Rome Restaurants: Reviews & Recommendations

[Andrew Fenton]

We ate at a fish restaurant called Piccolo Molise, maybe five or six years ago. Inexpensive and good. You'll have to look it up for yourselves; I don't have any notes. The procedure there is that you let them serve you the evening's dinner - quite a few courses - and the house white.

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The full name of the restaurant is Da Franco ar Vicoletto ("Piccolo Molise"). It's in the San Lorenzo neighborhood, and it's one of the best deals in Rome: seven courses of fish for only 25 euros. (I've written about it here.)

'Gusto, to my mind, is overrated, sort of a Hard Rock Cafe meets Williams-Sonoma. I've been a couple of times, and at this point would only consider going to the wine bar: the restaurant is so-so, trying to offer a new take on Roman dishes, but doesn't really have the confidence to pull it off. The wine bar is fine, but I'm not especially impressed by the glitterati (who are way outnumbered by glitterati-watchers): instead, I'd head to a wine bar like Vinando, at Piazza Margana in the Ghetto.

One way to cut down the cost is to avoid eating in the centro storico or Trastevere, both of which are filled with overpriced, mediocre restaurants. Testaccio is well-stocked with restaurants (I recently ate at Antico Forno on via Amerigo Vespucci, which was great, and cheap; Ne Arte Ne Parte, not too far away, is also pretty good) and not far from the center of town.

Pizza, yeah, that's fine, and everybody has their favorite spot. I'm partial to Dar Poeta in Trastevere, but would warn anybody to get there before 8:30 or be prepared to wait. After that, it becomes like Studio 54 outside with all the folks trying to get in.

Another option for cheap eats is that lots of places have an antipasto buffet. Not all you can eat, but you often serve yourself (and if you're talented, you can pile a lot of goodies on one plate. It's like edible Jenga!) That should only set you back six or seven euros; then you can get some pasta.

The other nice thing about Rome, and Italy in general, is that while food can be expensive, wine is cheap as free. So if you tend to order a bottle or three at dinner, the overall price averages out nicely.

Edited September 28, 2005 by Andrew Fenton (log)

[Nathan]

I will be in Rome in a week for the weekend.

I will be traveling solo.

I assume that eating at wine bars such as at Gusto and Trimani will not be a problem...but there are quite a few restaurants that I would like to be able to check out...how accomodating are they for a 30-year old solo diner (albeit well-dressed)?

I'm assuming that La Pergola and Il Convivio are out, but what about La Rosetta, Al Ceppo, del Pallaro, Piperno, Sabatini, Abruzzi, Il Drappo, da Pancrazio, al Bric, L'Orso 80 and Macceroni?

I will be staying near the Colosseum and am also looking for nightlife suggestions (both in terms of wine bars, clubs and even expat bars -- I'm told that the Drunken Ship is the place to meet American college girls)...are the Campo de'Fiori and Trevastere still the areas to hang out? Any suggestions, advice and warnings are much appreciated.

Thanks.

[pete ganz]

I will be in Rome in a week for the weekend.

I will be traveling solo.

I assume that eating at wine bars such as at Gusto and Trimani will not be a problem...but there are quite a few restaurants that I would like to be able to check out...how accomodating are they for a 30-year old solo diner (albeit well-dressed)?

I'm assuming that La Pergola and Il Convivio are out, but what about La Rosetta, Al Ceppo, del Pallaro, Piperno, Sabatini, Abruzzi, Il Drappo, da Pancrazio, al Bric, L'Orso 80 and Macceroni?

I will be staying near the Colosseum and am also looking for nightlife suggestions (both in terms of wine bars, clubs and even expat bars -- I'm told that the Drunken Ship is the place to meet American college girls)...are the Campo de'Fiori and Trevastere still the areas to hang out?  Any suggestions, advice and warnings are much appreciated.

Thanks.

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I would definitely recommend Al Ceppo. We had a very good antipasti and grilled veal chop with delicious roasted potatoes on the side. I also got the cheese plate for dessert and received a bunch of interesting cheeses that I have not had before. The owner was very sweet and the fact that I made my reservation through e-mail seemed to tickle her.

