What is aperitivo and how does it work?

A drink before dinner that comes with food, roughly 6 to 8pm, and it's the best-value ritual in Italy. You order a spritz, a glass of wine or a negroni for €6–12, and olives, chips, focaccia or small plates arrive with it at no extra cost. In Milan and parts of the north, apericena means a buffet substantial enough to replace dinner. Elsewhere it's snacks, not a meal. It's also the answer to the American body clock: aperitivo at 6:30 makes an 8:30 dinner comfortable instead of desperate. Sit outside, take an hour, don't rush it.