My Faves

This traditional (and tiny) bacaro doubles as an excellent mid-range restaurant—and a great bargain to boot—serving superb versions of local specialties. La Vedova is justly famous for its meatballs, which you can have either at the counter with a glass of wine, or at a table, as a starter. Follow them up with a delicious helping of bigoli con salsa (thick spaghetti with anchovies, onions, and a dash of cinnamon), and then a well-made frito misto or seppie in nero. Nothing fancy nor inventive; just good food::text like your Venetian mamma used to make. Forget the deserts.

A wine bar and a tiny restaurant in one near the Rialto market. Admittedly, the place is best on warm spring and summer days when the terrace with its view of the Grand Canal is open. The ground floor will greet you with a wine bar where you can order a glass or two accompanied by some snacks; the impressive-looking signore in a chequered shirt behind the counter is the owner Andrea. The most exciting meal, however, is to be had at one of the six or seven upstairs tables - you have to book one of those in advance. The small vaulted room with revealed brickwork, tiny windows and dripping candles on each of the tables is more reminiscent of a cell. The waitress waits for you to study the menu properly and then approaches you: "What would you::text like to order? I won't be a minute..." Just get your priorities in order and then surrender... Bancogiro is a place where you feel accepted from the word "go". Excellent albeit flavour-wise traditional Italian food. An integral part of Venetian cocina is raw and marinated fish. The proximity of the Rialto market makes itself felt in the abundance and freshness of choice. Raw scallops with cranberries and rocket salad. Fish with artichoke chips. Fish lasagne - so creamy and airy it literally melts in your mouth. Bancogiro is a place you will definitely look forward to coming back to.

This restaurant serves slightly updated traditional Venetian food at a relatively reasonable price. It is a cute but not funky joint with rough-plank wood walls, glass-front dark wood cabinets, hanging metal lampshades, and windows overlooking the lovely campo. Try the black sea bass ravioli in mussel-clam broth, beautifully hand shaped and pinched on top,::text like dim sum; perfect black barley risotto with mushrooms, zucca (pumpkin) purée, and a couple of first-rate grilled scampi; grilled octopus on a bed of potatoes mashed with olive oil, along with cold, slow-cooked tomato — a surprising touch that worked — and a garnish of lardo (cured fat) tangled with a wafer of black bread; zucca saor (saor is the local marinade, usually of raisins, pine nuts, oil, vinegar and onion) with thin fried slices of artichoke and soft shell crab. Then there was the inevitable, ubiquitous, emblematic and wonderful fritto misto, served on greaseless brown paper and featuring the local tiny soft-shell crab, about the size of a silver dollar — crisp, light, hot, irresistible. For dessert try the almond nougat with chantilly, raspberries and pistachio ice cream, and the lemon sorbet with licorice.

As much a wine store as a bar, I Schiavi, as it’s known, consistently wins awards for its cichetti,::text like wedges of mortadella speared with curly, piquant peperoncini and crostini topped with creamy tuna and shredded leeks. It’s located on a canal in Dorsoduro across from one of the city’s last gondola workshops.

Just the best Tramezzini in town!!!

The Antinori marchesi started their wine empire 26 generations ago, and, taking their cue from an ancient vintner tradition, installed a wine bar in their 15th-century palazzo 30 years ago. Most ingredients come fresh from the Antinori farms, as does all the fine wine. Start with the fettuccine all'anatra (noodles in duck sauce) and round out the meal with the trippa alla fiorentina or the mighty gran pezzo (thick slab of oven-roasted Chianina beef). If you choose this worthy splurge as a secondo, skip the first course and instead follow your steak with formaggi misti, which may include pecorino made fresh that morning. Their cantucci (Tuscan biscotti) come from Prato's premier producer.

Sostanza is popularly called "Il Troia" (the trough) because people have been lining up at the long communal tables since 1869 to enjoy huge amounts of some of the best traditional food in the city. The primi are very simple: pasta in sauce, tortellini in brodo (meat-stuffed pasta in chicken broth), and zuppa alla paesana (peasant soup ribollita). The secondi don't steer far from Florentine traditions either, with trippa alla fiorentina or their mighty specialty petti di pollo al burro (thick chicken breasts fried in butter). I've never seen an empty seat in the place while walking by at dinnertime, so it's certainly worth calling ahead

The chef/owner is Dimitri d'Asburgo Lorena, a Habsburg prince (with some local Medici blood for good measure) who opened this restaurant merely to indulge his love of cooking. They start you off with a complimentary flute of spumante before you plunge into the tasty crostini misti and exquisite primi. Among the more enlightened are ravioli di brie con carciofini Morelli (ravioli stuffed with brie and dressed with artichokes), and homemade taglierini with white truffles. For an encore, try the nodino di vitella ai tartufi bianchi (veal slathered in eggy white truffle sauce with fresh truffle grated on top) or the lighter spianata alle erbe aromatiche di Maremma (a huge platter of spiced beef pounded flat and piled with a salad of rosemary sprigs, sage, and other herbs). Don't leave without sampling the sinfully rich Viennese Sachertorte, made from an old Habsburg family recipe. This place has become (justifiably) popular, and even with a reservation there's often a short wait -- laudably, they don't rush anybody to empty up tables -- but it's worth it.

