Sometimes you don't want to find a restaurant. You want a pizza. In your hotel room. At midnight. In your underwear. Italy's food delivery scene has exploded — Glovo, Just Eat, and Deliveroo cover all major cities. Quality is surprisingly good — many excellent trattorias and pizzerias are on the platforms. And the prices are 10-20% higher than eat-in (delivery fee €1.50-3.50) — acceptable when your feet have walked 20,000 steps on cobblestones.
1. Glovo (the dominant Italian app): Food delivery + groceries + pharmacy + anything. Available in: Rome, Milan, Florence, Naples, Turin, Bologna, Palermo, Catania, Bari, Genova, Verona + 100 smaller cities. How: Download Glovo app → enter hotel address → browse restaurants → order → pay by card in-app → delivery 20-45 min. Late-night: Many restaurants deliver until midnight-1am. McDonald's/pizza until 2-3am in major cities. 2. Just Eat (biggest restaurant selection): More restaurants listed than Glovo. Available: All major + medium Italian cities. Strength: Small, independent restaurants that aren't on Glovo. Cash payment option (rare on other apps). 3. Deliveroo: Available in Milan, Rome, Florence, Turin, Bologna, and some others. Strength: Quality restaurant partnerships — more "premium" restaurants than Glovo/Just Eat.
Pizza: The #1 delivery food in Italy (as everywhere). Order from a PIZZERIA, not a restaurant that "also makes pizza." Look for 4+ star ratings. Expect: Whole pizza, €7-12 + delivery €2-3. Pasta: Travels surprisingly well — carbonara, amatriciana, cacio e pepe all survive delivery. €8-14. Sushi: Yes, Italians love sushi delivery. Large Japanese community, especially in Milan and Rome. Gelato: Deliverable via Glovo from gelaterie — arrives in insulated bags. Groceries: Glovo and Everli deliver from supermarkets — water, wine, snacks, breakfast items to your hotel. Useful on arrival night.
Address: Use your hotel name + street address (Italian addresses can be confusing — hotel name helps drivers). Buzzer/intercom: Many Italian apartments have a citofono (intercom) — provide the name on the buzzer if staying in an apartment. Tipping: Optional in-app (€1-2, appreciated by riders). Language: Apps available in English. Restaurant menus sometimes Italian-only — use Google Translate camera. When to use delivery vs eat out: Delivery for: arrival night exhaustion, rainy evenings, post-museum collapse, midnight cravings. NOT for: your only night in Naples — go EAT at Da Michele, don't order it delivered.