What is coperto in Italy, how much is it, is it legal, and do you still need to tip?

What the coperto pays for

Coperto literally means "cover", as in the place setting. It is a flat charge per diner for sitting down at a table: the tablecloth, cutlery, glasses and usually the bread basket. You will often see it as pane e coperto (bread and cover) at the bottom of the menu, in small print.

Typical amounts are €2 to €4 per person in ordinary trattorias, around €1 to €3 outside tourist areas, and sometimes far more at upscale or prime-location restaurants. It applies to everyone at the table who is eating, and you will not find it in bars where you stand or sit at the counter.

Is the coperto legal? The menu rule and Rome's ban

There is no national law that regulates or bans the coperto. Under Italy's general price-display rules, though, a restaurant can only charge it if it is written on the menu or a visible price board. If it is not listed, you have grounds to ask for it to be removed.

Rome is the well-known exception. A 1995 Rome mayoral ordinance banned a separate coperto line, and the Lazio region's law 21/2006 (article 16) now prohibits charging extra for the coperto across the region. Many Roman restaurants work around it by listing pane (bread) or servizio instead, which is legal as long as those are on the menu too.

Refusing the bread basket elsewhere in Italy does not normally remove the coperto, because the charge is for the table, not the food.

Coperto vs servizio: the Venice catch

Servizio is a service charge, usually a percentage of the bill. It is separate from the coperto on paper, and some restaurants charge one or the other. Venice is where you are most likely to meet it: many restaurants in the tourist core add 10 to 12% servizio instead of a coperto, and some charge both, for example a €2.50 coperto plus 12% service.

Both must be stated on the menu. Read the bottom of the page before you order, and if a restaurant lists servizio incluso or adds a percentage, you have already covered service. In Venice, eating cicchetti standing at a bacaro counter avoids both charges.

If you are only in Venice for the day, you may also owe the city's access fee on certain dates; see our Venice day-tripper fee and QR code guide, and our Venice guide for where to eat.

Do you tip in Italy on top of the coperto?

Tipping is not expected in Italy, and the coperto is one reason locals rarely add anything. Neither the coperto nor the servizio is a tip in the American sense.

• Bill with servizio: no extra needed.

• Bill with only a coperto: rounding up, or leaving €1 to €2 per person in cash for good service, is a friendly gesture.

• Outstanding meal: around 5 to 10% left in cash is generous by Italian standards.

• Coffee at the bar: leaving a small coin with your receipt is common but optional.

Card terminals rarely have a tip option, so leave any tip in cash. The same table-charge idea exists across the Adriatic, as our kuver in Montenegro guide explains.

Frequently asked questions