Osteria

An osteria (Italian pronunciation: [oste'ria]) in Italy was originally a place serving wine and simple food. Lately, the emphasis has shifted to the food but menus tend to be short with local specialities such as pasta and grilled meat and fish and often served at shared tables. Ideal for a cheap lunch, osterie also cater for after work and evening refreshment. Osterie vary greatly in practice. Some only serve drink and clients are allowed to bring in their own food, as in the Osteria del Sole in Bologna. Some have retained a predominantly male clientele whilst others have reached out to students and young professionals. Some provide music and other entertainment. Similar to osterie are bottigliere, where you can take a bottle or flask to be re-filled from a barrel, and enoteche which generally pride themselves on the range and quality of their wine.

References

Gillian Riley, The Oxford Companion to Italian Food, 2007