Monday, August 10

Italian restaurant names: simple ways to find the right one

Using the same principle that I have previously suggested for finding French restaurant names, you can get a glance at the names of some very authentic restaurants and cafes in Naples in 1845. An official publication of the city magistrate lists all known restaurants (trattorie) in Naples! Simply pick what you like and make sure that it means what you think it means :) And, of course, look around to verify that nobody else is using this fancy name for their own Italian restaurant.

You will notice that nearly all of these Italian restaurants have names that begin with Del (Della, Di etc.). Trattoria must be implied. Here are some nice examples:

Del Buon Gusto
Del Cavalieri
Della Colomba
Della Corona di Fiori
Della Sirena
Dell'Ancora d'Argento


Here is the link to the book (go straight to page 68):
Manuale del forestiero in Napoli

Restaurant names are followed by the names of Neapolitan cafes.

Another way to come up with a suitable name is to simply look at the map of Italy. There is a world of difference between trying to pronounce Italian names vs. French names. I would recommend not to pick a location name for a French restaurant. However, Italian names are usually easy to pronounce.

See also:
Italian phrases, sayings and mottos used in heraldry
Italian, please! -- Italian language, customs, culture and Italy's impact on civilization