Rome Restaurants: Reviews & Recommendations

[Kevin72]

Thanks, Seth. The sheer volume of olive trees in Puglia is mind-boggling. I had heard a saying that there are more olive trees in Puglia than people in Italy. I was skeptical and thought it was just some tall tale, but now I'm not so sure. They are the dominant tree in Puglia. Entire forests filled with olive trees.

[Kevin72]

Worst Meal of the Trip

Da Baffetto “2”, right off Piazza Navona, Rome. In researching where to eat in Rome, Baffetto turned up a number of times as the place with the best pizza. Went there and it had the distinct feel of a chain to it. Teenagers running the place with Baffetto T shirts on, computerized data pads to record your order, etc. The House Salad had iceburg lettuce in it, fer cryin’ out loud.

Still, “worst” here is relative, and proving that old adage about bad pizza true, the pizza itself, a thin, scorched disk, wasn’t too bad, if skimpy on the toppings: I ordered the one with anchovies and I think it had 3. And, chain or not, I don’t know any chain pizza joints in the U.S. that serve stuffed fried zucchini blossoms.

Runner up would be the place we went in Fiumicino the night before we left. It was a hellish day of scrambling to return our rental car in Bari, getting stuck in downtown Bari for 4 hours, then a long train ride to Rome. Got there late and then went to the airport and wandered for 40 minutes looking for the taxi stations, only to have the first few taxi drivers we talked to refuse to give us a ride into town. One finally did and of course “got lost” looking for the main roadway in Fiumicino, resulting in a 30 Euro fare. Anyways, I was so hungry by now and so frazzled that the list of candidates I did have were tossed aside for convenience’s sake and we just went to the nearest restaurant to our hotel after the one the staff recommended to us (and that we walked down the dark streets to) was closed. Probably was my mood but the seafood spread was unremarkable and overpriced, and Fiumicino is a beachfront town, of all things.

[Kevin72]

Regrets and Disappointments

• The weather. A difficult balancing act, finding a time to go in the off-season for Rome but not too wintery to enjoy things. While spring was getting well underway, it was rainy and cold starting about day 3 on. It paid off in Rome, so we avoided the tourist mobs, but in Puglia it was a little gloomy. Some of the locals we talked to even chided us about coming at the wrong time of year. May or June would be ideal for Puglia, I think.

• Despite being in visual distance from the sea on several occasions, no big seafood extravaganzas in Puglia. Naturally, the food we did have was of course great, but I did miss a big full-on seafood meal, or trying one of their famous seafood brodettos there. Like Alberto said on his thread, I, too, was hoping to try sea urchins in some form. Granted, we didn’t make it to any of the real coastal or port towns; given a couple extra days we’d have hit St. Maria di Leuca on the very tip and gone to a trattoria there overlooking the meeting point of three seas, then made our way to Gallipoli and Taranto. The closest we got, and the only redeeming part of the day, was when we were stuck in Bari for four hours waiting for our train. We wandered down to the docks and there were small stalls set up selling one or two items. One guy was hawking anchovies (“Ah-leesh! Ahleesh!”), one was selling squid and octopus (and had a little portable burner with a frying pan set up to cook the food to order), and one was selling sea urchins which he’d crack open to order. A guy in a business suit came up and ordered a few and slurped them down while we watched.

• Kept missing the markets! The way our travel worked out we were usually in transit during prime market hours and got to our destination after they closed. So we just missed the (locally) famous market in Cisternino, and Ostuni. Never saw any kind of market in Lecce. And, as with not getting to have any Pugliese seafood feasts, we likewise didn’t see any great fish markets. We did go to the Campo do Fiore in Rome and that was cool, if a little overrun by tourist-style shops. We got to meet the spice guy of the do Fiore market; he’s made a splash in some media including David Dowden’s Roman cookbook.

• Didn’t get to try puntarelle. Puntarelle is a bitter green that has yet to make its way to Dallas, and like so many Roman classics I wanted to try it at its source. But we just ran out of time, unfortunately.

• Alberobello and the trulli enclave wasn’t quite what it was cracked up to be. Took some great pictures but we were kind of done with it in a few hours. Also it was really low tourist season so the shop owners were off-puttingly aggressive in getting you into their shops. If it doesn’t watch out, Alberobello is well on its way to being Puglia’s first tourist trap.

