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Eating Out
Guide to Drinking & Dining in Rome
Restaurants
Italians generally believe that theirs is the best cuisine in the
world and many visitors would agree with them. However, this does
mean that the range of cuisines available in Rome is limited
compared to other capital cities. Most restaurants close one day a
week - normally Sunday or Monday - and it is always wise to make a
reservation. Even here, in the capital, prices are extremely
reasonable and quality is consistently high.
Roman specialities include: Carciofi alla Romana (fried, stuffed
artichokes), Fiori di zucca (stuffed and fried courgette flowers),
Salted cod, Saltimbocca alla Romana (veal escalope stuffed with
cured ham and sage), Bucatini all'amatriciana (spaghetti-like pasta
with spicy tomato sauce) and Spaghetti alla carbonara (spaghetti
with egg, bacon and Parmesan).
Below is a personal selection of restaurants chosen for cuisine,
atmosphere and price. If you fancy seeking out your own place,
Trastevere, Piazza Navona, and the Ghetto are full of restaurants to
suit all budgets.
PRICE GUIDE: (average cost of a main course):
 =
less than EUR10,
= EUR10 - EUR15,
= EUR15+
Italian
Valentino
Via del Boschetto, 37
Tel: +39 06-488-0643
Just off via Nazionale, Valentino is a typical family-run restaurant
serving food cooked alla piastra (on a hot plate). No pasta is
served here but delicious bruschetta and salads make fabulous
starters.
Osteria Margutta
Via Margutta, 82
Tel: +39 06-323-1025
In the exclusive via Margutta this is a very upmarket trattoria
popular with a chic, young clientele. The decoration tends towards
kitsch and creates a warm, fun atmosphere. Takes an innovative
approach to classic Italian cuisine.
Taverna degli Amici
Piazza Margana
Tel: +39 06-6992-0637
Located in a pretty square in the Ghetto, this quietly elegant
restaurant is popular with local politicians. The degli Amici offers
excellent service and high standards of cooking. In the summer the
restaurant's terrace is the prime place to dine.
Lo Zodiaco
Viale del Parco Mellini, 88-92
Tel: +39 06-3549-6744
Not centrally located, but it is worth going just for the views over
the city, that can be enjoyed from the delightful outside terrace or
from inside the modern restaurant. Lo Zodiaco offers a limited menu
that concentrates on Italian classics, but is justifiably famed for
its superb home-made ice cream, which is well worth the rather
extravagant price.
International Wine Academy of Roma
Vicolo del Bottino, 8
Tel: +39 06-699-0878
Overlooking the Spanish Steps, the Wine Academy is, as the name
suggests, dedicated to wine and the study thereof, and runs a number
of courses in wine appreciation and viticulture. It is also home to
a very refined restaurant serving food that perfectly complements
the wines on offer. The menu consists of innovative takes on Italian
classics, serving the finest fresh ingredients in creative
combinations, with, needless to say, an excellent wine list.
George's
Via Marche, 7
Tel: +39 06-4208-4575
One of Rome's most elegant restaurants, near via Veneto, George's is
somewhere for a special night out, its chandeliers and gilded
furnishings indicative of the smart clientèle that congregates here.
The cuisine is a mixture of Italian and more generic European
dishes, all beautifully prepared and exquisitely presented. The
adjoining cigar room and piano bar are good spots for pre- or post-prandial
relaxation.
Pizzerias
Pizzeria San Calisto
Via Arco di San Calisto
Tel: +39 06-581-8323
In the square of the same name in the heart of Trastevere, San
Calisto is a typical and popular pizzeria offering a variety of
pasta dishes as well as excellent pizza.
Gusto
Piazza Augusto Imperatore, 9 (pizzeria
)
(restaurant
)
Tel: +39 06-322-6273
A modern, fashionable restaurant comprising a winebar, pizzeria,
cigar bar, restaurant and cookery shop. The pizzeria serves a broad
range of traditional Italian dishes while the upstairs restaurant is
more international in flavour.
