Favourite Rome restaurant

[Island wannabe]

planning for our 3rd trip to Rome next year - 3 days post-cruise. We've done a walking food tour and have been to a couple of restaurants upon our return visits. Have had great meals, and "meh" clearly tourist meals. Looking for recommendations of,your favourite restaurants serving Italian or Mediterranean style food. I have reviewed many TripAdvisor reviews but I prefer to get recommendations here as not all great small restaurants show up scoring high points on TA.

[lifeasme123]

planning for our 3rd trip to Rome next year - 3 days post-cruise. We've done a walking food tour and have been to a couple of restaurants upon our return visits. Have had great meals, and "meh" clearly tourist meals. Looking for recommendations of,your favourite restaurants serving Italian or Mediterranean style food. I have reviewed many TripAdvisor reviews but I prefer to get recommendations here as not all great small restaurants show up scoring high points on TA.

 

We were in Rome for one week last month. Only one restaurant we visited was great. The rest were, as you said, "meh" touristy ones.

 

We loved Alfredo e Ada. It's a small family owned restaurant started by Alfredo and Ada. The granddaughter now runs the restaurant. It is a small restaurant, like most are in Rome. Because of this, you may have to share a table with complete strangers. Just want to let you know in case this does not appeal to you. We sat with a retired investment banker from PA. He lives in Rome 6 months of the year to learn the language. We like meeting others so it did not bother us.

 

As for the food, there is no set menu. She day she makes the dishes based on what ingredients she buys at the market. This is one of the two restaurants where we actually got homemade pasta. At the end of the meal, she comes over and writes the total amount due on the tabletop. We had (2) meals, beer and wine for 25euro. It was very reasonable and delicious!

 

Like most restaurants, you have to be there when it opens (at 7pm) or prepare for a long wait.

[Carolyn R]

I discovered D'Orso80 during my stay in Rome in May. I did a search for restaurants near my apartment (just north of Piazza Navona) and had dinner here our first night. This turned out to be where we had dinner most nights. The menu was outstanding and the prices very reasonable. We had veal, artichokes Roman style, meatballs, pasta dishes, osso bucco. The most popular item among the many locals here was the specialty antipasto, €15 pp with 12-15 bowls of various goodies. This was more than enough for a full meal. Dinner for two with wine (bottle of house wine €13) ran about €40-50. I wrote a review on Trip Advisor. I loved this place!

[little britain]

Trattoria Cadorna dal 1947 in Via Raffaele Cadorna. Superb. Hidden gem.

[Carolyn R]

There is also a restaurant a little north of the Vatican museum, Trattoria Bella Napoli. Mostly old local men inside. We sat outside and really enjoyed the local food and wine at great prices. We were taken here by Fabrizio during a tour with him on my first trip to Rome. He worked there in his youth. They had an extensive antipasto bar that I was intimated by, but their woodfired pizzas, and all pastas, and fish/seafood enjoyed by our group were very good. I had the eggplant parmesan one of my favorites.

 

I love this thread. There is nothing worse than getting terrible food for a high price in another country. Finding a great restaurant is definitely something that I like sharing.

[Island wannabe]

Thanks everyone for you great suggestions. I will start researching these restaurants.

[sippican]

Hands down - Hosteria Grappolo d’Oro:

http://hosteriagrappolodoro.it/

 

We have eaten there twice with fairly large groups and the service and food were outstanding.

It is located nera Campo di Fiore.

[Milhouse]

We haven't had a lot of success during a few trips to Rome compared to other cities in Italy. Not sure if this counts as we found out after that it's rated fairly highly in TA, but we stumbled upon La Prosciutteria in Trastevere during our most recent trip and just decided to try it. It's a pretty casual place with the most popular item being various sizes of charcuterie boards with a mix of meats, cheeses, veg, and terrines. Even though I think it's kind of a chain, we still thought it was a fun, inexpensive meal.

[Island wannabe]

Hands down - Hosteria Grappolo d’Oro:

http://hosteriagrappolodoro.it/

 

We have eaten there twice with fairly large groups and the service and food were outstanding.

It is located nera Campo di Fiore.

 

Thanks - menu looks great

[Island wannabe]

We haven't had a lot of success during a few trips to Rome compared to other cities in Italy. Not sure if this counts as we found out after that it's rated fairly highly in TA, but we stumbled upon La Prosciutteria in Trastevere during our most recent trip and just decided to try it. It's a pretty casual place with the most popular item being various sizes of charcuterie boards with a mix of meats, cheeses, veg, and terrines. Even though I think it's kind of a chain, we still thought it was a fun, inexpensive meal.

 

Oh we just love charcuterie boards. Our new favourite snack/meal!!!

[Captain&Commander]

ARLu near the Vatican. (They're highly rated on Trip Advisor and rightly so.) Small, family run--Mom is the chef and Dad and daughters work the front. They post daily specials, and seem to have mainly locals plus prices were reasonable.. Our tour guide recommend them after a tour of the Vatican. We had lunch and loved it so much we went back 4 more times for dinner..