[Kevin72]

Other observations

• I’d like to apologize to Italy on behalf of America for the blight of the low-carb paranoia, which is even now making headway on The Boot. I was in a wine shop in Rome and came to their pasta aisle and saw, prominently displayed, “sensa gluten!” pasta.

• I ate tripe and liked it! Whenever I’ve encountered it in the U.S., it’s been pretty noticeable, certainly smell-wise, but in Rome it was very neutral in flavor. A little tough in spots, but I was glad I had the experience. Even my wife admitted it wasn’t bad.

• I was surprised at how un-spicy both Roman and Pugliese foods were. Certainly they aren’t famed for being such, but I had always thought that chilies would play a larger role, certainly in Roman cuisine. Only at Trattoria Cadorna in Rome did the food have the slightest, lingering chili tickle.

• Burata is a great, great thing and the sooner some one here learns to make it, the richer they’ll be. Take mozzarella cheese (ok, fiore de latte cheese), fold it around a filling of ricotta and cream so that when you cut it lactic heaven oozes out. In fact I’ll go a step further: someone needs to make a burata gelato.

• Puglia: Really, just go. Avoid Bari and Brindisi, though. Make Ostuni your base of operations for a few days, and at least one night treat yourself to a stay at Il Frantoio.

[DaleJ]

I spent a week in Puglia a couple of years ago (Monopoli based). One of the most memorable events was a Sunday pranzo at Lido Bianco in Monopoli, a large restaurant on the water. There had to have been a hundred families of all sizes. As I recall, no menus and they brought every sort of seafood until you made them stop (including urchins). Raucous pandemonium and thoroughly enjoyable. Puglia is siingular.

[albiston]

• I’d like to apologize to Italy on behalf of America for the blight of the low-carb paranoia, which is even now making headway on The Boot. I was in a wine shop in Rome and came to their pasta aisle and saw, prominently displayed, “sensa gluten!” pasta. 

Senza glutine, gluten free, pasta sales have grown in recent years not because of low-carb diets, rather are pushed by food intollerance issues, something for which Italian doctors are as responsible, or rather irresponsible at times, as American food fears. I'll take the apologies all the same

• I was surprised at how un-spicy both Roman and Pugliese foods were.  Certainly they aren’t famed for being such, but I had always thought that chilies would play a larger role, certainly in Roman cuisine.  Only at Trattoria Cadorna in Rome did the food have the slightest, lingering chili tickle. 

Chili use is markedly relevant only in the cuisine of Calabria (and very much so), plus, to a lesser extent, in Abbruzzi. Furthermore, it is at home thet most of us Italians seem to use our chilies, since they're often considered too rustic for restaurant food.

• Burata is a great, great thing and the sooner some one here learns to make it, the richer they’ll be.  Take mozzarella cheese (ok, fiore de latte cheese), fold it around a filling of ricotta and cream so that when you cut it lactic heaven oozes out.  In fact I’ll go a step further: someone needs to make a burata gelato.

I thought there was some burrata on sale in the US mentioned in the cooking forum before. Or was it imported? A great cheeese and ingredient, I actually heard someone is making gelato di burrata before. I'll try to find out who it was. Just thinking about the burrata, ricotta and pecorino filled ravioli I had at dal Pescatore makes me hungry...

• Puglia:  Really, just go.  Avoid Bari and Brindisi, though. Make Ostuni your base of operations for a few days, and at least one night treat yourself to a stay at Il Frantoio.

←

What he said

[marons]

We've eaten at Da Buffetta, and oher than the lines, have enjoyed the pizza each time.

[Kevin72]

Chili use is markedly relevant only in the cuisine of Calabria (and very much so), plus, to a lesser extent, in Abbruzzi. Furthermore, it is at home thet most of us Italians seem to use our chilies, since they're often considered too rustic for restaurant food.

←

That makes sense, thanks for the clarification.

I thought there was some burrata on sale in the US mentioned in the cooking forum before. Or was it imported?  A great cheeese and ingredient, I actually heard someone is making gelato di burrata before. I'll try to find out who it was. Just thinking about the burrata, ricotta and pecorino filled ravioli I had at dal Pescatore makes me hungry...

←

No you're right, it is made in New York I believe. But that might as well be in Puglia from here (Dallas), particularly since it's so perishable. Dallas does have the Mozarella Company, which gained quite a bit of fame in culinary circles for a while, so maybe I can drop a bug in their ear, hmm . . .