Here the cuisine is a mix of Roman and Sardinian traditions with a huge buffet of appetizers and fish/seafood always fresh and good. Also the rest is tasty, including the typical saltimbocca alla romana or the fried artichokes. The wait staff is very professional, and the atmosphere is warm and friendly.

Described as a “cult-favorite trattoria” by Food & Wine Magazine, this authentic restaurant is a must for traditional Italian food lovers in Rome. Their classic dishes change routinely, however you can always expect fresh, delicious dishes at this neighborhood fixture. Felice a Testaccio is nestled in the 20th rione of Rome, Testaccio, away from the crowds of tourists. Mingle with the locals while your pasta is tossed tableside, and be sure to save room for their delicious homemade desserts. One of the house specialties is the homemade Cacio & Pepe pasta, a classic pasta dish served with aged Romano cheese and freshly cracked black pepper. The simple décor of black wooden tables and exposed brick provides an excellent backdrop for the spectacular food and excellent wine selection. Be warned: the waiters tend to explain the daily menu in Italian, so don’t be afraid to ask for a traditional menu after you’ve been seated. Don’t be surprised if you see the legendary Italian actor Roberto Benigni dining here as he lives just around the corner and dines here frequently. Reservations are recommended although you may have to wait for a table even if you have a reservation (particularly on a Sunday night).

My Favorite place for Pizza. In via Portico d’Ottavia, offers some of the best Roman Jewish kosher, that spices up the Italian cooking heritage with a Middle Eastern touch.

When this place opened in 1842 it was the favourite haunt of the Scandinavian painters who lived on nearby via Margutta. A tasteful revamp has retained most of the original fittings, including the marble wine vats and a venerable wooden cash desk, making it a great place to sip one of many wines offered by the glass. There's a cold antipasto buffet at the bar, and a restaurant with tables in the long back room offering a full range of hot dishes at mealtimes. It also operates as an off-licence.

This Sicilian pastry shop near the Ponte Sisto Hotel is a classic - espresso and dessert. And they deliver to local restaurants. The cannoli are great - the size was perfect - bite sized - so you can order one in each flavor and share...

 

00187 Roma

The history of "Giggetto al Portico d'Ottavia" begins when, an old inn was acquired by Luigi Ceccarelli, nicknamed 'Giggetto', (who was an ex-serviceman from the First World War), and his wife Ines. From 1923 onwards the inn became famous for its Frascati wines and remarkable dishes, carefully prepared by Ines, above all the unbeatable Carciofi alla Giudea (artichokes in the Jewish style).
Not many people know that Giggetto's restaurant has been passed down three generations. Franco Ceccarelli is already being assisted by his son Claudio, the grandson of the original Giggetto who wanted to and succeeded in creating the genuine 'Osteria Romana'.
Claudio Ceccarelli personally takes care of the choice of the ingriedents and every morning he goes to his trusworthy shops to buy, selecting the best lambs in the roman country, also fish is special, the best artichokes to cook the delicius "Jewish artichoke", best dish of his restaurant, the tasty desserts craftmade following the typical recepite of the refined Viennese confectionery, health and genuine products from the earth, selected meat of best quality, the freshest fish.

A pleasant historic pizzeria with open-air tables, although used if weather permits, Roma Sparita is an amazing place for a lovely meal in an pleasant setting. Best Cacio e Pepe in town.The pizzas cooked in the wood-fired oven are of the classic tradition, and there is a good choice of Roman seasonal dishes. Superb wine list.

This restaurant is outside the city center and has been very crowded by locals both times I have had the pleasure of dining there. Mama is in the kitchen, and you can tell that she spends hours in there preparing the most delicious, authentic Roman food with what seems::text like just a few ingredients.The food is served traditional Roman style, with the best pasta carbonara that I have ever eaten. The oxtail is so tender that it literally falls off the bone. The simple bean soup appetizer reminds me of delicious comfort food. The service is impeccable, and the friendly waiters will guide you through a pleasurable dining experience. Even better, the dinner is very affordable, only costing 25 euros including wine.

The Food: the cuisine is TUSCAN, as the name suggests, so don't expect any Pizza Margherita, amatriciana, carbonara, etc. These guys stick to their guns and are terrific at what they do! The menu consists of delicious, freshly prepared gems::text like Crostini di Fegato (Liver Patè Crostini), Tuscan Ragù, Tuscan Salsiccia con Patate o Polenta (delicious Tuscan sausage with roast potatoes or polenta), homemade Tuscan Pappardelle (a type of pasta), Tuscan Rabbit Ragù, and of course the wildest selection of cantucci and other sweets - enjoyed best when dipped in Vin Santo, a delicious sweet dessert wine. And much, much, much more - those are just my favorites! The menu is only in Italian, but the staff are lovely and will take the time to translate it for you and make recommendations if you don't speak any.

One of the best fish restaurants in Rome. From raw fish to cooked fish. High quality, nice atmosphere a little pricy.

Go and find out!!