Rome Restaurants: Reviews & Recommendations

[mogsob]

There are few cities on earth that you rely on getting a solid meal at just about any decent looking restaurant.  Paris is one.  Rome is another (and at half the price).  To me, this is heaven - no reservations, no plans.  Pure spontaneous gastronomy.

That said, I did plan 2 dinners for our stay in Rome: Agata e Romeo and La Rosetta.  Agata e Romeo has perhaps the best wine list I have ever seen (for my taste), and has more good values I can count.  Many bottles here are far below retail prices in the states -- if you could even find them.

However, A&R had the misfortune of coming after La Rosetta, which provided a truly stunning meal.  We both had the Gran Misto di Antipasti, which turned out to be two separate servings, each including 5 or 6 different dishes.  Simply put, this is Nobu (at its best) Italian-style.  Innovative, unbelievably fresh and pure, and absolutely delicious.  Let's just put it this way.  Before that night, my wife did not like lobster, squid, octopus, shrimp and a host of other shellfish items.  Now she does.  Not only that, she declared a squid dish to be the best thing she ate in Rome.

All this comes at a cost -- 40 euros per person for the antipasti alone.  My advice is to eat a large lunch, come here for dinner and get the antipasti, split a pasta, order a great wine and pick up some gelati on the way home.  You won't find a better meal in Rome, or perhaps anywhere else.

[robert brown]

Mogsob, thanks for the post. I have always found Rome to be a tough restaurant town in terms of getting a handle. So I really appreciate a good lead for when I return.

[Blondie]

Forum Host's note: please use this thread to ask for recommandations regarding Rome's Restaurants and Hotels, unless you have a question on a specific establishment, or occasion (Christmas, Easter and so on). It is most usefull for everyone to have all this information in one place. New threads that replicate this one will be merged here.

Thank you for your understanding

I’m leaving on Wednesday for a few days and could use recommendations for dining, sightseeing (interested in classical and modern architecture, art), live music, shopping.

Thanks

[Steve Plotnicki]

Hurry up and buy yourself the Gambero Rosso guide to Rome which they published in English. It will have the most reliable restaurant and food recommendation of any guide you will find. They should have this at Bookhampton and if not have Amazon overnight it today.

[mogsob]

For a classic trattoria, Trattoria degli Amici in the Via Magana (near Capitoline).

For a great meal, a late, late dinner at La Rosetta (near Pantheon). Get the gran misto di antipasti, dessert and coffee. You can add a pasta if you must, but it is the crudo antipasti that is the world beater here. Hands down the best crudo in the world.

For great wine, Agata e Romeo (near nothing in particular, so take a cab). Fantastic wine list at prices you couldn't get at retail in the States.

[Blondie]

Hurry up and buy yourself the Gambero Rosso guide to Rome which they published in English. It will have the most reliable restaurant and food recommendation of any guide you will find. They should have this at Bookhampton and if not have Amazon overnight it today.

Neither of the Bookhamptons, Canio's, Paradise or the Montauk Book Shoppe have it, but I'll be in the city tomorrow anyway. Isn't there a bookstore that specializes in travel and guidebooks?

Thanks for the recs, mogsob. Are there any Italian wine guides (in a small format) that you (or SteveP) could recommend?

[Steve Plotnicki]

I was going to offer you my copy but I can't locate it. If you are going to be in the city I would just try my nearest Barnes & Noble. But The Traveller's Bookshop on Madison and 35th is another plce to try. I will PM you if I find mine.

[Charles Smith]

I'm jealous- you can eat better for less in Rome than anywhere in western Europe!!

definitely get Gambero Rosso if you can-

I've inserted a post of mine from a year or so ago, in addition, don't miss the musuem at the Villa Borghesi-it's been re-opened- you need to make a reservation in advance.

Out of the places below, I've been back to Cul de Sac and Ferrarra and both remain excellent choices- also check out something in the Giudeca (Jewish ghetto)- the best of Rome is in it's wine bars, which are great options for nibbling on cheese/meats and drinking some wine.

We then took the train to Rome, the final stop on the tour.

