looking for a quite good, moderate restaurants in "ancient" area of Rome

[poss]

Are there some good restaurants (for dinner-- we'll stay with gelato for lunch) in this area? We like relaxing places, with pleasant, unpretentious service. We'd like to be able to walk to dinner rather than taxi-- maybe up to a 20-min walk. By the way, is there a "normal" dinner hour in July in Rome? Or does it vary quite a bit? Many thanks.

[cruisemom42]

Can you be a bit more specific about where you'll be staying? I can perhaps give some suggestions but it would be helpful to know what vicinity. Pantheon? Colosseum? near Largo Argentina?

 

As to the dinner hour, most decent restaurants do not open before 7:00 pm. Romans tend to eat late (maybe 8:00-10:00 would be normal).

[poss]

We'll be staying at Capo d'Africa, a few blocks east of the colisseum. It's frustrating because I've seen a great many restaurants mentioned on this and other sites-- but not one of them seems to be in "our" area. I guess it just isn't a great area for dining? Makes me sad if that's the case.

We don't need anything fancy, but do very much enjoy restaurants that take their cooking seriously. And we like a pleasing atmosphere ("pleasing" to us means not too lively, and with good service). We like all cuisines, when done well. Prefer fish to meat, but also enjoy veal and lamb. Love great vegetable dishes. Enjoy good pizza.

Thanks for help!

[cruisemom42]

I stayed across from the Forum for a week and tried a few restaurants in the area.

 

I had heard a lot of good recommendations for Le Naumachie, which is near the Colosseum. I enjoyed my dinner there and thought it was above average and the service was good:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187791-d816187-Reviews-Le_Naumachie-Rome_Lazio.html

 

 

 

If you find yourselve in a mood for a light dinner paired with a glass (or bottle) of wine, I really enjoyed Cavour 313, a wine bar with excellent daily specials that are on the light side (more like tapas than entrees.....). I generally try not to eat somewhere more than once on a visit, but this place was so good that I ate there twice:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187791-d1541713-Reviews-Cavour_313-Rome_Lazio.html

 

 

Probably my favorite restaurant in the general vicinity may be a little beyond your 20-minute walk limit, but may be worth considering anyway:

 

La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187791-d782368-Reviews-La_Taverna_dei_Fori_Imperiali-Rome_Lazio.html

 

 

And slightly further still, one of my favorite restaurants in all of Rome: Piperno. It's in the old Jewish ghetto and specializes in Roman-Jewish cuisine; which basically means old Roman cuisine, as the Jews preserve much of the old traditional Roman cooking style lost elsewhere. The fried artichokes are about the most wonderful thing you can put in your mouth.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187791-d716361-r67068872-Piperno-Rome_Lazio.html#REVIEWS

[poss]

Thanks ever so much, Cynthia-- really helpful!

Have you ever eaten at Il Bocconcino or Pasqualino? Are they near the Colisseum?

By the way, do these restaurants take reservations? And if it's a very hot evening, can you suggest which might be coolest (and which, perhaps, to avoid)? I tend to get somewhat ill in very bad heat, especially if it's crowded. (I'm a bit nervous about his period in Rome and pray that the hotel's a.c. is in good working order.)

Thanks again!

[beckmau]

Those were such good recs I must ask for some as well. We will be in Rome late October, staying at Hotel Orange close to Vatican(do you know this one?). Any recs for cafes or restaurants very close to Vatican? What is your favorite tip for spotting potentially good places to grab a bite?

[cruisemom42]

Thanks ever so much, Cynthia-- really helpful!

Have you ever eaten at Il Bocconcino or Pasqualino? Are they near the Colisseum?

By the way, do these restaurants take reservations? And if it's a very hot evening, can you suggest which might be coolest (and which, perhaps, to avoid)? I tend to get somewhat ill in very bad heat, especially if it's crowded. (I'm a bit nervous about his period in Rome and pray that the hotel's a.c. is in good working order.)

Thanks again!

 

Regarding the temps -- in general you should be fine if you eat indoors. If it's hot, don't eat outside. However, in Italy the A/C is never turned as low as we may be used to in the US because electricity is MUCH more expensive there. I usually travel to Rome during the off-season, though, so I cannot absolutely give you temps for these restaurants. It's been a long time since I've been to Rome in the summer months.

 

Again, because I tend to travel off-season, I generally don't make reservations. But I'm pretty sure that Piperno accepts them and probably the others as well with the exception of Cavour 313.

 

I have not eaten at Il Bocconcino, but it is on my list to try and I think it sounds like a great bet as well as being pretty close to your hotel. They definitely take reservations from what I understand.

 

I would not recommend Pasqualino -- very touristy place with not much going for it.

[cruisemom42]

Those were such good recs I must ask for some as well. We will be in Rome late October, staying at Hotel Orange close to Vatican(do you know this one?). Any recs for cafes or restaurants very close to Vatican? What is your favorite tip for spotting potentially good places to grab a bite?

 

I am not as great with recommendations in the Vatican area as I've never stayed in the vicinity and don't tend to linger once I've done with the Vatican. I'll look through my notes, though, because somewhere I may have a couple of names. Trastevere is not that far away and has some great restaurants.

