A dream comes true! You are finally in Italy, sitting at a lovely table al fresco, somewhere in Florence – or wherever you fancy, really! With the soft chit-chatting of people around you and the gentle breeze of late summer on the skin, you eagerly open the menu and read through all that’s on offer: panzanella, ribollita, bistecca alla fiorentina, pappardelle ai funghi… che delizia. 

 A bottle of Brunello would be perfect, too, and then, vin santo and cantucci. Hang on, though: there’s this… coperto?! What on Earth is coperto? Literally, the word “coperto” means “covered,” but in this context represents a small service fee you may have to pay in some restaurants.