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Restaurants in Rome

Anyone have a great restaurant recommendation for Rome? We're going on our 4th trip in April and I think we are so busy there, we just eat as an afterthought, but would like to have at least 2 nice dinners while there. We're staying in the Pantheon area but don't mind walking or taking a cab. Thanks for any suggestions! CeCe

Posted by
7448 posts

While I have been to Rome several times, I am pressed to say that I have a favorite place. We usually pick rather unassuming places, typically just some small place off a side street that looks good, half the time we don't remember the next day where it was or what the name was.

Some places we have made a point to go back to...

Enoteca Cul de Sac is a favorite if we are wandering near Piazza Navona

We tend to stay in the Trastevere, so...

Popi Popi is a solid local place with good Roman dishes

dar Poeta pizzeria is more famous now, but still worth the wait and effort

la Scala just around the corner from dar Poeta in a nice little piazza with a church offers solid slightly upscale fare that we have always been pleased with.

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11294 posts
Posted by
891 posts

On the past two trips to Rome we have enjoyed Hostaria Da Nerone. Up the hill from the Coliseum, it's a family owned restaurant.
Inside and outside seating. My favorite was the veal and the carcioffi ala Romana (artichoke hearts). Service was excellent so we kept going back.
Will be there in Oct 2016. They are closed on Sundays.

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891 posts

The other place we always return to is La Nuova Capannina, in the Pantheon neighborhood. Look it up online to find it on a back street, we just happened onto it during our first trip to Rome. The smells were great so we went in. Were the only tourists there that night. Have a Great Trip.

Posted by
337 posts

Go west past Trevi highly recommend Hostaria Romana
and liked Rist Pizzeria Sacro e Profano, also suggest reservations

Posted by
1018 posts

We have always enjoyed L"Amatricana on Via Dei Viminale across the street from the Roma Opera House. Their version of Bucatini Amatriciana is just outstanding and it's my favorite red sauce.

Another place we like is La Carbonara dal 1906 on Via Panisperna 214. We've eaten here several times and have always been pleased with our dinners.

Generally, we try to find places on side streets and away from the main tourist areas.

Buona viaggio,

Posted by
4 posts

Thank you all for taking the time to reply! We really appreciate it and now have so many options!

it's so not fancy but it's worth it and like eating in someone's house if you go to Da Augusto in Trastevere. It's really packed and busy and I've seen them run out of menu items and the menu is really simple but simplicity is their magic here. The house wine was so cheap and we really ate a lot here without spending too much money. I think it might be a family owned thing but I dont know. It's probably like 10-15 minutes from the Pantheon because even though Trastevere looks like a different area on the map it's really close to a lot of main attractions. You'll probably get a more real experience here than in some fancy place near the Spanish Steps or something that's all overpriced.

Posted by
1929 posts

Three places come to mind:

Dar Poeta (as mentioned above, in Trastevere)--very tasty pizza, not quite Napolitan quality but darn good, and the roasted vegetable appetizer is stellar.

Da Giggetto (in the Jewish Ghetto)--making a comeback since reviews about their surly waitstaff drove people away. Fried artichoke is an acquired taste but worth trying, but their bucatini alla amatriciana was the best Italian meal I've had to date. I've tried to replicate it here, and can't quite get it. The sauce contains only five ingredients, and it's the proportion that is key: guanciale (pork cheek), San Marzano tomatoes, Pecorino Romano cheese, crushed red pepper & olive oil.

Filetti di Baccala (near Campo de' Fiori, Rick-recommended)--a tiny, fried fish stand in a very small piazza, but so much more. Fresh fillets in substantial breading, served with butcher paper around it for walk-around carry-out, same with zucchini, but their puntarelle salad, greens from the chicory plant, dressed with lemon, olive oil and anchovies, is indigenous only to that part of Rome. Probably can't get it anywhere else on Earth.

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21 posts

We have been to Rome many times, and our favorite is il Gabrielle near the Spanish Steps! We eat there every time, it has amazing seafood. Our last trip we loved Ad Hoc (truffle heaven!), Ristorante Crispi 19, and Ristorante Maccheroni (Cacio e Pepe), and Luzzi near the Colluseum. Also try Bar de la Cappuccino in the Jewish Ghetto; THE BEST Cappuccino we have ever had, and our first visit was 10 years ago!

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524 posts

I spent weeks researching restaurants and decided on the ones I wanted to go to for lunch and or dinner in each of the places we want to on Italy. We were in Rome 4 nights and went to exactly one!!

What happened is that we were busy busy all day like tourists. When we were ready to sit down and eat, the last thing we wanted was to hail a taxi or try to find someplace on our own...so we just found a restaurant we were walking by that looked good. For dinner....we were exhausted and really didn't feel like walking much, so just found places near where we stayed...Albergo Del Senato....on the Pantheon.

Only one night did we somewhere on our list....and only because it was a block away from out hotel. I had found it from TA recommendations, and RS also recommends it.

Ristorante Al Fortunato. RS advises to sit inside, but it was warm so we sat outside. It was ok, but once I went indoors and that was the crowded happening place...so he was right. Sit inside. Mood was outstanding and atmosphere nice! You should get a reservation, it is busy.

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186 posts

We enjoyed a dinner at Ai Tre Scalini in Monti . . . more of a wine bar, tapas place - but plenty of pasta, etc. too. After a series of errors, we found ourselves in the neighborhood of this tiny place. Place was packed (mostly with locals) and without a reservation we had to wait (luckily a couple of Americans were leaving and offered us their seats at the bar). While waiting, we were served some complimentary snacks at the bar (to go with the teroldego we were drinking) and were regularly updated on how soon we would be seated. Food was excellent and the service very attentive and warm. Great memories.

Also, if you can get a reservation (we had to settle for lunch), Roscioli would be a pretty nice dinner. (After our lunch, we had some of the best grappa I have ever had in my life. Totally changed my opinion of grappa.)

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792 posts

whichever restaurant, be sure you try "spaghetti carbonara" ...man that stuff is good!

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20 posts

Sacro e Profano near Trevi is currently closed for renovations.

Da Francesco is a 5 minute walk west of Piazza Navona and therefore close to the Pantheon and we enjoyed it very much. I hear Fortunato is great, but have not been.