We tooled around in the afternoon, threw coins in the Trevi Fountain, walked up the Spanish steps- I used miles for our hotel and it was great- the welcoming gift was three bottles of Extra Virgin Olive oil!

We wanted to try a real Roman pizzeria, so we headed to one that had been recommended, only to be very disappointed by the look of it, so we decided to see what we could find and ended up with an experience- We saw an unnamed Trattorria and looked at each other and knew that it was the place- It was Mom in the kitchen, with help from the daughter (who also did the checks, cleared plates and took orders), and Dad, who ordered the women around. It was loud, simple and boisterous- a lot of fun- There was a menu, but the daughter wouldn’t let us see it- she recited the dishes, and we ordered- boy was she annoyed when I ordered artichokes (one of the dishes she had to cook!) The food was average, but the scene was awesome-

The father, probably 70-75, sat tables and took care of vini. This is the home of the “Super Roman” meritage- The quartinos and mezzos were being poured out of massive jugs- Bottles were also available. On numerous occasions, the father would not quite fill the carafe from the jug and would sigh, and them fill it with someone’s leftover bottle!!- The whole scene hysterical to watch- the family screaming at one another and them hugging, people flirting across tables, etc.

We mostly only spoke Italian in restaurants- always a good plan, with multiple dividends, but here it actually saved us some money- there was a single diner across from us who only spoke English throughout, not trying Italian at all- this clearly annoyed the daughter/accountant and his bill was L55,000. We had virtually the same meal and ours was L60,000! Served the guy right for not trying if you ask me!

After that, we spent the next day at the Vatican- umm, just a few things to see there!

We headed to Trastevere for dinner- Enoteca Ferrara, highly recommended in WS as a stylish wine bar. Absolutely not a wine bar- this is a very trendy place, filled with beautiful Romans decked out. (Rome is an extremely well dressed city). Great list, but one of the most annoying I had ever seen- each page had one wine’s label and then a list of the available vintages next to the label- not necessarily the same as the vintage on the label- Cool to see all the labels, but very hard to keep track of the options, IMHO. I wanted to try something from Piedmont, as we had had nothing from the north on the trip, and the sommelier guided me to the La Spinetta ’97 Pin- She was basically saying that nothing else was ready, and that this was awesome (or at least that’s what I understood, grasping at Italian)- and at $32, I couldn’t really complain. With great relish she brought over two HUGE glasses, with a lip (probably 40 oz.) and poured the wine. I’ve read extremely varying remarks about this wine- It was excellent. Extracted, but balanced, more black fruits than red, with nice mint and anise notes on the nose, mouth filling, soft tannins, drinking well, but serious life ahead of it. This was our first Super Piedmont, and it was excellent- Dinner was very good as well- goat cheese involitini with eggplant was a highlight, as was the rabbit ragu pasta. The place was lively and a lot of fun- very stylish, with cool sliding racks for the wine surrounding the dining area.

The next day, our last in Italy, was spent at the Campo Fiore market, the Forum and the Coliseum. If you go to this market, do not miss the “fornos” that are on the edges of the square- excellent warm tomato “breads.”

We wanted something more down market for our last night, so we headed to Cul de Sac, the polar opposite of the previous night- communal tables for four, with racks of wine (and safety nets) above your head- killer list- I went for the ’95 Sammarco- Currants and chocolate- the cab really showed through- still tannic- good stuff.

Dinner was a series of nibbles: cheese, salami, etc. and a dish of pasta for each of us. We then walked slowly back up the hill to the hotel, stopped for some gelato, and said goodbye to Rome.

[elizabethnathan]

Hi Blondie-

My favorite city!

Here are some quick thoughts.

I'd say the most upcoming area for restaurants is San Lorenzo, a part of the city frequented by students from the nearby university. I've seen Uno e Bino(via degli equ 58, 39-06-446-0702) mentioned all over and I know reservations are tough but it sounds fantastic. Also in San Lorenzo is Tram Tram (via dei retti 44). Another good area off the beaten track is Testaccio, truly the last working neighborhood in central Rome. The debates go on and on about where the best pizza can be found, but many believe Pizzeria Remo, in Testaccio, is the best(closed Sunday, P. Santa Maria Liberatrice). If you do make it over there, I really recommend stopping in at Volpetti's(via marmorata 47) . It's a great fine food shop and they will talk to you for hours if you let them while they offer you sample after sample. They open around 4 or 5 pm. I also love eating in Trastevere.