I also have to highly recommend Armando al Pantheon. This is a fantastic, no-frills little place right near the Pantheon. I think I found the rec on Chowhound. It was about 75% Italians/25% tourists...many people were turned away who had not reserved a table. Very good renditions of some classics like spaghetti carbonara, ravioli al tartufo, and abbachio scottadito. They also had a terrific cake for dessert, torta antica roma, which was made with ricotta and berries....delicious.

Piperno was a bit more upscale than the other places we hit. It was a bit pricey and not worth it in my opinion, although I did have brains for the first tiem there and they were very good (somehow they tasted like chicken mcnuggets!).

Have fun!

Edit: Here is Armando al Pantheon's web site.

Edited October 27, 2005 by pete ganz (log)

[Nathan]

Oy. I hate to say this, but in food terms, my Rome trip kind of sucked.

Quality-wise, what I was able to try was very good. Had a nice meal at Trattoria Moderna and some decent antipasti at Gusto and a couple other wine bars. With that said, Rome is the worst city I have ever been in for solo dining. It's impossible to get in anywhere...other than the worst tourist crap places, no one (even on rainy Saturday with the restaurant half-empty) will serve a solo diner. It was unbelievable. (The crazy thing is, at some places I would have easily spent more than the average Italian couple).

The wine was great though. But I will never travel to Italy by myself again.

Edited November 7, 2005 by Nathan (log)

[PCL]

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.

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I was stuck in Rome overnight last weekend, and a Friday night it was too. The airline was kind enough to put us stranded travellers up in the Hilton at the airport, along with a buffet lunch and dinner set up. No way was I going to confine myself to that when one has been gifted a free night in the Eternal City. So I consulted eG. Saw this thread, realised that St. Teodoro ain't that far from where the hotel courtesy bus dropped us off near the Teatro Marcello.

To put it bluntly, I had an appalling experience at the Trattoria. The staff were condescending and tried to recommend all the most expensive things on the menu and even some items which were not on the menu such as Parpadelle con Scampi, which excuse me, it's summer, and um, I'm in Rome, why would I want to eat seafood? So when I ordered the cold soup, la zuppetta di pomodoro.. and then changed my mind to the shredded pig's feet, spalla di maiale... I was told by the facetious prick of a waiter that I couldn't as the soup was already made... I mean, 30 seconds after he walked away from my table...

So I mustered up and became as blunt as possible, clipping my words (in Italian) and suggesting that seeing as it was a cold soup, of course it was made already, and if they didn't mind, I would like the pork instead and if they had a problem with it, they should take it elsewhere as there was a nice little osteria down the way where I was sure would be more than welcoming seeing as half the city's restaurants were shut due to summer holidays... he resisted and I then asked for the manager who was more than accomodating...

Anyhow, a short adventure in Rome, my first time in Rome since 3 years ago, and for heaven's sakes I should have headed to Agusterello instead...

So much for trying something new, and at the same time I'm sorry I couldn't provide a more positive update as the food was truly mediocre... I watched the plate carefully when it arrived for goobers and loogies and the like

[scordelia]

We are taking our ten year old son to Rome for nine days this Thanksgiving. My son is a good eater and is pretty game to try just about anything (he has not tried brains, but he loves liver and kidneys).

We would like some recs for good, not too expensive, authentic places. We could splurge one night for something fabulous. Also, we are renting an apartment, so some good markets would be welcome too since I plan on cooking a couple of nights.

Also, is Da Gigetto (sp?) still fabulous in Trastevere? It was twenty years ago.

Thanks!

[legourmet]

We are taking our ten year old son to Rome for nine days this Thanksgiving. My son is a good eater and is pretty game to try just about anything (he has not tried brains, but he loves liver and kidneys).

We would like some recs for good, not too expensive, authentic places. We could splurge one night for something fabulous. Also, we are renting an apartment, so some good markets would be welcome too since I plan on cooking a couple of nights.

Also, is Da Gigetto (sp?) still fabulous in Trastevere? It was twenty years ago.

Thanks!

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I've been in Rome and returned back yesterday. You are looking for good, not too expensive, authentic places ??? Forget about. Price - quality relationship in roman restaurants is the worst I've ever seen and in overcrowded touristic places the food is really bad. I've been three nights in Trastevere and checked the following restaurants

"Enoteca Ferrara" piazza Trilussa 41: good but $$$

"Corsetti il Galeone" piazza san Cosimato 27: not bad, fish and crawfish is offered by Euro/100 g expensive

"Checco er Carretiere" via Benedetta 10: good but $$$

Markets: "Campo dei Fiori" vegetables, herbes, fruits, meat, cheese, sausages, wine etc. but not all is of good quality. Still, sometimes too high prices.

