As Italy’s austerity measures hit home, the ‘aperitivo’ is on the rise with more and more Italians heading for lavish happy hour buffets instead of traditional sit-down restaurants to save money.

Drinks priced at between €6 and €10 in a growing number of bars give customers unlimited access to a range of snacks ranging from crisps and mini-pizzas to elaborate sandwiches, pasta dishes and meat platters.

The aperitivo tradition – popularly known as ‘a poor man’s dinner’ – originated in Milan around a decade ago andhas expanded across the country.

It is most widespread in northern Italy but aperitivo bars are now cropping up in parts of Rome and Naples, their popularity spreading by word of mouth.

“It’s not expensive. It allows you to go out without paying for dinner in a restaurant and it brings in a lot of people,” said Lucilla, 24, a patron at a trendy bar in a former carrepair workshop in Rome’sTrastevere district.

Italy’s main restaurant association FIPE said “happy hour” bars are booming while traditional eateries are shutting down due to thedebt crisis.

The business model is also simple enough for bar owners since the buffet is self-service and requires no extra licences for the establishment.

A recent survey by the Confcommercio business association found that 78 per cent of Italians have cut down on their restaurants lunches and dinners.

FIPE said last year alone 3,400 restaurants were forced to shut down.