I'll be visiting Rome by myself from April 2 through April 14. Staying at Hotel Portoghesi, just north of Piazza Navona. I've read in some of Rick's books that restaurants in Rome don't always treat single travelers as well as couples or groups. So I'm looking for recommendations for friendly restaurants in that area. I'm not looking for anything fancy. Just simple and friendly with good food.
Thanks in advance!
Probably the best advice would come from the folks at your hotel.
Agreed. Every time I plan on visiting specific restaurants, we never get around to going there. They're either too expensive or we don't like the menu--very often.
One of our favorites, very close to the Pantheon. There is outdoor seating, but the inside is very nice. One of the best dinners we had. I can't answer your question concerning singles, though. RS does recommend this one, and I found out about it other ways, too.
I wanna go back. I actually looked at the Pantheon live webcam today wishing I was there!
They generally don't expect to turn tables, so a single person at a table is wasting a seat, is what I was told (in a friendly way).
One of my favorite trattorie in Roma is Antica Taverna, via Monte Giordano, just west of piazza Navona. I have seen many singles dine there, including last night. The tables are so close together you may not really be dining alone, but that's a lot of fun.
I really like Taverna le Coppelle, Via delle Coppelle, 39. I go there for the excellent thin crust Roman pizza, but their pastas look good too. Great house red - pay for how much you drink. It's single-friendly and would be a 5 minute walk at most from your hotel. They have a website if you want to check it out.
Weforbes: I have always had good luck using the TripAdvisor city guide app (for large cities) which has the capability of getting current reviews of restaurants. An added benefit is that you can search for restaurants in a particular neighborhood or even near your current location. I have always found that recent reviews can highlight any issues that were not present when a book or article was published. Most reviewers take the time to explain why they liked or disliked a particular restaurant and that may help influence where you want to eat. Enjoy your vacation and stay safe.
I like the pizza at Taverna Le Coppelle, but they actually do try to turn their tables quickly. It sounds as if you want something a little less frantic. I suggest looking into Armando Al Pantheon, by the Pantheon (as you might have guessed). It gets raves from people whose opinion I trust.
Here's a comment from TripAdvisor about them:
Despite its location near the Pantheon, Armando al Pantheon is not a tourist restaurant. Chef and owner Claudio Gargioli and his family gracefully serve quality cucina romana at moderate prices seasonality as their main concern. I reccommend typical Roman staples like pasta alla gricia, amatriciana, cacio e pepe, or the delightful pasta e ceci soup. In addition to meat entrees like roast lamb, saltimbocca and trippa stewed with tomato sauce, pecorino and mint, or the delectable pajata, Armando al Pantheon also cares about pleasing vegetarians, who can choose from their own separate menu. There’s also a good wine list.
And I would be very leery of trusting recommendations from your hotel, esp. if it's a hotel of any size. The staff at the front desk of many larger Italian hotels get kickbacks from restaurants if they send someone their way. This will be esp. true if they tell you to tell your waiter who recommended them.