Be careful, some Tourist places like in "Piazza Navona" ask 8 Euro for 0,5 liter beer , which is close to 11 $. Also for desserts (three small balls of gelato) the same price.

[Sneakeater]

For your splurge, consider Checchino dal 1887, Via Monte Testaccio, 30, 574-3816, certainly one of the great offal restaurants in the world.

Be prepared for a lot of rain at that time.

[johnsmith45678]

Recommendations? Don't let them know you're a tourist!

[scordelia]

For your splurge, consider Checchino dal 1887, Via Monte Testaccio, 30, 574-3816, certainly one of the great offal restaurants in the world.

Be prepared for a lot of rain at that time.

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I should have mentioned that my husband is the baby and will not eat offal. Do they have chicken, too?

And I know about the tourist thing in Italy. I have always tried to eat at places with posted menus, and I do not wear a camera, jeans and a dopey expression.

[Sneakeater]

As I recall (I invite anyone who knows to correct me), they really hardly have anything that someone who isn't fairly hardcore will eat.

Sorry.

(OTOH, they have a truly fantastic wine list, so maybe your husband won't be noticing what he's eating by the time the food comes.)

[emsny]

Oh no, Checchino serves plenty of dishes based on normal muscle tissue.

Among less costly restaurants, this summer we enjoyed Matricianella, off piazza San Lorenzo. While the early diners were a mix of tourists and locals, by 9:45 or so it was a purely Italian crowd. Not a particularly original recommendation, but it was very good.

[StevenC]

I should have mentioned that my husband is the baby and will not eat offal. Do they have chicken, too?

And I know about the tourist thing in Italy. I have always tried to eat at places with posted menus, and I do not wear a camera, jeans and a dopey expression.

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Menus are posted at their website http://www.checchino-dal-1887.com/, but I don't know if it's up-to-date.

I have a general rule of thumb for eating at restaurants in Italy:

-- if the menu is just in Italian, the place is a must-eat

-- if the menu is in two languages, still no problem

-- if the menu is in three languages, exercise caution

-- if the menu is in four or more languages, avoid the place unless you have a good reason to the contrary

[scordelia]

Oh no, Checchino serves plenty of dishes based on normal muscle tissue.

Among less costly restaurants, this summer we enjoyed Matricianella, off piazza San Lorenzo. While the early diners were a mix of tourists and locals, by 9:45 or so it was a purely Italian crowd. Not a particularly original recommendation, but it was very good.

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I checked out Checcino's website and we are definitely going!

[malika]

My sister lives in Rome, in a neighborhood north of the centro. I highly recommend the market there. I thought the Campo di Fiori market was much too touristy, even in November (I was there last Nov).

The neighborhood is called Ponte Milvio, and it's just on the other side of the Tiber, over (of course) the Ponte Milvio, a foot-traffic-only bridge-- the oldest bridge in Rome still in use. From the Piazza Popolo, walk outside the gate and take the tram up via Flaminia to the Ponte Milvio. It's just a 10-minute ride, at the most.

After you cross the bridge, and you'll see the market on the other side of the street. It's a terrific market-- good meat and cheese as well as fruits and veg. In November, do not miss the clementines, and look out for the mushroom guy.

The other important reason to head that direction is to eat the very best pizza a taglio in Rome-- and I tried a lot! There's a bakery called Gianfornaio on the corner (same side of the street as the market, north end of the block). The first section of the store when you walk in is the regular bakery-- you have to go past the cash register into the back section to get the pizza. (There is a separate number-ticket dispenser for the pizza section-- the first ticket dispenser next to the front door is for the regular bakery.)

The pizza is baken in long rectangles-- you order by indicating how large of a piece you want cut. You absolutely must try the pizza bianca-- take some home for your dinner instead of bread. All the varieties are wonderful, but some more unusual ones that you might like to try are the spicy potato and fiori di zucca.