[Island wannabe]

ARLu near the Vatican. (They're highly rated on Trip Advisor and rightly so.) Small, family run--Mom is the chef and Dad and daughters work the front. They post daily specials, and seem to have mainly locals plus prices were reasonable.. Our tour guide recommend them after a tour of the Vatican. We had lunch and loved it so much we went back 4 more times for dinner..

 

Thanks - the place looks so cute!

[laughing husky]

another thing you could do is go to a wine tasting dinner....Can't remember the name of it, but you can google wine tasting dinner....Marco Lori is the guy who does it, and I learned more about wine with food than I ever have with anyone else...He is a master sommelier which there are only about 100 of them in the world so it is really special....and he is special. the food is outstanding, the wine is downright amazing....it is a bit pricey, but hey, you didn't go all way and not plan on spending any money now...:) It really was a highlight of Rome....

[laughing husky]

just found it for you....

 

Italian Wine & Food Pairing Class

 

As recommended by 99% of users on TripAdvisor

6 WINES + 6 DISHES + 1 SOMMELIER = AN UNFORGETTABLE EVENING

 

Wine pairing isn’t as simple as “white wine with fish, red with meat”. There’s so much more to it, and we want you to come learn about the finer nuances of Italian food and wine pairing with us. Marco, our Italian Master Sommelier, guides you through 6 fine Italian wines – from sparkling whites to oaked reds to sweet dessert wine – that you’ll try pairing with everything from local, Roman pasta dishes to Tuscan meats and real buffalo mozzarella. You’ll learn how the right wine can enhance even the simplest of dishes (and how the wrong wine can have drastic consequences, too!). Join us for a truly educational dinner from the comfort of a Roman trattoria, which just happens to be slap bang in the center of town next door to the Spanish Steps – perfect for a post-dinner stroll! Taste your way through Italian food and wines in one delicious evening – one that we think will truly revolutionize the way you look at the art of eating!

Eating Italy Food tours....:)

[Island wannabe]

just found it for you....

 

Italian Wine & Food Pairing Class

 

As recommended by 99% of users on TripAdvisor

6 WINES + 6 DISHES + 1 SOMMELIER = AN UNFORGETTABLE EVENING

 

Wine pairing isn’t as simple as “white wine with fish, red with meat”. There’s so much more to it, and we want you to come learn about the finer nuances of Italian food and wine pairing with us. Marco, our Italian Master Sommelier, guides you through 6 fine Italian wines – from sparkling whites to oaked reds to sweet dessert wine – that you’ll try pairing with everything from local, Roman pasta dishes to Tuscan meats and real buffalo mozzarella. You’ll learn how the right wine can enhance even the simplest of dishes (and how the wrong wine can have drastic consequences, too!). Join us for a truly educational dinner from the comfort of a Roman trattoria, which just happens to be slap bang in the center of town next door to the Spanish Steps – perfect for a post-dinner stroll! Taste your way through Italian food and wines in one delicious evening – one that we think will truly revolutionize the way you look at the art of eating!

Eating Italy Food tours....:)

 

Oh wow - sounds so amazing. We love good quality food - sounds right up our alley

[slidergirl]

I logged in to post only because Food is one of my passions when I travel.

I rarely use TripAdvisor for restaurant recommendations. I use the chowhound website if I want to find some non-touristy dining suggestions. I also am a huge follower of Katie Parla and Elizabeth Minchilli for ideas in Italy. I've received some good advice personally from both of them (asked specifically for places where a solo woman would be welcome).

 

Some of my standard favorites in Rome:

Armando al Pantheon (at the Pantheon - it's where I always go my first night) Known for classic Roman cuisine. A very small place and reservations are required. A great mix of families, groups of friends. I sometimes don't want to recommend this one as I've seen some "ugly tourist" types in there lately - the last ones had on T-shirts from Yellowstone Nat'l Park and continually complained: having to pay for water (not true - only if you ordered bottled), not having spaghetti and meatballs, why didn't they speak better English... (my table was next to theirs and I heard all the whining)

Roscioli (have a Concierge make the reservation - sometimes a "tourist" reservation will go missing. In the Campo di Fiore area). The Roscioli family is known for being some of the best providers of bread in Rome. By day, the place is one of the best salumeria and wine stores in Rome. At night, it turns into a restaurant. The best amatriciana I've ever had. I asked for a recommendation for wine by the glass for my meal and ended up with some excellent selections that aren't normally on the "by the glass" page, including an Amarone that went sooooo well with the meatballs and polenta entree (yes, I broke with normal and order meat).

Cesare al Casaletto - if you don't mind getting out of the tourist center of town. Take the #8 tram from Lago Argentina to it's end at Via Casaletto. The restaurant is a block from the end of the tram. Small, noisy trattoria serving some of the best food I've had in Rome. Another place with lots of families, groups of friends, business groups. You have to go with others so that you can order a lot of the different dishes. Fried gnocchi in Gorgonzola sauce as an appetizer - yowza!!! It was amazing and could have been an entree in itself! Reservations are a must.

