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PhrasesAt the RestaurantScusi, questo piatto è freddo.
A2formal

Scusi, questo piatto è freddo.

Excuse me, this dish is cold.

Pronunciation

FRED-do — two syllables, double 'd', stress on first syllable.

When to use it

When a hot dish arrives at the table clearly cold — possibly because it sat too long in the kitchen or service was slow.

What it means

'Freddo' means cold. This is a factual statement rather than an accusation — start with 'scusi' to keep the tone polite. The restaurant will almost always offer to reheat the dish or replace it without question.

Variations

Il piatto non è caldo — è possibile riscaldarlo?

The dish is not hot — is it possible to reheat it?

More explicit — requests the specific action you want taken

La zuppa si è raffreddata.

The soup has gone cold.

Describes the situation without directly asking for anything — leaves the initiative to the waiter

Può portarlo in cucina a scaldare?

Can you take it to the kitchen to heat up?

Very direct request — appropriate after a long wait

Mini Dialogue

— Scusi, questo piatto è freddo. — Mi dispiace molto! Glielo porto subito in cucina. Ci vogliono due minuti soltanto. — Grazie, nessuna fretta. — Eccolo, ora è bollente — mi scusi ancora per il disguido.

— Excuse me, this dish is cold. — I am very sorry! I'll take it to the kitchen right away. It will only take two minutes. — Thank you, no rush. — Here it is, now it's piping hot — I apologise again for the inconvenience.

Cultural Note

Hot food served cold is taken seriously in Italy where the quality of the eating experience is paramount. Any decent restaurant will immediately offer to fix it. If they do not, it is a sign that the establishment does not meet Italian standards of hospitality.