[Kevin72]

I spent a week in Puglia a couple of years ago (Monopoli based).  One of the most memorable events was a Sunday pranzo at Lido Bianco in Monopoli, a large restaurant on the water.  There had to have been a hundred families of all sizes.  As I recall, no menus and they brought every sort of seafood until you made them stop (including urchins).  Raucous pandemonium and thoroughly enjoyable.  Puglia is siingular.

←

Man, we drove right through Monopoli on our way to Ostuni! I had looked around for places to eat in Monopoli on the web when researching destinations but everything that came up sounded touristy. It's really close to Ostuni as well so it's another good jaunt if you're using Ost as your base of operations.

[DaleJ]

Lido Bianco is in the Slow Food Osteria book.

[MarkDM]

Kevin72,

We're heading for Ostuni and Lecce for 10 days at the end of April. Thanks for your recommendations and excellent descriptions.

You mentioned getting sloshed frequently (which of course is the only way to go while eating in Italy) and you mentioned Primitivo, but no other wines. Except for that and the negroamaro, malvasia and others we get here in the US, did you find any more obscure local wines that you particularly liked?

[Kevin72]

Kevin72,

We're heading for Ostuni and Lecce for 10 days at the end of April. Thanks for your recommendations and excellent descriptions.

You mentioned getting sloshed frequently (which of course is the only way to go while eating in Italy) and you mentioned Primitivo, but no other wines. Except for that and the negroamaro, malvasia and others we get here in the US, did you find any more obscure local wines that you particularly liked?

←

Alot of the wines we got were vino di tavola so they were anonymous. And I wanted to try Primitivo and Negroamaro at their source to see if there was much difference, so I gravitated towards them when I could chose varietals. I did bring several other bottles, including a rossato which we didn't try anywhere, and I haven't seen in Dallas, so I'll comment on that at some point when we drink it. I was surprised by the sweet, syrupy quality of Primitivo di Manduria, normally I just see plain Primitivo. And I'm sure more wine-knowledgeable types will comment on whether this is a variation from that variatal or not. You should seek out and try the unique regional digestivi they have there, like the ones made from bay leaf or olive leaf. Truly a different experience.

Will you be going anywhere else in Puglia? Will you be renting a car? If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Albiston was immensely helpful in my own planning of this trip.

Very excited for you, please do a thread of your own when you come back! You're definitely going closer to an ideal time of year.

[Kevin72]

Oh, and Mark if you're staying in Ostuni the place we were at was Hotel Soleblu. It's a B&B--a sweet, charming couple runs it. It's maybe a block from the main square.

Bed & Breakfast "soleblu" Ostuni Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 16 72017 OSTUNI (BR) +390831303856 +393389970478 bedebreakfastsoleblu@virgilio.it

[albiston]

Kevin72,

....

You mentioned getting sloshed frequently (which of course is the only way to go while eating in Italy) and you mentioned Primitivo, but no other wines. Except for that and the negroamaro, malvasia and others we get here in the US, did you find any more obscure local wines that you particularly liked?

←

I hope it's Ok if I answer even if I'm not Kevin . A company that's trying to bring back old almost forgotten varieties is Accademia dei Racemi, a sort of umbrella company collecting a few wine estates under its wings: Felline, Pervini, Tenuta Pozzopalo, Sinfarosa and a few others. The secret gem of the Accademia's "collection" is Torre Guaceto, producing two wines Dedalo and Sum from two old varietals, Ottavianello and Sussumaniello, they're trying to birng back into wider production. I only tried Sum -Dedalo was finished everywhere I tried to order it- definitely a southern wine, warm and spicy of pepper and herbs, and powerfull. Also if you haven't tried these before, give Puglia Rosè wines a chance: they're a great match for the local cuisine. De Castris Five Roses, both the standard and Aniversario version, Rosa Del Golfo and Calò's Mjere are all very nice wines on their own too.

[Kevin72]

I hope it's Ok if I answer even if I'm not Kevin  .

←

Actually, I was hoping you would!

[MarkDM]

We're renting a car in Naples and driving to Maratea (2 days), then to Matera (2 days) then staying just outside of Ostuni for 3 days and downtown Lecce for 3 days. From there we head to Trani for a night, then back to naples (staying last three nights in Sorrento to relax).

Kevin, thanks for the offer, I'm sure I'll have questions for you and will be diligent this time about writing a review (I always seem to quit taking notes half way through the trip thinking I'll remember things...mistake).

Albiston, your posts are always welcomed, and enjoyed.

Mark

[Kevin72]

Sounds like you're getting alot more time in Puglia than we did, so now I'm even more jealous.

