Eating Dinner in Rome

It will depend on the venue, but I think that 7:00 would work for many restaurants, and some do open as early as 6:00, though you may be eating alone. If you eat at something more like a wine bar or a place that serves drinks and snacks all day (some can have quite nice menus) then you can eat nearly anytime. If you are eating light, pizza or sandwiches, then you can eat anytime as well. Do not expect though that there is a discount or special for eating early.

You can order any or none of the traditional courses, I tend to like Antipasti, so we usually order one or two, My wife is a Pesce/Vegetarian, so she gravitates toward a Primi, I tend to get a Secondi, then maybe a vegetable side. We have also sat down and only ordered a Primi each.

Only in the most popular Piazza's will it cost more for a front row seat, but you would probably pay about that same price inside at those places. Any smaller restaurants aways from the squares there is no price difference, but be aware that since smoking laws changed, outdoor seating is the smoking section, inside is smoke free, if you are sensitive to smoke, you take your chances outside.

Probably the only way to hurry things along is to call the waiter over for the check as soon as you need it. If they are not busy, the food will come fairly quick.

I am not familiar with the restaurant mentioned, but I rarely can think of a bad meal I had in Rome, some of the best were places found by wandering, liking the menu and the look of the place, and going in.

Another suggestion of course is to do like many Italians, eat your big meal mid-day, 2:00 PM maybe, then just eat a light snack after taking pictures.

In my experience, most restaurants don't open until 7pm. And while the food may come quickly, even a good server will likely not get you out of there in an hour. It's just a different mindset--they feel it is rude to rush diners out of their establishment. However, the days of being frowned upon for not ordering each course are pretty much over. We would typically order one dish each, occasionally with an appetizer and we ALWAYS went for gelato. No problems there.

What I would suggest for dealing with 1. and 3. is doing as the prior poster suggested and make lunch your bigger meal. Then frequent tavolo caldas, pizzerias, delis, takeaways, etc. for your dinner meal.

There are a few restaurants that tend to be open later for lunch, at which point you might be able to have an early dinner. After touring the Vatican/St. Peter's one day, we were starving and dead on our feet and stumbled into a restaurant around 5pm or so. The place was nearly deserted and I think they were a little surprised to see us, but we ordered a delicious pizza to share and got out of there probably in just over an hour.

MY rule of thumb:
1. If a restaurant is open at 5 or 6, or the fuller a restaurant is at 6, the more likely it is they are targeting the American tourist. I would urge you to get a snack early, take your pictures, and have a languid, real Italian dinner with your spouse at 9 or 10 after you take your pictures. You might be surprised how a late dinner can improve a couple's mood for the evening.
For example, La Scala in Testevere, it opens at 7 fills by 8, while the restaurant right across the ally is packed with Americans at 6.

2.It doesn't cost more to eat outside.

1. Wouldn't encourage you to rush the house--you will be insulting the waiter, the chief, and the owner--and will be doing it at your peril!

I would second Jerry's mention of La Scala. We usually stay in the Trastevere, many excellent restaurants, but the food at La Scala always tends to be just that little touch above the others.

I just spent five days in Rome in March (first visit). We usually ate dinner starting between 7:00 and 8:00. That seemed early enough to fit in with the local custom of eating late.

We ordered a variety of courses, and never all three courses. All the waiters seemed fine with it.

I also didn't feel like any place had really slow service, though we did always have to ask for our bill at the end when we wanted to leave. We probably spent about an hour at a restaurant most nights. But then again, we didn't get all the courses.

So basically I didn't feel that I had to adjust too much to get used to Roman dining.

Thanks to all. Great input helped to de-mystify the experience.

Try eating at Rosticceria (hot food to take away) shops. Some of them have a few tables so you can eat in or counter tops where you can stand and eat. It is a more casual eating experience and you can choose to eat as little or as much as you want.

Our only experience of eating in one of these places, rather than takeaway, is in Venice where the two of us had 3 courses plus bottle of water and house wine for 50 euro. The people on the next table were ordering and paying for each dish as they went with no problem, we chose to pay at the end.

Unlike table service in the U.S. where turnover rates are important, service in Italy is laid back and relaxed. They will be in no hurry to shoo you out the door. So, you will have to move things along yourself if you want to eat in a hurry. You will find that most waiters won't hover around your table filling glasses or constantly asking how your meal was, so you will have to call your waiter to your table to prompt him along. You will probably be labeled as a pushy American, but you'll just have to deal with the "looks". I don't know why you would want to rush a meal on vacation in Italy, twilight pictures or not. It's nice to be able to eat and talk in peace over dinner. There will always be a few restaurants that open early for the tourist crowd. You could always eat at McDonalds!