What is a “scontrino” in an Italian bar?

In a busy Italian bar the scontrino — the little till receipt — runs the whole show. You do not order at the counter; you go to the cassa first, say what you want, pay, and collect your scontrino. Only then do you carry it to the bancone, set it down, and tell the barista. Flash the wrong move and you will be waved back to the register. The paper is your proof of payment and your place in line.

The same receipt matters legally too: Italy long required vendors to issue a scontrino fiscale, and you could in theory be asked to show it on the way out. At the bar, ordering “un caffè” already means an espresso — short, scalding, downed standing at the counter in one go, no need to say “espresso” at all.