When I visit my sister, I stop by the bakery on the way to the market, and get a piece to eat while I'm walking around. (The pizza comes out in the morning, it's not just for lunch.) They also sell crackers back in the pizza section, and their regular bakery items are good too (cookies, breads, etc.) Since you're going at the end of November, they'll just be starting to sell the Christmas panettone-- they make several varieties, and they also make a mini version just right for one person.

Around the corner from Gianfornaio is an exceptional gelato place, called Mondi. They have a weird closing day-- I'll find out from my sister which day it is. Gianfornaio is closed on Sunday.

A few other recs-- for fancy food treats, try Volpetti-- there are two stores, the main one in Testaccio, another smaller store not too far from the Pantheon. The market in Testaccio is also a good, less-touristed one.

[malika]

Mondi is closed Mondays

[Desiderio]

Ahh I am going with my family in Rome at the end of october ,I have family there , but my parents moved outside ai Castelli Romani , wich its still close to Rome but nice and quite.Honestly more than restaurants there , I will go in serch for a good pizza al taglio place , wich is unique to Roma they usually have rotissery chicken as well , and Gelaterie!!! Yes I think I could live out of those two ,along with the little water fountain all over the center in Rome wich is unique as well , because there is no other city in Italy that have so much water acces as Rome

Cant help you with restaurant , I am spolied by my parents , that owned a restaurant a while back , and I cant eat outside my home cause it just doesnt taste right.

I hope you guys have a great time and lots of Gelato

[peteswanson]

I would highly recomend Al Presidente, which is near the Trevvi fountain.. always great food

[DaleJ]

Near Chechino, in Testaccio, is not only Volpetti (a must visit market) but a nice little outdoor market and, IMO, the best pizzaria in Rome: Pizzaria Remo. To get to these places take the Metro and get off at the Piramide stop. Locals can direct you to all of the above.

[scordelia]

I have everyone's suggestions in hand. We leave Friday, and I promise to report our feasts in great detail!

Thanks everyone!

[Kahrs]

Let me add my vote for Checcino: It has a fabulous cellar. We had a 20 year old Barolo for about $30. And as for meat, we had little tiny baby lamb chops. I don't want to think about how cute they were. Arbeccino as I recall. And, as an additional bonus, for ordering the dish of the night, we got a plate!

Interesting neighborhood as well. Vecchia Roma -- indeed.

[scordelia]

WE ARE BACK!

We had a fabulous time. We rented an apartment 20m from the Camp de Fiori, so the first day we just bought some groceries (breakfast supplies and gin!), went to place on the square for some early pizza and went to bed. It was at bedtime that we discovered the unadvertised bonus for the apartment--a very friendly cat who came to visit from the neighboring building. Fortunately, we like cats and she was a very friendly, cute one who kinda stayed with us for the rest of trip.

Day One--we went to the Colloseum and Forum and walked around. We lunched at Ristorante Mario near the Colloseum. I had gnocchi with asparagus and shrimp that was delish! We also had lovely sea bass and saltimbocca. That night we went to Da Ghigetto in the ghetto which sadly disappointed. The food was as good as I remembered from 20 years ago, but the service was awful, so slow.

Day Two--spent the morning shopping at Campo de Fiori for dinner. I had decided to teach my son how to make risotto with squash blossoms. For lunch, we just picked up sandwiches while we were walking around. Dinner was good. We had to unravel the mysteries of the tiny stove, but that was part of the fun, like camping. We had some lovely sausages and cheese befroe dinner, then the risotto which somehow was three times better than at home and a wonderful fresh salad. Then we went out for espresso and gelato and a walk. By the way, out of the several gealterias we tried, Gelato di Joe on Campo di Firor was our favorite, especially the pistachio.

Day Three--Beautiful day at the Villa Borghese. Lunch was sandwiches in the park. Dinner was at an old osteria on the Piazza Farnese (there are roosters etched in the windows) which I highly recommend. The spaghetti with marinara is a revelation. Who knew that spghetti could be that good? And the roast suckling piglet--well, need we say more.

Day Four--I decided to cook again. We had some leftover risotto which we ate for a primi, then I roasted a butterflied chicken with lemon, saffron and lardo. The chicken turned out great. Then another fresh salad and amazing cannolis for desert that I got at a nearby bakery.

Day Five--It is Thanksgiving! We went to Checcino! We ate sparingly at lunch to save room for Checcino. Checcino was marvelous! I had the special menu of veal roulades and got a great plate (a pig wearing the papal hat)! We had an amazing bottle of wine (San Leonardo). Great dinner, great place. Absolutely would go back.

