The first thing to land on an Italian table is rarely the main event, and it is not meant to be. Antipasti are Italian starters served before the main meal: a plate of cured meats, a little cheese, some marinated vegetables, a few olives, and sometimes warm cooked bites, put out to wake up the appetite rather than fill you up.
That plate does more work than its size suggests. For anyone curious about Italian food, trying to order with confidence, or planning a meal at La Lanterna, this is a short guide to what antipasti means, what tends to go on it, how it changes from region to region, where it sits in a traditional Italian meal, how it connects to the aperitivo, and how to put together a good version at home. It comes from a family kitchen that has been starting Glasgow’s meals this way since 1970.
What does antipasti actually mean as a traditional first course?
The word gives the game away once you translate it. Anti means before, and pasto means meal. Antipasto is literally what comes before the meal, the Italian answer to the starter.
A small note on the word itself, since it trips people up. Antipasto is the singular and antipasti the plural, so a single starter is an antipasto and a spread of them is antipasti. In practice most menus, and most people, use antipasti for the whole idea, and nobody will mind if you do too.
What matters more is the job it does. Antipasti is designed to wake up the appetite rather than fill you, which is why the flavours tend to be bright and salty: cured meat, sharp cheese, vinegar-dressed vegetables, good olive oil. It is the opposite of the bread basket you demolish before the food arrives.
What goes on an antipasto platter
There is no single fixed recipe, which is part of the charm. But a traditional spread usually draws from a few familiar groups.
Cured meats
The heart of most antipasti. Prosciutto, salami, mortadella, coppa and similar cured meats, sliced thin and served at room temperature so the flavour comes through. A few slices go a long way, which is the point.
Cheese and vegetables
A little cheese for richness, usually something Italian such as buffalo mozzarella, and marinated or grilled vegetables to cut through it: peppers, artichokes, aubergine, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, olives. The contrast between the salty meat, the creamy cheese and the sharp vegetables is what makes the plate work, and the different textures carry it.
Seafood and warm bites
Antipasti is not only a cold plate. Plenty of Italian starters are warm and cooked to order, from seafood to stuffed or fried vegetables. At La Lanterna, the gamberoni alla Sicilia, king prawns cooked in lemon, white wine and sweet chilli, is exactly this kind of starter: a warm, made-to-order opener rather than something off a board.
Regional differences on the plate
Antipasti is not one fixed thing across Italy, because Italy has never cooked as one country. What lands on the plate depends on where you are.
In the north you might find cured meats and pickled vegetables, the produce of a colder, richer landscape. On the coast and the islands, antipasti leans towards seafood: marinated anchovies, small fried fish, seafood salads. In the south, the sun does the work, and you see more grilled and marinated vegetables, tomatoes and olive oil. None of this is a rule you need to memorise. It simply explains why no two antipasti spreads look quite the same, and why the idea is better thought of as a way of starting a meal than a set recipe, with some spreads even including fresh fruit such as figs and grapes.
Antipasti, bruschetta and the rest of the order
Antipasti sits within a longer Italian meal, and it helps to know where.
The traditional order runs antipasti first, then the primo, usually pasta or risotto, then the secondo, the meat or fish course, with dolce, the dessert, at the end. Few people eat all four courses outside a special occasion, and you are under no obligation to. But knowing the shape explains why an Italian starter is deliberately light: it is clearing the way for what follows, not competing with it.
Bruschetta, toasted bread often rubbed with garlic before the toppings are added, is a classic antipasto in its own right, and one of the easiest ways into the idea. From there, a shared board is the natural next step for a table. People sometimes confuse an antipasto platter with a charcuterie board; charcuterie is a French term for cured meats and their accompaniments, while an antipasto platter is the Italian version, usually with a broader mix of starters beyond the meat. If you want to see how the whole meal builds, our guide to the best Italian dishes to try in Glasgow walks through the courses, and the history of pasta dishes picks up the primo that usually follows.
How to order antipasti at La Lanterna
The best way to start a meal here is the way Italians do it: together.
Order a starter or two to share while the table settles and decides on mains. It slows the meal down in the best way, gives everyone something to talk over, and means nobody is sitting hungry while orders are taken. A shared antipasti and a first glass of wine is one of the small rituals that turns dinner into an evening, and it works just as well for a celebration or a bigger group as it does for two.
You can see the current starters on the menu, and if you are choosing a wine to go alongside, our guide to Italian wines will help. Antipasti works just as well at the City Centre restaurant before a show as it does over a long Sunday lunch in the West End.
Antipasti at home
The idea travels well beyond a restaurant, and it is one of the easiest ways to feed people at home without spending the evening in the kitchen.
A good antipasti board is really just careful shopping: a couple of cured meats, one or two cheeses, some olives, a jar of marinated peppers or artichokes, good bread and a bottle of decent olive oil. A few figs or some grapes add sweetness and colour if you want them. Arrange it on a board with a little care, and you have a starter that looks generous and asks nothing of you once the guests arrive. It is the Italian answer to the question of what to put out while the main course finishes cooking, and it beats a bowl of crisps every time.
The one tip worth passing on is not to overchill anything. Cured meat and cheese taste of far more at room temperature than straight from the fridge, so bring the board out early and let it settle while you pour the first drinks.
Antipasti and the aperitivo
There is a close cousin of antipasti worth knowing, because the two are often confused: the aperitivo.
The aperitivo is the Italian ritual of a drink and a small bite before dinner, usually something like an Aperol spritz or a negroni with a few nibbles alongside, taken to open the appetite. Antipasti is the first course once you sit down to eat. They share the same purpose, easing you into the meal, and they run naturally into one another: a drink and a snack at the bar, then a shared antipasti at the table. Our guide to Italian cocktails and what they pair with covers the drinks side, and a glass of something crisp is the traditional partner for a salty antipasti board.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between antipasto and antipasti?
Antipasto is the singular and antipasti the plural. One starter is an antipasto; a spread of several is antipasti. In everyday use, antipasti covers the whole idea.
What is usually on an antipasti plate?
Typically cured meats such as prosciutto and salami, a little cheese such as buffalo mozzarella, marinated or grilled vegetables and olives. Warm, cooked-to-order starters like seafood also count as antipasti.
Is antipasti the same as a starter?
Yes, it is the Italian equivalent of the starter, the course that comes before the meal. Its job is to wake up the appetite rather than fill you.
Is bruschetta an antipasto?
Yes. Toasted bread with toppings such as tomato is a classic antipasto and one of the simplest ways to start an Italian meal.
Should we share antipasti?
Sharing is the traditional and most enjoyable way. A board or a couple of starters in the middle of the table eases everyone into the meal. If guests prefer a purely meat-led board, they may be thinking of charcuterie rather than antipasti.
Start your meal the Italian way
The right start sets up everything that follows. Come and begin the way Italians do, with a shared plate and a first glass poured slowly. Book a table at La Lanterna and take it from the top.