Emma Pizzaria (in the Campo di Fiore area). Owned by the Roscioli family. High-end, artinisal wood-fired pizza and other entrees. The fact that they had 4 different riffs on a Margharita (different mozzarella, tomatoes) AND Brunello by the glass was enough to sell me! Yes, you need reservations. A block away is the Carapina artisanal gelateria for your dessert.

Bonci Pizzarium (at the Cipro Metro, downhill from the Vatican Museums) is a hole-in-the-wall pizza al taglio place. Bonci is world-known for his pizzas. All kinds of toppings, some "usual", some very esoteric. You stand to eat 90% of time time, as there are only a couple of bar tables. You stand in line, place your order, pay, and pick up. The supli are also really good. The place is tiny, but it's actually twice the size it was when I first visited years ago.

Antico Forno Roscioli (in Campo di Fiore). The Roscioli bakery. Grab a slice al taglio here. Grab some amazing bread products. Grab some yummy pastries. I made up a bagful of goodies to take back to the hotel for munching at night. Again, mainly not a place to sit and eat, but there are a few chairs by a railing to sit if you are lucky.

 

For the person who put up La Prosciutteria - I have not eaten at the one in Rome, but I have made frequent stops at the one in Florence. That one is not a "restaurant" - they even have a sign pointing out that fact. But you order prosciutta platters, sandwiches, a glass of wine and hope you can find a seat (one table with benches for maybe 6, and some chairs up against a wall rail). Good quality meats and cheeses and the "wine of the day" is usually decent. I didn't know there was one in Rome. I might be interested in hitting it up for a quick snack if I'm in the Trevi area.

[Island wannabe]

I logged in to post only because Food is one of my passions when I travel.

I rarely use TripAdvisor for restaurant recommendations. I use the chowhound website if I want to find some non-touristy dining suggestions. I also am a huge follower of Katie Parla and Elizabeth Minchilli for ideas in Italy. I've received some good advice personally from both of them (asked specifically for places where a solo woman would be welcome).

 

Some of my standard favorites in Rome:

Armando al Pantheon (at the Pantheon - it's where I always go my first night) Known for classic Roman cuisine. A very small place and reservations are required. A great mix of families, groups of friends. I sometimes don't want to recommend this one as I've seen some "ugly tourist" types in there lately - the last ones had on T-shirts from Yellowstone Nat'l Park and continually complained: having to pay for water (not true - only if you ordered bottled), not having spaghetti and meatballs, why didn't they speak better English... (my table was next to theirs and I heard all the whining)

Roscioli (have a Concierge make the reservation - sometimes a "tourist" reservation will go missing. In the Campo di Fiore area). The Roscioli family is known for being some of the best providers of bread in Rome. By day, the place is one of the best salumeria and wine stores in Rome. At night, it turns into a restaurant. The best amatriciana I've ever had. I asked for a recommendation for wine by the glass for my meal and ended up with some excellent selections that aren't normally on the "by the glass" page, including an Amarone that went sooooo well with the meatballs and polenta entree (yes, I broke with normal and order meat).

Cesare al Casaletto - if you don't mind getting out of the tourist center of town. Take the #8 tram from Lago Argentina to it's end at Via Casaletto. The restaurant is a block from the end of the tram. Small, noisy trattoria serving some of the best food I've had in Rome. Another place with lots of families, groups of friends, business groups. You have to go with others so that you can order a lot of the different dishes. Fried gnocchi in Gorgonzola sauce as an appetizer - yowza!!! It was amazing and could have been an entree in itself! Reservations are a must.

Emma Pizzaria (in the Campo di Fiore area). Owned by the Roscioli family. High-end, artinisal wood-fired pizza and other entrees. The fact that they had 4 different riffs on a Margharita (different mozzarella, tomatoes) AND Brunello by the glass was enough to sell me! Yes, you need reservations. A block away is the Carapina artisanal gelateria for your dessert.

Bonci Pizzarium (at the Cipro Metro, downhill from the Vatican Museums) is a hole-in-the-wall pizza al taglio place. Bonci is world-known for his pizzas. All kinds of toppings, some "usual", some very esoteric. You stand to eat 90% of time time, as there are only a couple of bar tables. You stand in line, place your order, pay, and pick up. The supli are also really good. The place is tiny, but it's actually twice the size it was when I first visited years ago.

Antico Forno Roscioli (in Campo di Fiore). The Roscioli bakery. Grab a slice al taglio here. Grab some amazing bread products. Grab some yummy pastries. I made up a bagful of goodies to take back to the hotel for munching at night. Again, mainly not a place to sit and eat, but there are a few chairs by a railing to sit if you are lucky.

 

For the person who put up La Prosciutteria - I have not eaten at the one in Rome, but I have made frequent stops at the one in Florence. That one is not a "restaurant" - they even have a sign pointing out that fact. But you order prosciutta platters, sandwiches, a glass of wine and hope you can find a seat (one table with benches for maybe 6, and some chairs up against a wall rail). Good quality meats and cheeses and the "wine of the day" is usually decent. I didn't know there was one in Rome. I might be interested in hitting it up for a quick snack if I'm in the Trevi area.

 

Wow, thanks so much for this wealth of knowledge and suggestions.