Day Six--Right behind our apartment was a little fondue place called Lucifero that our son had been begging to go to, and since we spent the day in Ostia Antica trudging around the ruins (really great site), we decided to go to Lucifero. It was terrific. We got the Piemontese fondue with white truffles (16 euros each), and when it came, we could not see the cheese! The whole pot was covered in several layers of shaved truffle! It's a tiny restaurant, and the place is packed, and there are always about 20 people waiting outside for a table. There is no wine list, but tell the jovial host what you are thinking of and what you to spend and he picks some bottles. We also had lardo with honey and grilled veggies. Yummy meal!

Day Seven--It's Saturday night, our last night in Rome. We went to Sanpietrino in the ghetto. When we received our plate from Checcina, they gave us a guide book of a whole group of restaurants that give away plates--Buon Ricordo http://www.buonricordo.com/english/home2.htm, which means a good memory. You see, we had rented a house in the Veneto a few years back and went to wonderful place called the Ristorante Parco Gambrinus which is famous for their crayfish. We had the lovely crayfish and got a plate! Then we go to Checcina and get a plate! Before Checcino, we did not realize that there are a whole bunch of these plates. Also, both places were awesome, so we decided to go to another plate place, Sanpietrino. We had a fabulous last meal! Gnocchi with clams, pappardelle con chianghale, tuna with saffron, cod with tomatoes, delizia limone! What a meal!

We managed to smuggle a kilo of lardo home and some Sorrento lemons (I am making Limoncello as we speak). Also, I have to say that the best pizza we had was at Il Forno on the Campo de Fiori. First of all, it is so cheap and boy is it good! My favorite is the fiori de zucca--just a smear of tomato sauce, a little drizzle of olive oil, then scattered with the fresh blossoms.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions!

Edited December 5, 2006 by scordelia (log)

[kerriar]

It's stretching the time a bit since this is now December but I don't see a need to open a new topic on Rome but just hope that these observations might be useful to somebody.

We just come back from a few days in Rome - some Christmas shopping, some good food and wine plus a sprinkling of culture and pure relaxation.

Two very good lunches deserve comment. First day was in Cul-de-Sac where we more than doubled the bill with a great Amarone (from Trabucchi) – pasta followed by baccala or vaccinara (ox-tail) both of which stood up well to the wine. This place is small like a railway carriage with luggage nets to catch falling bottles of wine completing this impression. The wine list is awe-inspiring with a range that will knock back all but the most dedicated Italian wine aficionado.

On the second day, lunch was at Alfredo's by the Parthenon. Unprepossessing exterior immediately gives way to a classic small Italian restaurant interior – walls are covered with photos of families and friends, cartoon drawings and pennants of soccer teams from across the world, some famous and some fairly obscure. Kitchen is at the back – it looks and smells good, reinforcing the feeling that you have come to the right place for lunch. Our entrees were spaghetti aglio-olio and a simple antipasto of warm vegetables. Main courses were lambs hearts and tripe Roman-style – unpretentious winter food but cooked with care for these democratic ingredients. The wine list here is shorter and we drank a Salice Salintino costing around €22.

That evening we went to Gusto, sat in the wine bar for a couple of hours over a few glasses and some light nibbles just talking and watching people come and go – Gusto is well written up elsewhere on the site but I can add that it is a good place to head for after a day spent shopping and walking. The Gusto shop is open late and has an impressive range of kitchen utensils.

We stayed at the Domus Sessoriana , see website, which is simply an oasis of calm within the walls of the Cistercian monastery of the Holy Cross – it's also near the metro San Giovanni. Across the square, there are a few reasonable places for informal eating on Via de la Sante Croce.

We had no restaurant reservations but, accepting that this is the third week in December, it might be wiser to book at most times of the year given that these places are all fairly close to the tourist areas. Once again, eGullet advice has proven uniformly dependable.

[Kropotkin]

Thanks for the reviews all; I'll second Kerriar's comments on Cul-de-Sac and Alfredo's - a great little place. I'll also recommend Domus Sessoriana as a very decent place to stay. The hotel's setting in the Monastery is pretty special, and there's also a quieter neighbourhood feel to the district around. For first timers in the city it might not be the very best location, but if you know Rome and are happy jumping on and off buses and trams to get around, it's great. The breakfast room in the cellar is particularly notable in contrast the the tiny, cramped, congested breakfast rooms most hotels offer. If you look around, you can get good prices online for this place too.