 

Tips for picking good restaurants -- well, first realize that there are very few restaurants in the main tourist areas that are full of locals, despite what some posters might say. Rome is full of tourists at all times of the year (to be fair, some of the tourists are Italians from outside Rome ;)). A lot of the Italian food is fair or just okay.

 

I tend to keep a long list of restaurants that I want to try in Rome in all different neighborhoods, because I'm never quite sure where I'll end up at the end of the day. I take recommendations from fellow travelers and travel websites (Tripadvisor's actual restaurant reviews are hopeless because restaurant owners are forever posting unwarranted bad reviews to sabotage their competitors, but if you go to the Rome forum and search for restaurants, there are some good suggestions. Slow Travel is good) and travel/foodie blogs.

 

If you find yourself hungry without a suggestion, then look for restaurants that are a) full, b) don't have a multilingual menu and a jolly guy out front trying to entice you in, and c) are not situated smack in a main tourist area. You'll be surprised at the difference even a block or two away from the Pantheon or Colosseum, for example. (Often lower prices and better food!)

 

If you do want to splurge on a place with a view, I can give a few names. Otherwise, you're best off having a glass of wine there and not a full meal.

[euro cruiser]

Those were such good recs I must ask for some as well. We will be in Rome late October, staying at Hotel Orange close to Vatican(do you know this one?). Any recs for cafes or restaurants very close to Vatican? What is your favorite tip for spotting potentially good places to grab a bite?

The area around the Vatican is very hit-or-miss. There are several food "factories" that cater to tourists (get them in and out fast). My best suggestion is to look for middle aged priests, especially those in small groups of two or three, and see where they go (middle aged because of the likelihood that they'll have slightly more money and status, and small groups because it might be a business meeting, where putting on a good face, with good food, is important). A priest or two with secular colleages, if wearing business suits, is good as well.

[samavarcruiser]

La Carbonara (Roman Trattoria)

Via Panisperna, 214

 

Home-made pasta, we loved it :)

 

 

[beckmau]

Thank you all for your suggestions!

[cruisemom42]

Those were such good recs I must ask for some as well. We will be in Rome late October, staying at Hotel Orange close to Vatican(do you know this one?). Any recs for cafes or restaurants very close to Vatican? What is your favorite tip for spotting potentially good places to grab a bite?

 

Here are a couple of suggestions for places near the Vatican that are on my list -- which means I've heard good things about them -- but I haven't tried them.

Dino and Tony's Hosteria -- via Leone IV,60--near Vatican (inexpensive)

Il Matriciano – via dei Gracchi, 55 -- near Vatican (more expensive)

If you are interested in Tuscan food, particularly Florentine beefsteak (bistecca), you might give this one a try:

Dal Toscana – via Germanico, 58/60 (near Vatican)

[iancal]

We make it a practice never to eat in restaurants that have their menus printed in five languages. If we walk into a place and all we hear is English, we don't stay. We seldom eat in a main thoroughfare or touristy square...we always walk 2 or 3 blocks away and find a place that caters to the locals. Our preference is for small family run tratorias (sp). We often split courses, ie will will only order one pasta dish, one meat dish, one salad whatever. This is commonplace but the toursit traps will lead you to ordering a set meal per person. Be careful when ordering wine...in the tourist traps they will let you sample something, you order it, and find out at the end of the meal the cost (never low). Don't be afraid to ask the price. I usually go with a 'quatro' of the house wine as a starter (DW is TT). We used to asked for restaurant advice but not so much any more as we never know where we will be. We have had some wonderful meals...but never did write down the names but we go back when we return.

[Seabee]

Here are a couple of suggestions for places near the Vatican that are on my list -- which means I've heard good things about them -- but I haven't tried them.

Dino and Tony's Hosteria -- via Leone IV,60--near Vatican (inexpensive)

Il Matriciano – via dei Gracchi, 55 -- near Vatican (more expensive)

If you are interested in Tuscan food, particularly Florentine beefsteak (bistecca), you might give this one a try:

Dal Toscana – via Germanico, 58/60 (near Vatican)

 

Dino y Tony's is fabulous. You won't see too many tourists here...we enjoyed sitting outside...no menu, they just start bringin you food and wine. Excellent choice...5 minute walk from Metro.

[cruisemom42]

My best suggestion is to look for middle aged priests, especially those in small groups of two or three, and see where they go (middle aged because of the likelihood that they'll have slightly more money and status, and small groups because it might be a business meeting, where putting on a good face, with good food, is important). A priest or two with secular colleages, if wearing business suits, is good as well.

 

I love this tip! I'll have to try it next time and see where it leads me.

[euro cruiser]

I love this tip! I'll have to try it next time and see where it leads me.

LOL - I've also followed people (ministers?) from the Italian Senate building to see where they ate ... one of these days I'm afraid I'm going to get arrested! However, until then, it does lead me to some interesting places.

[CathyCruises]

As I mentioned on another thread, if you find yourselves near the Spanish Steps at lunchtime, we have always had great meals at Ristorante alla Rampa, behind the steps to the right. Lots of businessmen and just a sprinkle of tourists. I had a pasta dish with walnuts and pears that was fabulous, and their dessert of candied orange peels and gelato is to die for. I have even thought of taking out a subscription (again!) to Bon Appetit so I can write in and ask them to get the recipe!

 

If you go to google maps and search Spanish Steps, you will see the restaurant right on the map.