395 replies to this topic

[Schneier]

I'm really curious about the restaurant there.

Let us know.

Bruce

[Invinoveritas]

I have not been to the restaurant at the Wine Academy yet; however, I plan to try it when I'm in Rome during November. The chef came from the Hassler (or at least was at the Hassler for some time). There is also a wine bar that has wine tastings Monday through Friday at 7:00.

[R.G. Diamond]

We stayed at the St. Regis Grand a couple of years ago and found it to be huge and beautiful -- and a fairly unpleasant walk to anywhere we wanted to go, due to the large boulevards of whizzing traffic surrounding it. There are other hotels closer to the major sights, no question. I prefer the Pantheon/Navona area. There are many locals mixed in with the tourists, and many get-real trattorias alongside the quadruple-language ripoff spots. If you have deep pockets and are not planning to do one step of walking, the St. Regis might work for you. The rooms were gorgeous.

R.G.

[dfunghi]

Will be in Rome the first week of June and have been looking at apt. and hotel. They range from expensive to very expensive or up 3 flights no lift and noisy. Would like to stay near Navona (5 minute walk) for about 150 euros and have peaceful sleep. Is this possible in Rome?
D

[menton1]

It will be very difficult. Rome has some of the highest hotel prices in Europe; in addition, the Italy hotel star ratings range from unreliable to meaningless-- The Raphael is a wonderful place near Piazza Navona, but it is probably double your budget.

[DaleJ]

I always stay at Pensione Panda, Via della Croce 35, a block or two from Piazza Spagna. Small rooms, clean and inexpensive. I think a double, with bath, is about 100E. Its fifteen minutes from Piazza Navona. They have a website.

[Blondie]

I went to Rome just over a year ago. My report from that thread:

My hotel, which was booked online, was endorsed by Gambero Rosso as a good value, so although I was never able to find a copy of the guide in English, I did take note of it. I stayed at Hotel Parlamento, right off the via del Corso, midway between the Piazza di Spagna, Trevi fountain and Pantheon. It was very clean, the staff were extremely helpful (all English-speaking) and I thought it was a bargain, considering the location, at just over 100 euros a night .

It's modest but very well-located, and they do have a lift. If I hadn't been there in November I would have tried for one of the rooms that opens onto the roof terrace. Here's the hotel's website.

[viaChgo]

When we went in 2000, we stayed at this great little art deco style hotel called the Hotel Locarno. It's right off the Piazza del Popolo but away from the main street so it's quiet. It's around the price range you're looking for. Maybe a little more depending on the room. I remember paying about $150 US/night. It's not exactly the area you're looking for but Rome' not too big. Also it has a nice little terrace on the roof.

[rshorens]

In June, 2002, my daughter and I stayed at Albergo del Sole al Biscione, Via del Biscione 76, 00186 Roma( phone 011 39 0668806873; FAX 011 39 066893787)
Albergo del Sole al Biscione
The cost at that time was $150 for a double room with private bath.
The location is fantastic, a few steps from Campo di Fiori/Piazza Navona/Piazza Farnese. There is a roof garden with lounge chairs overlooking the domes of the Church of St. Andrea del Valle(where the opera Tosca is set) and where I was able to hang up my wet laundry every day(a real boon in the summer). They don't serve breakfast, but there are several lovely patios with picnic tables where you can have a meal or snack at any time of the day. I would get up every morning and gather fresh melon, cherries, yoghurt, etc. from the produce stands at the Campo di Fiori, and then we'd go to a local caffe for the best cappuccino and suco d'arancia. There's an elevator in the building. The rooms vary in size. We lucked out and got a triple(for the 2 of us) and had lots of storage space in the antique wardrobes in our room. Lots of cute boutiques and restaurants close by. We stayed for a week and felt as if we got to know the neighborhood
Boun viaggio!
Roz

[rshorens]

I just checked current prices- they haven't gone up, although the dollar has gone down. I guess we must have paid $125 in 2002.
Roz

[dfunghi]

Thanks
The Lacarno is on the list to check as we widen our search. The Del Sol is booked already for our dates. I will keep searching and will check the other rec's on here now.
D

[weinoo]

Hotel Smeraldo is right near the Campo and very clean, lovely staff, elevator,etc.