In terms of sightseeing, I'd try to get to the recently restored Galleria Borghese for one of the finest collections of Renaissance and Baroque art in the world. My other favorite private collection is the Doria Pamphilj. This is just off the via del corso, not all that far from the Pantheon. The collection is still housed in the original private mansion and owned by the descendants of the Pamphilj pope. The Borghese gets much more attention, but I find the Pamphilj collection more interesting The space is a little shabbier and many of the paintings are still hung floor to ceiling as they used to be. You really get a sense of the people who lived there, while at the Borghese they're breathing down your throat if you get too close to anything.

I never grow tired of doing the "Caravaggio tour". Basically you hit three churches, San Luigi dei Francesi, San Agostino, and finally Santa Maria del Popolo. You can see them in any order really, just be sure to time it right because closing times differ. As you walk from seeing San Luigi and San Agostino, you can take the via di ripetta to get to the Piazza del Popolo where the last church. Somewhere along this street, Caravaggio killed a man, thus triggering the events that eventually led to his banishment from Rome and eventual death.

Other often overlooked favorites include the Farnesina, a Renaissance villa in Trastevere with amazing frescoes and graffiti left by the germans when they sacked the city during the 16th C., the Michelangelo Moses in San Pietro in Vincoli, Bramante's Tempieto and Borromini's San Ivo della Sapienza near P. Navona. I would not miss the top floor of the Palazzo Massimo(part of the Museo Nazionale Romano) in the Quirinale. There are top quality mosaics from all over the Roman empire and the frescoes from the Villa Livia, a house that belonged to the wife of Augustus. The only other place to see frescoes of this quality from the Roman period is Pompeii. What else? I love visiting the Piazza dei Campidoglio after dark--if you walk towards the back of the square you will be looking out over the forum. It's an incredible view at any time of day, but especailly when all the ruins are lit up. I saw this mentioned but I agree with the suggestion to visit the Campo dei Fiori market in the morning. You won't find much modern architecture in Rome but you could visit the incredibly bizarre EUR, an area outside central Rome built by Mussolini for the World's Fair. If you fly into Fiumicino and take a taxi in, you'll probably see it out the window. I know that Richard Meier has been working on a new building for the Ara Pacis but I'm not sure if it's open yet.

For shopping, I always like the area behind the Piazza Navona where Govero Vecchio is. Depends on what you want really. People seem to think that the only great thing to shop for in Rome is the really high end stuff on the other side of the corso closer to the Spanish Steps. People also shop for antiques on the via giulia behind the farnese palace.

For info on live music, pick up Wanted in Rome. They're also online at www.wantedinrome.com

It's not exhaustive by any means, more like a nice accompaniment to a more complete guidebook, but I've gotten great suggestions from the City Secrets series. There is one published for Rome.

I hope you have an incredible trip.

[mogsob]

Blondie -- i am so jealous. What I would give to munch on a Dreesen's doughnut right now looking in windows at Bookhampton or taking a drive to Sag Harbor to go to Canio's and see their Portuguese Water Dog. Villa Combos!! When I get back Stateside for the holidays, I'm definately getting out east for a weekend.

Anyway, a few tips on Rome.

1. Both TimeOut Rome and Michelin had incorrect opening times for many sights, including the Castello Sant'Angelo and the Colleseum. Check carefully before you go.

2. Crispiano near the Fontana di Trevi has amazing gelatto. Other great gelatto can be found by looking at the ground and following the trail of napkins.

3. Seek out authentic Roman pizza -- stay away from the Neopolitan pretenders. TimeOut has a good list.

4. I second the recommendation of the Doria Pamphilj, if only because they have a painting by Peter Breughel the Elder. That said, the Borghese Gallery is far superior, both in depth and quality of the collection (although I don't dispute that some could find the Pamphilj collection more interesting, I guess). Do note that you now need a reservation (which you can do online) for the Borghese Gallery.

