trattoria

noun

trat·​to·​ria ˌträ-tə-ˈrē-ə 

plural trattorias or trattorie ˌträ-tə-ˈrē-ˌā 

: restaurant

specifically : a usually small Italian restaurant

Did you know?

In Italian, "trattore" is the word for an innkeeper or restaurant owner. That word derives from the Old French verb traitier, which means "to treat" and is related to the Latin tractare, meaning "to drag about, handle, or deal with." "Trattoria," which first appeared in English in 1832, is one of several words that have entered our language to refer to a kind of specialized eatery - in this case, one that specializes in Italian cuisine. Others that have come later include "bistro" (from French, 1921), "brasserie" (from French, 1864), and "taqueria" (from Mexican Spanish, 1982).

Examples of trattoria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But the West Village has become like Florence, with trattorias lined up one block after another. —Gary Stern, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025

The color palette is rooted in pistachio green walls with graphic black design accents and chrome detailing, with clay tile flooring that references old school Italian trattorias. —Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019

Meet your local barista, meet your local trattoria. —Joseph Hernandez, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025

Amid the longstanding woodworkers, hair salons and family-run trattorias are more recent tenants, like the pocket-size store Nakama, selling sake imported from Japan, or the contemporary art gallery Limbo, only a few months old. —Laura May Todd, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from trattore restaurateur, from French traiteur, from traiter to treat, from Old French traitier — more at treat entry 1

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for trattoria

• chorea
• correa
• doria
• gloria
• scoria
• shorea
• thoria
• aporia
• centaurea
• dysphoria
• euphoria
• septoria

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