Pasta windows are a trend where Italian restaurants, particularly in Rome and Florence, display someone—often an older woman—making pasta in the window. While it may appear authentic, experts warn it is often a sign of a tourist trap.
What are pasta windows?
Picture a cobbled Italian piazza with a trattoria that has tables outside and striped parasols. In the window sits a person rolling and shaping dough, hanging strands of linguine, strips of tagliatelle, or sheets of lasagne. This sight might seem like the height of authenticity, but Italian food experts disagree.
Why it's a tourist trap
Sophie Minchilli, who does food tours of Rome, told the Washington Post that the trend is “wrong”. Neapolitan chef Michele Pascarella told Metro that no proper Italian restaurant would display someone making pasta in the window, and that such a restaurant “is usually more of a kitschy tourist trap than an authentic restaurant”. The display is often designed for Instagram, with the person being an “Insta-gran”.
How to spot a tourist trap restaurant
Other signs include a smiling but aggressive person waving a multi-translated, laminated menu with photos, huge places with huge menus and many tourists but few locals. To find authentic dining, take a stroll a few streets back from the main drag or beach, and ask a local resident for their favourites.