5. If you do the Vatican, get there 1 hour before it opens and run immediately to the Sistine Chapel. You will no longer be the first ones in, as they tend to admit tour groups before individuals , but you still be be relatively undisturbed. You can then go back to see the rest of the collection.

[robert brown]

Blondie,

This may seem like a conventional, pat recommendation, but I would not want to sell short the source of it: an American woman with a remarkable palate who has been living in Rome for four years and knows very well the Rome restaurant scene. I had dinner with her tonight and mentioned your post. She concurred with R.W. Apple of the New York Times and said the best meal to be had in Rome was at La Pergola on top of the Rome Hilton. It is not Roman cuisine and the chef, Hans Becker, is German. Ordinarily I would avoid such plces were I making a quick visit to a major food city, but I would give it a go now if I were in your situation.

I like the modern art museum in Rome because I like post WWII Italian art: Fontana, Morandi, etc. who are well represented.

[Blondie]

I've reserved for the Galleria Borghese (online as per mogsob). Thanks to everyone for taking the time to provide such detailed and useful information--it will be put to good use

[JJS]

I just thought I should second Robert's suggestion of La Pergola. I have been three times in the last year and each time have found it to be superb. It is my favourite in Italy, just ahead of Miramonte, and offers a fantastic view, ask for table number 10 if you are dining as a couple, service that surpasses some of the best in Italy, and wonderfully innovative food. Petit fours are served in a beautiful silver jewel box, and there is even a mineral water list with waters from all over Italy each with its own description. Heinz Beck has a wonderful touch with seafood and game, and in many ways reminds me of the innovative food that Stefano Cavallini used to serve. If its on offer have the scampi carpaccio, the artichoke ravioli with quail. the turbot in a salt crust and do not skip cheese which is fantastic. It does get booked up though but I hope you can go. It is now rated by Gambero Rosso as the third or second best in Italy, and I think it is just fantastic.

[Blondie]

I was just reminded that I hadn’t posted about my trip. I used suggestions from everyone who posted, and considering I had only 2 days notice, I think I did very well Thank you all.

La Taverna degli amici (via Margana) and Cul de Sac (Piazza Pasquino) were as advertised and very enjoyable. Gelateria San Crispino (near the Fontana di Trevi) was a revelation. My favorite was the meringue with chocolate chips.

The Villa Borghese (which I reserved online as per mogsob) was tremendous -- Caravaggio, Titian and especially Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne. I didn’t get to the Doria Pamphilj, but I have to leave something for next time I also took the advice to get to the Sistine Chapel first and go back for the rest of the Vatican museums. It was more impressive than I had imagined.

elizabethnathan was right on with the suggestion of shopping near the via Governo Vecchio. I wasn’t really in a shopping mood, but I did pick up a very cute bag at Toko, between there and the Piazza Navona. Wantedinrome.com was where I found out that Chumbawamba would be playing, which made for a very interesting evening at Villaggio Globale in Testaccio. They are better than you’d expect from their only US hit, especially if you like politically-charged funky dance music like me

I didn’t get to try Robert’s suggestion of La Pergola this trip, but I did enjoy the modern art museum, especially the works by Fontana. I would have liked to try Enoteca Ferrarra in Trastevere (recommended by Charles Smith) but my timing was off, so I settled for very good pizza from Forno la Renella (via del Moro) very close to Santa Maria in Trastevere (beautiful medieval mosaics).

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 .

I had the best meal of my trip at Papa Giovanni near the Piazza Navona. I’ll remember the tagliolini with its massive shavings of white truffles for a very long time. The room was cozy and warm and the service was outstanding.

Other brief impressions:

I felt very safe walking around Rome late at night by myself or with a female friend, moreso than in New York. The view from the top of the cupola at St. Peter’s is worth the hike up the very long narrow staircase, but isn’t for claustrophobes. If you like to take photos, bring twice as much film as you think you’ll need or you’ll be paying the nuns $8 a roll in the gift shop (!) on the roof of St.Peter’s. I was astounded by the number of jewel box churches with world class art and design, in particular the frescoes and use of trompe l’oeil.