[MarkDM]

Sounds like you're getting alot more time in Puglia than we did, so now I'm even more jealous.

←

Kevin,

My wife is a vegetarian (except for some fish, which really means she's not, but that's another story). I know you mentioned your surprise about the lack of seafood in Puglia, but did you find much on the menus for non-meat eaters?

Let's save our jealousy for Alberto and Ore...

"All there is to do is make salami all day."

Che peccato.

[albiston]

Sounds like you're getting alot more time in Puglia than we did, so now I'm even more jealous.

←

Kevin,

My wife is a vegetarian (except for some fish, which really means she's not, but that's another story). I know you mentioned your surprise about the lack of seafood in Puglia, but did you find much on the menus for non-meat eaters?

Let's save our jealousy for Alberto and Ore...

"All there is to do is make salami all day."

Che peccato.

←

Vegetarians probably have an easier life in Puglia than in the rest of Italy, at least lacto-ovo vegetarians. The antipasti section is always full of vegetable only dishes, marinated, fried, as frittata and so on. The primi are a good place where to look too: after all Puglia is famous for dishes like orecchiette con le rape (orecchiette with local mustard greens) and a variety of soups and pasta with pulses, especially chickpeas. These might have some grated cheese added and in rare cases made with lard. To be sure ask if there is "strutto o pancetta" in the dish.

As for jealousy... I reserve my right to be jealous of anyone travelling to Italy, at least as long as I don't move back there .

[Kevin72]

Alberto nailed it. Lots of the pasta dishes are vegetarian, and you'll probably run across the fava puree a few times. If you eat at Tempo Perso and have the antipasti spread, note how many vegetarian selections there were. Likewise if you go to Il Frantoio, they will be accomodating of vegetarians: the wife in the British couple we met was vegetarian and they made an eggplant parmigiano dish for her. The rest of the meal was seafood and vegetables.

[MMerrill]

While staying near Ostuni, try to get to Carovigno (not far, in the direction of Brindisi) for a meal at Gia Sotto l'Arco. It's in a 17th century palazzo in the center of the old town. We had lunch there several years ago and were served by the proprietor who is the husband of the chef. He gave us excellent wine suggestions, including the delicious Mjere rosato mentioned in an earlier post. The food - along with the whole experience - is simply wonderful.

[Kevin72]

Pics from the trip are up on Snapfish. Anyone interested can PM me their email and I'll send them the link. You may have to sign up to view them but there's no money involved.

Also I did do a writeup of the trip in PDF format. It includes some of the stuff above and more pics. It's 4 meg, though. Again, anyone interested can PM me and I'll email it to them.

[SethG]

My better half and I will be in Rome in a few weeks, our first vacation sans kidlets in over three years, and our first time in Rome!

We'll be there for four nights, Friday through Monday, leaving very early Tuesday morning.

I'm looking for dinner recommendations. I've looked through this thread and a few others, and I've acquired some guidebooks, including the Gambero Rosso, which in book form in English doesn't appear to have been updated since 1999.

We aren't looking for cheap eats, really. We only have a few nights and we'd like to splurge a bit if it gets us a truly great experience. I don't think we really want restaurants that focus on Michelin-style service or on more international cuisines-- we'd like to go to places where Romans go when they want a special night out. And we've found in the past that we've had wonderful experiences when we've been sent to neighborhoods off the tourist radar for meals, so we're totally open to that too, and I think we'd like to mix it up a bit and eat in a few different parts of town.

I also don't mean to suggest we want only formal restaurants. We'd like to get a flavor too for the wine bar and the trattoria.

I don't think we want to truck out to La Pergola, given the length of our stay. But I do think we'll try to go to La Rosetta, perhaps on Monday, since they're open. It's still good, right?

Formal places like Il Covivio or Le Sans Souci-- any opinions? Le Sans Souci is very highly recommended in Gambero Rosso (again, from six years ago), but it seems too French for our short Italian visit.

I'm thinking Sunday, when most restaurants are closed, might be the perfect night to eat light at the perfect wine bar, and I'm interested in your suggestions.

It might be nice to eat one night in Trastevere, since I'm told it's a romantic place to walk around in at night. But I also understand it to be full of touristy bad restaurants. True? Asinocotto is highly recommended in my outdated Gambero Rosso. Any opinions?

What's the best restaurant in the San Lorenzo scene? Uno e Bino? Is it worth going there during a short visit like ours, and is the neighborhood a pleasant place to check out?