[shadow]

We stayed at the Locarno--and liked it very much, though I think it is more expensive than you wanted. Others that we have enjoyed and found a little more centrally located for our tastes are the Caesari and Santa Chiara. Both are simple, clean, not chain. Santa Chiara has the better breakfast.

Edited by shadow, 31 January 2004 - 07:01 AM.

[menton1]

We stayed at the Locarno in 1997, their big thing then was free use of bicycles. It was about $150US back then. With the Euro exchange now, it will probably be much more. It's an acceptable place, nice location, but the rooms are quite small. It bills as a 3-star, but I give it a 2.

A similar-type place is the Hotel Carriage near the Via dei Condotti.

The only way to insure a modicum of quiet is to get a room facing the inside courtyard, no view. Those motorscooters and motorized bikes are extremely loud, and they go all night!

Getting a hotel on a budget can indeed be daunting in Rome....

[dfunghi]

After much research and many disappointing e-mails we finally have a res at the Hotel Due Torri. 190 euros a night. Small hotel near Navona. Thank you for your help. I will post all about the food and such this summer after trip.
David

[rshorens]

David, do check this forum for recommendations on restaurants in Rome. I forgot whether this is your first trip on not, but on my first trip to Rome, I had some bad experiences in Roman restaurants that detracted from my overall sense of Rome; on subsequent trips, I've had much better luck with finding friendly and delicious restaurants offering value for the sadly dwindling dollar. Post back here if you don't find what you're looking for on prior threads
Have a great time!
Roz

[balex]

We spent a week in Rome; staying in a flat near Campo de' Fiori. The flat was great because we could buy vegetables at the market, and some wine, and then eat at home in the evening.
I was a bit worried about the season (too late for truffles, and too early for peas), but in fact they had both of my favourite sort of tomatoes in the market, and lots of carciofi and different sorts of greens.
And puntarelli with the anchovy sauce. I was happy.


In no particular order:

Ice cream: we were quite near Alberto Pica, just by via Arenula. He is justly famous for
his rice and cinnamon, but his ricotta and caremalized figs falvaour is damn fine too.

Coffee: I have gone off St Eustachio as it is adulterated. Best cup was in the Gran Caffe La Caffettiera in Piazza di Petra which was two teaspoons of heaven. But pretty much everywhere does excellent coffee.

Pasta: Immodestly I will say I cooked it myself. It was with some perfect casalino tomatoes which are very red, soft, deeply grooved tomatoes with very thin skins, that have an exceptionally intense flavour best with parsley not basil. I was amazed to find them in February.

Bread: pizza bianca from the forno in Campo de' Fiori itself is so good. We were eating about a square foot each at least twice a day. You get some of that , some greenish tomatoes from Pachino,
a few slices of ham, and you are going to eat as well as anywhere on the planet.

Overall meal: we didn't go to anyplace very fancy. The best meal was at Da Nino, near the Spanish steps. I have in the past been slightly disappointed with the food here which is fairly standard Tuscan food. They have their own farm which they get their oil and some other stuff from.
I had -- carciofo Romano -- this is not the deep fried one, but the one which is cooked slowly.. Perfect intense flavour. Some tortellini and then some calf's liver veneziana -- everything was flawless. Only slight disappointed was the wine - Camartina by Querciabella which was slightly underwhelming.

Best wine was a Prunotto Barbera Casiamoli 97 at Girarrosto Fiorentina in via Sicilia with a vast and perfectly cooked steak.

Prettiest waitress: at Ditirambo which also has an exceptionally good wine list, but the food is a bit weak.

Best pizza: I always go to the same place and it is always perfect: La Sacrestia in Via del Seminario. This is Roman style so paper thin. Wood burning oven, home made sauce. Mmmmm.

Best wine shop:
Our flat was just near this newish place called Roscioli, which had lots of great wines, but the shop was a bit warm, and I ddin't really trust the storage conditions. I got a bottle of Dal forno Romano from Bleve in the ghetto, which has a good choice, and people that know what they are on about. They are a bit grumpy though.

Edited by balex, 27 February 2004 - 06:35 AM.

