We will be in Rome and Orvieto for a total of 10 days. I’ve made some restaurant reservations at higher end places, but wanted to keep things flexible for other nights. Do you need reservations at casual local trattorias in Rome or do they take walk-ins?
Also, any favorite restaurants in the Campo de Fiore area?
Thanks,
Deborah
Hi Deborah
I enjoyed Hostaria Farnese in Campo di Fiore. When I last had dinner there, they took reservations through their Facebook page but it looks like they have other ways to reserve a table.
As for other restaurants, most take walk ins. I always research places I’d to eat & make reservations if it’s available, otherwise I ask when I’m in country.
Amanda
Hey Deborah,
Rome I recommend Renato e Luisa, not sure how busy they get normally, but its a fairly popular place with great food, reservation might be easiest.
We spent one night in Orvieto and actually had a tough time finding a place to eat that had space for two of us, finally found a small place with three tables on a makeshift balcony, not exactly safe but its part of the adventure.
Reservations in casual Roman restaurants may be more often necessary than an American would expect. Since they don't usually turn their tables over, an 8:30 or 9 PM reservation is likely to block the table for the entire evening. Showing up just as a place opens sometimes works if you look like you aren't the sort of folks who are likely to linger. You'll find food somewhere, of course, but it may be at a place not very popular with locals.
Maybe a good idea might be to just reserve a day in advance? You know you will be eating during dinnertime (8ish, because all the tourist attractions will be closed by then) so if you are out walking one day and see a neat looking restaurant, ask if you can make a res for the following day? No need to commit too far in advance, but if you're in a neighborhood close to your lodging, you will be around anyway. I think I would want to make reservations at the "special" restaurants that might be farther away from my lodging, because they're worth the trip and you wouldn't be around to "stop in" to make a reservation at anyway.
OOO! And you say Campo di Fiore??? We stayed nearby and found an old Rick Steves' book someone had left (yep, I forgot mine at home that trip, made trying to navigate Verona more fun hahaha obv before I had data on my phone in Europe while traveling) and we went with 3 restaurants in a row from the book, Trattoria der Pallaro, the "we give you 5+ courses and don't show you a menu and you eat it" restaurant, then we went to Trattoria da Lucia hidden away in Trastevere for pasta alla gricia, and though it's on the square, it seemed authentic and delicious, Ristorante la Carbonara......for carbonara :)
We almost always make a reservation the day before because of several times when a place we had carefully chosen was full and we were disappointed.
Restaurants in Orvieto:
Labirinto Di Adriano (our favorite during our 4 night stay, plus free visit to its underground area)
Trattoria la Palomba (we chose it, then discovered that it's one that Rick Steves recommends)
Il Malandrino Bistrot
La Pergola
Julie is asking the same questions. You might review some of her responses. Acravan (above) had a good response. I personally find eating where the local eat is not always the best recommendation. We were with a local tour group in Barcelona when we walked pass a bar that was packed with what looked like locals. Asked the tour guide if that was a good bar and he shook his head no. He said the food was marginal but it was cheap and popular with the local crowd for that reason.
AL MORO in Rome. Sit in the front room.
Go to Il Goccetto for aperitivi - wonderful and very local!
Many thanks for everyone’s suggestions!
Deborah
Trattoria Da Teo in Trastevere.
Hidden gem, my cousin's son who lives up in Torino told us about it. We reserved a lunch date. Best meal of the trip!
We were in Florence, Rome, Salerno and Sicily in April, and made reservations a few weeks in advance, not for every night but when we wanted to dine at a certain restaurant at a certain time. Why not?
