Restaurant recommendations in Rome

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We were in Rome just this past week. Hera are a few we loved.

• Enoteca Corsi: about 5 minutes from the Pantheon is a family owned small restaurant and wine bar. They do not take reservations and are open for lunch and dinner. We have eaten there before COVID, so we weren’t sure that they would still be in business, but we were glad they were. Stand-outs are the pastas, chicken, and they have the best potatoes (we got seconds). Skip dessert and head to Gunther, just on the other side of the Pantheon for gelato.
• Emma: this is near Campo di Foiri (sp). We had the most amazing lunch. They are billed as a pizzeria, but they are so much more. Must tries are the Roman artichokes, the pizza, and their carbonara.
• Spirito di Vino in Trastevere. This is a family owned restaurant where Mama is the chef. They belong to the slow food movement in Italy and can share the provenance of any ingredient. The food is amazing, you must try the vegetable flan with cheese fonduta, the caco e Pepe, and the pork stew. Make sure you visit the wine cellar which is older than the Roman colosseum.
• Da Enzo in Trastevere. This trattoria is the real thing, small family owned, small menu. This place doesn’t take reservations. We ate appetizers there on a food tour before they opened. There was a line to get in that was about 25 people deep. If you plan on eating there go early. The food is really worth standing in line for.

For your boys, you really must try Suppli (the Roman version of Arancini), delicious fried rice balls stuffed with sauce and cheese. The other quick and delicious meal is a Trapinzino which is a pizza sandwich stuffed with common Roman entries like meatballs and chicken.

I would highly recommend taking a food tour early in your trip as you will get exposure to local foods and restaurants. We really loved our Eating Europe Twilight Trastevere Tour.

Hope this helps.

Da Enzo in Trastevere. This trattoria is the real thing, small family owned, small menu. This place doesn’t take reservations. We ate appetizers there on a food tour before they opened. There was a line to get in that was about 25 people deep. If you plan on eating there go early. The food is really worth standing in line for.

This was actually on my list. I chose it because, I had seen a couple of people mention it but it wasn't one of the ones that every single blogger or Youtuber was suggesting. It felt a little bit more of a hidden gem or off the beaten path kind of thing.

But, then the more and more I looked into it, like you said, it seems like there is always a line, which is a good thing. But, maybe not the hidden gem that I was expecting or hoping.

I am still going, haha. I've already picked out my meal. Would I be better off trying to get in at lunchtime? Or if going for dinner- what time should I plan to arrive? Is 6:30 a good ballpark? 6?

Da Enzo will probably be easier at lunchtime. I stumbled on it back in 2015 and was able to get a table at lunch without waiting in line; I may have been freakishly lucky on that occasion. Da Enzo has been a feature of at least one food tour at least since 2015 (something I discovered after my trip), so it isn't an undiscovered gem. I've read that it's a popular late stop-off for off-duty chefs.

The our food guide said that folks start lining up at 6:15. I haven’t been at lunchtime, but it may be easier to get into than dinner.