Tourists Always Make This Bread Mistake At Italian Restaurants

There is a right and a wrong way to eat bread at an Italian restaurant. Although it typically arrives before the main course, it shouldn't be touched until other food arrives.

Even then, not just any food will do. It's customary in Italy to eat bread with soup, salad, antipasto, meat, fish, or vegetables, and shouldn't be paired with other starchy foods.

That said, it's common to save a small piece of bread to mop up any remaining sauce after you've finished your pasta, known as "fare la scarpetta" ("make the little shoe").

There are some exceptions to bread not being an appetizer in Italy, such as focaccia, which is considered an antipasto and can be eaten like a snack as soon as it arrives.