be there before dinner, you're participating in a common Italian practice — enjoying an aperitivo. This pre-dinner snack consists of cheese, meats, quiches, and all kinds of other light bites. You can serve yourself at these buffets. As long as you order a drink or two, it's completely acceptable to help yourself to the food that bars leave out for their patrons.

While eating pub food might be a disappointing part of your vacation in other places, Italian bars are known for being especially delicious. The exact price of the drinks depends on the bar and the city that you're visiting, but it's generally a very affordable option costing around $10. It can be seen as rude to take too much from the buffet though, so make sure you follow the lead of those around you and pay for some drinks before you use this complimentary bar buffet for your dinner every night.