6 things you should always order at a beach bar in Italy
If you immerse yourself in Italian beach lounger culture—in other words, treat yourself to a day at the beach in Italy—it may well be that your brain has switched off. That’s not so strange when your biggest concerns of the day are sunscreen, the temperature of the seawater and the plot of your book. If you want a break from this grueling pastime, you can take one at the beach bar. But what should you order there?
Caffè shakerato
Hot coffee at the beach? No thanks, you’re better off going for a caffè shakerato—in other words, cold coffee shaken with ice cubes. This coffee has a thick layer of foam, but contains no milk. Usually, you can choose a version with or without sugar. This coffee is refreshingly delicious.
Macedonia
At many beach bars, you can order a ‘macedonia’, which is a fruit salad. It’s usually eaten as a morning snack and mainly consists of seasonal fruit. In summer, a macedonia often contains melon, strawberries and peach, for example. Sometimes they add a little lemon juice, sugar or soft drink to make it more refreshing.
Panino
A sandwich is always a safe choice at a beach bar. If you don’t feel like having an elaborate lunch or meal, or if they don’t offer one, sandwiches are a reliable fallback. Usually, there are sandwiches with caprese, ham or grilled eggplant, for example.
Rice salad
This one is included because eating rice salad at the beach is typically Italian. It’s one of the foods people bring from home in large containers for a day at the beach. It’s fresh and stays tasty for a long time. Since Italians are probably used to it, you can also get it at many beach bars. It’s a salad made with (sometimes black) rice and various additions such as cucumber, tomato, olives, corn or tuna, for example.
Ice creams
Italy is a true ice-cream country, and I’m not just talking about scooped ice cream. The ice-lolly menu is a well-known phenomenon featuring a number of classics that you really should try at least once, such as a kind of cookie sandwich with ice cream in between, a ‘Croccanta Amarena’—in other words, a crunchy chocolate ice cream with cream ice cream and a cherry center—the lemon ice lolly with a licorice stick as its handle (Liuk!), and so on. Above all, don’t deny yourself the pleasure of an ice cream on a beach day.
Spritz at sunset
Naturally, a spritz shouldn’t be missing from a day at the beach. If you’re lucky, the sky will gradually turn the same color as your spritz. The standard chips or nuts you often get with aperitivo in Italy somehow taste even better after a day at the beach. All’s well that ends well.
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Source: Italiamo