[trillium]

That is one of my favorite spots in Rome, you made me hungry to be there. Have you ever tried growing the casalino tomatoes yourself? I've only spotted them once in the US, at the Madison farmer's market. The photo on the cover of Cooking the Roman Way has been taunting me and I'm considering trying to track down seeds for them and puntarelli.

regards,
trillium

[balex]

Nice to find another casalino fan!

I haven't ever seen them in England -- San Marzano ones make it over to a few specialists here, but never casalino. I have a feeling that they wouldn't ripen properly here.

Actually that's not quite true -- my carry-on on the flight home was 3 kilos, and we had delicious pasta for about a week afterwards, which dulled the pain of leaving Rome.

[divina]

Isn't that funny, here in Florence we call those pumpkin like tomatoes Fiorentini,
Florence style!!!
I've been gone too long!

[DaleJ]

JUDY: I didn't know that you frequented this board. Are you going into Florence to see if Il Ritrovo is open Easter? That would be a highlight of this trip. Ciao.

[divina]

I haven't had much time to surf!! internet time is expenisve in Italy.. but will try!
I am going down into FLorence Tomorrow and will check out the Easter possibilities!

[Craig Camp]

Welcome to eGullet Judy! Those that don't yet know Judy should take time to visit her wonderful website Divina Cucina which is loaded with useful information about Italian food and travel and about her wonderful cooking school in Tuscany. Thanks for joining us Judy we are flattered to have you here and look forward to your insights.

[divina]

Thanks Craig.. I can't wait until I can add my avatar!

[DaleJ]

'GUSTO

Ate here a couple of times last October and again twice last week (mid-April 04). Located at the corner of via della Frezza and via del Corea, a few blocks northwest of Piazza di Spagna. (Phone 39 063226273)

I'll wager that Mario Batali visited here before doing Otto. You enter into a room that probably seats twenty or so at tall tables. I've only seen late night diners there enjoying wine and salumi and/or cheese. The small bar (seats about ten) is to the left, and beyond that are two tops, perhaps ten total, and a small room where cheese is prepared. Also behind the bar is a beautiful hand cranked meat slicer which is always in operation. Up a set of open stairs is another dining area that I guess seats thirty or forty. Also up there is a wall of wine bottles, nicely organized. To the right of the end of the downstairs room is another room with four tops up and down in a sort of split level arrangement. All in the most modern mode.

The beauty part of the place is that if one wishes to wine and dine lightly one can order a liter of the day's special wine (last Friday it was a Puglian primitivo from the barrel) and a plate of salumi or cheese and escape for under 20Euro. And its all good and smartly presented. Full meals are, of course, available but reservations are recommended. Iv'e seen people turned away by the score in the late evening.

And its a headquarters for Rome's young glitterati so the visual aspect is more than the food and wine presentations. Its a happening place that I never miss when in Rome.

[calimero]

Try 'Gusto' on Sunday: they probably serve one of the best Sunday brunch in Rome.

[balex]

Trattoria St. Teodoro

Via dei Fienili, Phone 06 6780933

This is not a very well known restaurant but should be famous. It is located down by Bocca della verita behind the Campidoglio. They have some very good pasta -- I particularly recommend the spaghetti with fillets of red mullet and bottarga; I have also had very good abbachio there. Really good food; occasional errors -- I had some spaghetti with anchovies that was way too salty and I like a lot of salt.
But in general a refined cooking which has not lost touch with its roots.

Nice modern room, good wine list with lots of interesting wines at reasonable prices. Unusually good service by Roman standards which are very low.

[Paco]

Hi,

Very good friends of mine will be spending 3 nights in Rome in mid June and would like to know which are the best and cheapest italian restaurants in Rome (15- 30 euros per person).

I tried a search on this topic but wasn´t very succesful...

Thank you!
Paco

[DaleJ]

Its only a pizzaria, but my favorite in Italy. Take the Metro to Piramide and walk down Via Marmorata past Volpetti and turn left into Testaccio. Ask anyone you see for directions to Pizzaria Remo. Its a neighborhood institution. You may have to armwrestle for an outdoor table, but its worth it. The place rocks every night.

[Paco]

Thank you very much DaleJ, I just found out that the neighbourhood of Testaccio is quite popular for good and cheap food.

Any recommendation for a more special night? (But still affordable?)
Thanks