Recafé
-
Piazza Augusto Imperatore, 36 -
Tel: +39 06-6813-4730
Popular with stylish young Romans, who come for the tasty pizza of
various descriptions, including a fair choice of veggie options.
This is definitely the restaurant's forte, though salads, pasta
dishes and a few meat and fish dishes are also available.
Seafood
Quinzi e Gabrieli
Via delle Coppelle, 5
Tel: +39 06-687-9389
Quinzi e Gabrieli is deservedly famous as one of Italy's best
seafood restaurants. A very elegant spot, it is extremely popular
with wealthy Romans and is an excellent place to go for top-notch
fish.
Porto di Ripetta
Via di Ripetta, 250
Tel: +39 06-361-2376
Centrally located and famous for its innovative seafood dishes, this
is a top quality, reliable restaurant that offers good value for
money.
La Penna d'Occa
Via della Penna, 53
Tel: +39 06-320-2898
A few steps away from the River Tiber, La Penna d'Occa serves
primarily fish and seafood dishes, all freshly caught and served up
in tasty concoctions. Other favourites include bacon and saffron
risotto, and delicious melt-in-the-mouth soufflés.
Vietnamese
Thien Kim
Via Giulia 201
Tel: +39 06-6830-7832
An intimate restaurant with attentive service, Thien Kim is one of
the best oriental restaurants in the city.
Japanese
Hamasei
Via della Mercede 35-36
Tel: +39 06-679-2134
With its prime situation close to the Spanish Steps, Hamasei is,
without doubt, the most famous Japanese restaurant in the city.
Great attention has been paid to creating a clean, warm and elegant
atmosphere. A popular choice with the jet set.
Indian
Surya Mahal
Via di Ponte Sisto, 67
Piazza Trilussa 50
Tel: +39 06-589-4554
Located in Trastevere with an attractive garden terrace used in
summer, Surya Mahal is an elegant restaurant specialising in Tandoor
cuisine. Closed on Sundays.
Cafés
Caffè Greco
Via Condotti 86
A veritable Roman institution, Caffè Greco has been a favourite
haunt of writers and musicians since it opened its doors in the 18th
century. Famous names to have passed through include Byron, Goethe
and Wagner, and though now quite touristy, the café has managed to
retain its elegance and charm - not to be missed for a true Rome
experience.
Bars
The Italians have honed the art of taking refreshment to perfection
- whether it's during the day or in the evening, stopping for a
sociable drink is an integral part of Roman life. Traditional Roman
bars are café-bars, where coffee is as likely to be drunk as beer.
However, nowadays the city also has its share of pubs that draw on
more international influences and where alcoholic drinks are the
norm.
Enoteca
Via della Croce off Piazza di Spagna
Tel: +39 06-679-0896
Claimed to be modern Rome's oldest wine bar, Enoteca is the place to
take a break while shopping in via Condotti or meet friends for pre
and post-dinner drinks. It has an excellent wine list and provides
delicious plates of Italian antipasti to augment the liquid
refreshment.
Tucci
Piazza Navona
Tel: +39 06-686-1547
With tables extending well out on to the piazza, Tucci is an
excellent place to enjoy a coffee and appreciate the ornate
fountains of Bernini in the square. Probably best just to stick to
the one cappuccino - the prices aren't for the faint-hearted.
Bar del Fico
Piazza del Fico
Tel: +39 06-686-5205
Its energetic, young, artistic clientele and central location means
the del Fico is commonly busy until late into the night. A nice bar
at any time of day and perfect for an early evening drink.
Trinity College
Via del Collegio Romano 6
Tel: +39 06-678-6472
Irish, Scottish and English pubs continue to be in vogue in Rome and
Trinity College is one of the best exponents of this school. Here
you can enjoy a pint and a plate of stodgy food in the wood-panelled
ambience of an "Irish" pub.
Bar della Pace
Via della Pace 3-7
Tel: +39 06-686-1216
The via della Pace is a great place to head for some nightlife, and
the Café della Pace is at the centre of it all. However, this is
definitely not the place for the deficient in fashion or the slim of
wallet; this is Rome at its most expensive best.
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