Thanks again for the recommendations

[Nick]

We are living in Rome at the last minute.

Sorry, Tommy's way of posting is catching.

Edited December 8, 2002 by Nickn (log)

[Akiko]

I just got back from spending the weekend in Rome and used this thread as a guideline.

What an amazing city... I don't think I've been in another city that is so impressive as far as Ancient buildings still standing on every corner. And Vatican city... I was blown away by St Peter's, the museum, and the sistine chapel.

I was not blown away by the food... I love Italian food but I didn't find that I could find a great meal everywhere. But I do think the quality of their produce is amazing. The leaves to the salad, mushrooms, and the tomatoes were extraordinary. I took a bite of a tomato and though... "oh, so this is what a tomato is supposed to taste like." Tart balanced with sweet... the next time I go, I'm going to order vegetarian everything!

My favorite meal was at La Rosetta. Mogsob, that antipasto crudo or what they had on the menu as Hors d'oeuerve platter was the best set of dishes that I've had since... my last meal at Jewel Bako.

If anyone goes to Rome, you should definitely not miss La Rosetta, the antipasto crudo is completely seafood dishes and their fish is of extraordinary quality. They actually got a delivery while we were sitting there, everything (fish, prawns, lobster) still moving. The flavour of each dish bursts and is very well balanced.

DO NOT ORDER PASTA! This was worse than just okay. And do not let them pressure you into ordering a dish of it... which is how we ended up ordering one.

But do order a main course of something else seafood related. We had a swordfish that melted in our mouths.

La Rosetta surprised me in that they were very french in their service. Not what I was expecting in Bella Roma!

We also went to Papa Giovanni's for lunch... we were the only people in the restaurant! And yes, the service was like a loving Grandfather doting over every plate and your meal. Again, wonderful vegetables (artichokes were also unbelievably wonderful).

We had pizza at ivo's in trastavere which was just okay...

we ate suppli everywhere I could find it, its the first time I'd ever had it. What a wonderful, crunchy, melt in your mouth tomatoey rice ball!

I did find many dishes in Rome to be overly salty... olives, pecorino cheese, air dried beef, capers... the use of these things in a lot of dishes ended up in too much salt for my palate!

[mogsob]

Akiko -- glad you enjoyed La Rosetta. I agree that it is by far the standout restaurant in Rome. I'll be there later this spring to have a very late night meal of antipasti crudo, dessert and coffee. And a bottle from that great wine list!

[indiagirl]

Dinner:

Maccheroni

Piazza delle Coppelle

Tel.. +39 06 68307895

Coffee:

Sant Eustachio Il caffe

P.zza Sant'Eustachio n. 82

Tel. (39) 06.68802048

Must have the special Gran Caffe. To die for.

Have fun. We were there in December. Sigh. Loved it.

[Paul Bell]

A quick summary of the restaurants eaten in on our recent trip to Rome.

Saturday lunch - Myositis a good solid choice in the middle of Rome, serves refined trattoria food, spaghetti with tomato sauce and swordfish and tagliolini with octopus followed by sea bass in a rosemary and potato crust and roast lamb, all very good. Wine list has a good range and is very weel priced.

Saturday diner - La Rossetta, fantastic seafood at a price, seafood antipasti to start followed by turbot with potatoes and a dessert selection (I like the fact that a dessert wine is included), all very good with the antipasti being stunning, the room is not particularly inspiring, service is OK not great, wine list is overpriced and only tourists until about 9.30.

Sunday lunch - Al bric, very enjoyable and very good, another trattoria style but with considerably better than average food including good desserts, excellent wine list.

Sunday dinner - Taverna Angelica near the Vatican, almost deserted but it was Sunday night, good food, slightly more inventive than some, a couple of dishes could have been warmer, very good cheese, excellent orange ice cream, Ok wine list.