[scordelia]

We rented an apartment 20m from the Camp de Fiori, so the first day we just bought some groceries (breakfast supplies and gin!), went to place on the square for some early pizza and went to bed. It was at bedtime that we discovered the unadvertised bonus for the apartment--a very friendly cat who came to visit from the neighboring building. Fortunately, we like cats and she was a very friendly, cute one who kinda stayed with us for the rest of trip.

Day One--we went to the Colloseum and Forum and walked around. We lunched at Ristorante Mario near the Colloseum. I had gnocchi with asparagus and shrimp that was delish! We also had lovely sea bass and saltimbocca. That night we went to Da Ghigetto in the ghetto which sadly disappointed. The food was as good as I remembered from 20 years ago, but the service was awful, so slow.

Day Two--spent the morning shopping at Campo de Fiori for dinner. I had decided to teach my son how to make risotto with squash blossoms. For lunch, we just picked up sandwiches while we were walking around. Dinner was good. We had to unravel the mysteries of the tiny stove, but that was part of the fun, like camping. We had some lovely sausages and cheese befroe dinner, then the risotto which somehow was three times better than at home and a wonderful fresh salad. Then we went out for espresso and gelato and a walk. By the way, out of the several gealterias we tried, Gelato di Joe on Campo di Firor was our favorite, especially the pistachio.

Day Three--Beautiful day at the Villa Borghese. Lunch was sandwiches in the park. Dinner was at an old osteria on the Piazza Farnese (there are roosters etched in the windows) which I highly recommend. The spaghetti with marinara is a revelation. Who knew that spghetti could be that good? And the roast suckling piglet--well, need we say more.

Day Four--I decided to cook again. We had some leftover risotto which we ate for a primi, then I roasted a butterflied chicken with lemon, saffron and lardo. The chicken turned out great. Then another fresh salad and amazing cannolis for desert that I got at a nearby bakery.

Day Five--It is Thanksgiving! We went to Checcino dal 1887! We ate sparingly at lunch to save room for Checcino. Checcino was marvelous! I had the special menu of veal roulades and got a great plate (a pig wearing the papal hat)! We had an amazing bottle of wine (San Leonardo). Great dinner, great place. Absolutely would go back.

Day Six--Right behind our apartment was a little fondue place called Lucifero that our son had been begging to go to, and since we spent the day in Ostia Antica trudging around the ruins (really great site), we decided to go to Lucifero. It was terrific. We got the Piemontese fondue with white truffles (16 euros each), and when it came, we could not see the cheese! The whole pot was covered in several layers of shaved truffle! It's a tiny restaurant, and the place is packed, and there are always about 20 people waiting outside for a table. There is no wine list, but tell the jovial host what you are thinking of and what you to spend and he picks some bottles. We also had lardo with honey and grilled veggies. Yummy meal!

Day Seven--It's Saturday night, our last night in Rome. We went to Sanpietrino in the ghetto. When we received our plate from Checcina, they gave us a guide book of a whole group of restaurants that give away plates--Buon Ricordo http://www.buonricordo.com/english/home2.htm, which means a good memory. You see, we had rented a house in the Veneto a few years back and went to wonderful place called the Ristorante Parco Gambrinus which is famous for their crayfish. We had the lovely crayfish and got a plate! Then we go to Checcino and get a plate! Before Checcino, we did not realize that there are a whole bunch of these plates. Also, both places were awesome, so we decided to go to another plate place, Sanpietrino. We had a fabulous last meal! Gnocchi with clams, pappardelle con chianghale, tuna with saffron, cod with tomatoes, delizia limone! What a meal! Also if you register with Buon Ricardo, then you get a card and discounts at participating restaurants, as well as plates!

We managed to smuggle a kilo of lardo home and some Sorrento lemons (I am making Limoncello as we speak). Also, I have to say that the best pizza we had was at Il Forno on the Campo de Fiori. First of all, it is so cheap and boy is it good! My favorite is the fiori de zucca--just a smear of tomato sauce, a little drizzle of olive oil, then scattered with the fresh blossoms.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions!