Che cocktail mi consigli?

What cocktail do you recommend to me?

Pronunciation

cock-TAIL — borrowed from English, pronounced approximately 'coc-tel' by Italians.

When to use it

When you want a cocktail but are open to suggestions — a great way to start a conversation with the bartender and discover the bar's speciality.

What it means

'Mi consigli' is the informal imperative of 'consigliare' (to recommend) with 'mi' (to me). This is an invitation to the bartender to exercise their creativity and expertise.

Variations

Qual è il vostro cocktail della casa?

What is your house cocktail?

Many bars have a signature creation — worth trying to understand their style

Preferisco qualcosa di secco.

I prefer something dry.

Give a preference to guide the recommendation — 'secco' (dry) vs 'dolce' (sweet)

Mi piacciono i cocktail amari.

I like bitter cocktails.

Taste preference — the bartender will suggest Negroni, Sbagliato, Americano variants

Mini Dialogue

— Che cocktail mi consigli? — Dipende — preferisce qualcosa di dolce o amaro? — Amaro, con una buona base di gin. — Allora un Negroni o un Martinez — li faccio entrambi bene.

— What cocktail do you recommend to me? — It depends — do you prefer something sweet or bitter? — Bitter, with a good gin base. — Then a Negroni or a Martinez — I make both well.

Cultural Note

Italian bartenders ('barman' or 'barista') are increasingly trained professionals. Italian bartending competitions like the IBA World Championship regularly feature Italian competitors. Milan and Rome have some of Europe's most sophisticated cocktail bars, rivalling London and New York.

← Previous

Un amaro, per favore.

Vengo solo per l'aperitivo.

← All phrases: At the Bar