How about in Testaccio? I want to go to Volpetti out there. Is the scene still "happening" at night? Any suggestions?

I also want updated opinions on best:

bakeries

pizza

gelato

And can I book at a restaurant in advance, from New York? In English? Or am I better off waiting for my arrival and seeking the help of my hotel?

Thanks very much for any suggestions.

[albiston]

I also want updated opinions on best:

bakeries

pizza

gelato

←

I haven't eaten out in Rome in the last few years, so I'll leave you to suggestions from those with more recent experiences. There are on the other hand a few pizzerie and gelaterie my local friends keep strongly suggesting, and knowing their tastes I'm sure they're good tips.

For pizza everyone I know keeps telling me the best pizza "al taglio" - i.e. pizza baked in rectangualr pans, cut into pieces and served to go - in the city is made by Gabriele Bonci (former line cook at Il Convivio if I remember correctly) at Pizzarium (Via della Meloria 43 ). He does both classic and somewhat more creative toppings: i've heard great things of his carbonara inspired pizza. He also teaches in Gambero Rosso's città del gusto schools and I've met a few of his pupils who consider him a "mad" genius completely in love with yeatsed doughs.

The same people swear the best "standard" Pizza in Rome is that of "La Gatta Mangiona" (Via Ozanam 30, Monteverde area); the pizza is an hybrid of Neapolitan and Roman style and the toppings often quite creative, using only the best ingredients. Nice selection of wine and Italian micro brewery beers, especially those from Zago in Piedmont, like Hy inspired by Belgian trappist beers.

As far as ice goes the two addresses that keep popping up are Fata Morgana in Piazza Lago di Lesina (a brief description from Slow Travel here), and San Crispino.

[vinobiondo]

My better half and I will be in Rome in a few weeks, our first vacation sans kidlets in over three years, and our first time in Rome!

We'll be there for four nights, Friday through Monday, leaving very early Tuesday morning.

I'm looking for dinner recommendations.  I've looked through this thread and a few others, and I've acquired some guidebooks, including the Gambero Rosso, which in book form in English doesn't appear to have been updated since 1999.

We aren't looking for cheap eats, really.  We only have a few nights and we'd like to splurge a bit if it gets us a truly great experience.  I don't think we really want restaurants that focus on Michelin-style service or on more international cuisines-- we'd like to go to places where Romans go when they want a special night out.  And we've found in the past that we've had wonderful experiences when we've been sent to neighborhoods off the tourist radar for meals, so we're totally open to that too, and I think we'd like to mix it up a bit and eat in a few different parts of town.

I also don't mean to suggest we want only formal restaurants.  We'd like to get a flavor too for the wine bar and the trattoria.

I don't think we want to truck out to La Pergola, given the length of our stay.  But I do think we'll try to go to La Rosetta, perhaps on Monday, since they're open.  It's still good, right?

Formal places like Il Covivio or Le Sans Souci-- any opinions?  Le Sans Souci is very highly recommended in Gambero Rosso (again, from six years ago), but it seems too French for our short Italian visit. 

I'm thinking Sunday, when most restaurants are closed, might be the perfect night to eat light at the perfect wine bar, and I'm interested in your suggestions.

It might be nice to eat one night in Trastevere, since I'm told it's a romantic place to walk around in at night.  But I also understand it to be full of touristy bad restaurants.  True?  Asinocotto is highly recommended in my outdated Gambero Rosso.  Any opinions?

What's the best restaurant in the San Lorenzo scene?  Uno e Bino?  Is it worth going there during a short visit like ours, and is the neighborhood a pleasant place to check out?

How about in Testaccio?  I want to go to Volpetti out there.  Is the scene still "happening" at night?  Any suggestions? 

I also want updated opinions on best:

bakeries

pizza

gelato

And can I book at a restaurant in advance, from New York?  In English?  Or am I better off waiting for my arrival and seeking the help of my hotel?

Thanks very much for any suggestions.

←

Il Convivio is very good, but it is very internationally styled and "Michelin"-type. It probably is not typically Italian enough to give you what you want. The highly-recommended 'Gusto is a totally different concept but suffers from the same problem -- not very Italian. I haven't eaten at Le Sans Souci, but I sense that it is basically a French restaurant in Rome. Again, not what you are looking for.

I think you'll like La Rosetta or (it's prime competitor) Quinzi e Gabrelli better, but know that these are both first and foremost seafood restaurants.

-A