Restaurant Suggestions in Rome and Florence

Sue, these threads might be helpful:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/restaurant-recommendations-for-florence-milan

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy-reviews/rome-restaurant-taverna-dei-fori-imperiali-in-monti

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/restaurants-near-piazza-novona-pantheon-area

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy-reviews/rome-travestere-restaurants

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/restaurants-in-rome-3a38b1a4-aa28-4a94-b084-a58a1277dd58

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/restaurants-in-florence-and-venice

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/a-tired-question-florence-restaurant-recommendations-cheap-moderate-price-thanks

What neighborhood/area are you staying in? The most fun, and often the best food, is found by just walking to a local trattoria near your apartment or hotel, unless you're looking for Michelin-rated meals. If you let us know what part of town, more of us will have more and better suggestions.

What neighborhood/area are you staying in? The most fun, and often the best food, is found by just walking to a local trattoria near your apartment or hotel, unless you're looking for Michelin-rated meals. If you let us know what part of town, more of us will have more and better suggestions.

THANK YOU for all this info! It's been so helpful!!

You're welcome! While I know that some travelers like to eat close to their accommodations - as maybe Sue prefers - it's also fun to mix it up a bit and try different neighborhoods/scenery.

In Florence you need to go to one place and one place only: Trattoria Sostanza.

I just left Rome for Orvieto today! I am not sure what type of eateries you are looking for, but I found "Fres&Co" on Via die Coronari very engaging. Nice staff, good wines, reasonable prices, and they played a jazz radio station. Kind of a rustic place, very homey. If you walk across the bridge from Castel S'antagelo, the first major street to the left is Coronari.

In Rome La Pentoloccia

"In Florence you need to go to one place and one place only: Trattoria Sostanza."

THIS.

Couldn't agree any more. Trattoria Sostanza is my favorite place to eat in Florence, lunch is easier to get into than dinner, as they'll set aside a small communal table for non-res diners. Dinner reservations are a must, you can poke your head in during lunch time and set-up a dinner reservation or, have your hotel set it up for you.

For all around eating, I would suggest the Central Market upstairs. Choices are abundant and never had a bad meal while we were there

For gelato in Florence:
Gelateria della Passere
via Toscanella, 15r

It's very close to Pitti Palace, but also very off the beaten path so has a wonderful authentic feel about it. Plus, the gelato is amazingly delicious. If it's available, try the mint.

-Nicole

When I was in Rome, I think I used some of the restaurants recommended in the Steve's book and from hotel. In fact I liked the first place so much for dinner, we ate there the whole time we were in Rome. In Florence we wondered around the city, away from the tourists and find restaurants on side streets.

I found a nice Middle Eastern restaurant, that sold falafel sandwiches for lunch. There were no tourists in the restaurant. We also went to the local markets for wine, cheese, meat and bread for our lunches. Our room had a fridge to keep it in. I also remember going to a Chinese restaurant in Florence. (I love finding Chinese food restaurants in other countries.) And we also found lots of little cafes with wonderful owners that were off the beaten path. The food and service was better than those in the high-traffic areas.

I mention these odd places, with names I don't remember, because I love to wander around and go with local places that never make it into the guide book. For me the recommendations in the tour book are for when we don't find something.

You should watch the show "I'll have what Phil is having" the Italy episode. It has some good tips. Its in Florence and Tuscany. I ate at a place on his list. I do not remember the italian name but it translated to "white boar" on the other side of the Arno. It was out of this world.

Trattoria Sostanza is a must for Florence but be sure to make reservations early. I recently made reservations for friends and they were booked 2 weeks out.
In Rome I would try Alfredo e Ada on Via Governo Vecchio close to Piazza Navona. It has a small menu which changes daily. There are many other nice restaurants on this street also.

A Jersey girl named Katie Parla has a website with her recommendations, ( www.katieparla.com ) was especially helpful with some restaurants being closed in August.
We tried 4 of her suggestions and liked them very much. Most delicious meal was around the corner from the Smeraldo at ' Emma ". ( http://www.emmapizzeria.com/ ) great appetizers-Fried Zucchini flowers were delish- large house salad- of course great pizza. by the time the pasta came out we were full- but managed their chocolate fondue which was amazing. ( it's not your average swiss fondue!). by chance, the hotel also recommended it.
I read her new book and appreciated the Roman dishes much more this time than my last trip to Italy.

This past June, we spent 6 days of a 19 day European trip in Florence. Our favorite meal of our entire vacation was in the Oltrano District in Florence.....Quarto Leoni! The regional dish of Florence is Florentine Steak. (Must be 3 fingers high in thickness to be authentic.) I've enjoyed steak in a few premier restaurants in the US......Nothing we have here compares to this steak. Of course, there are plenty of other entres from which to choose. However, if you like steak, you will love this place. Make reservations for patio dining.