Do you know a good restorer?
re-stau-ra-TO-re — five syllables; stress on the fourth. 'Restauratore' ends in '-tore', the Italian suffix for a person who does something.
Use this after buying a piece that needs repair or restoration. Antique dealers often have trusted restorer contacts and are an excellent source of referrals.
'Conosce' is formal third-person of conoscere (to know). 'Restauratore' (restorer) is a professional who specialises in conservation and repair of specific categories: furniture (mobili), paintings (dipinti), ceramics (ceramiche), books (libri/carta), metals (metalli). Specialists are preferred over generalists for valuable pieces.
Ha un restauratore di dipinti che raccomanda?
Do you have a painting restorer you recommend?
Specifying the category ensures the recommendation is relevant
Quanto può costare restaurare questo?
How much could it cost to restore this?
Asking for a ballpark — helps decide whether restoration is economically worthwhile
Vale la pena restaurarlo?
Is it worth restoring?
A practical question about cost-benefit of restoration
Italy's restoration tradition is world-class — Italian conservators work on everything from the Sistine Chapel to Roman mosaics. For private antiques, the quality varies enormously. The best restorers (restauratori) are certified by regional craft associations and have years of specialised training. A good referral from an antiquarian dealer is invaluable.