Monday lunch - Macceroni - very lively place to sit, like a smart canteen, and we wanted a bit of liveliness after sitting on our own on Sunday night, food was OK but wouldn't really recommend it, OK tonnarelli carbonara, grilled chicken slightly underdone in parts, tasty chicken cacciatore, rubbish spinach. Decent cheap house wine.

Monday dinner - Agata e Romeo, very good, largest antipasti I have ever come across, three fillets of cod wrapped in panchetta on a cauliflower sauce, very good but huge, followed by rigatoni with ham and leeks (very good), risotto with radicchio, roast lamb cutlets, suckling pig with spiced honey and an orange mousse for dessert. Service very good, wine list excellent with some absolute bargains.

Tuesday lunch - Fischetteria Beltramme very nice place to sit, just had a couple of pasta each, tonnarelli with cacio e pepe very good, rigatoni all amatriciana also good.

Tuesday dinner - La Pergola excellent (see separate post coz I am running out of time).

Paul

[mogsob]

Paul, thanks for the post.

I have to disagree, in part, as to La Rosetta's wine list. We ate at Agata & Valentina the night after La Rosetta and several bottles on A&V's wine list were actually more expensive than at La Rosetta. While there are some stunning bargains at A&V (50% below NY retail), I found more than a few good buys at La Rosetta (at or slightly below NY retail).

[Craig Camp]

Thanks for the great post. I have not eaten at either but will visit both soon - I can't wait.

When you describe the wines list as great to 'your taste' - what do you mean? What are you looking for in a great wine list?

[marcus]

The appetizers at La Rosetta are great, but they cost either 49 or 51 Euros the last time I ate there in June. No matter how much your order, they will charge you a 15% surcharge for sharing a dish such as pasta which I find offensive. If you order fresh fish in salt crust, which I recommend, be sure to tell them that you want only the fish, not any lobster, as otherwise they may put a piece shell on your plate, very little meat, in order to increase the weight and up the price. Also, they have a tendency to overcook, so a warning when you place your order is in order.

I find that Agata and Romeo has become disappointing. The first time I went there, before it got its star, it was full of young Italians in jeans, the food was vibrant and Romeo was spontaneously friendly. The bucattini ala matriciana was truly memorable. The last time that I went back, there were only tourists in jackets and ties and the food was forced. The bucattini was no longer on the menu, the food was tired and Romeo had become dour. We asked for and got the bucattini, but it wasn't as we remembered.

[Robert Schonfeld]

Thanks for these posts full of good suggestions. Anyone have a reaction to the Gourmet Magazine full issue on Rome?

[Paul Bell]

Mogsob - you may be right about the winelist as a whole at La Rossetta, I was certainly concentrating on the lower end, (of which there was not much), which mainly consited of pleasant enough but quite expensive Jermann whites (and similar). I suspect from other posts that retail prices for wine in New York are quite different from those in England (certainly for some types of wine) so are basis for comparison is I am sure different, plus of course as everyone knows I only order the cheap stuff

To a certain extent the points about Agata e Romeo are probably correct, there were only two table of Italians (in suits) on the night we went. Romeo spent most of the evening behind his desk leaving the service to three very smartly dressed young women (a recent change? more michelin style?). However I thought the food was a nice balance between more traditional Italian style and that which would normally receive plaudits from michelin.

(The bucatini was on the menu).

Paul

[mogsob]

I said NY retail as I buy almost exclusively French wine in London (a product of living close to La Vigneronne) and really can't speak to the retail prices of Italian wines in London. I do recall, as a good measure, that they had a 1995 Tignanello on the list for about 75 euros. The balance seemed proportionate by that measure, although I did notice a considerable higher markup on the whites.

I have to say that although I enjoyed A&R, my wife did not -- we will be in Rome next month and A&R is not on our to do list. When the food was great, it was truly great. But the dishes were uneven and my wife got most of the clunkers. But what my wife found truly unforgivable was that Romeo positively sneered at our wine choice -- a very personal bottle for my wife that was on their list for 22 euros but what would have cost us over $50 in NY and one which we have yet to find in London.