Trattoria

A trattoria is an Italian eatery, generally less formal than a ristorante (lit.

[1] A trattoria rooted in tradition, typically, is without a printed menu, with casual service, wine sold by the decanter rather than the bottle, low prices, and a menu of modest but plentiful offerings that follow regional and local recipes rather than haute cuisine.

Many trattorie have taken on some of the trappings of a ristorante, providing relatively few concessions to the old rustic and familial style.

[1] The word trattoria is cognate with the French term traiteur[3] (a caterer providing takeaway food).

Derived in Italian from trarre, meaning 'to treat' (from the Latin tractare/trahere, 'to draw'),[4] its etymology has also been linked to the Latin term littera tractoria, which referred to a letter ordering provision of food and drink for officials traveling on the business of the Holy Roman Empire.