Lloyd's Best Restaurants

Tip came via our Rome promoter Pietro. He heard from the bass player in Pavement! I need to make contact with him. This place is a dream on so many levels.
Family owned. Pariarch hovers, mingles and smokes. Goes outside to light cigarette then wanders back in with it... Son waits table and manages the place. Various family and friends come and go. Most smoking at some point. Very entertaining. They dealt with our lack of Italian with grace and humour.
Simple glorious food. Mike and I had lunch day of show. We can only vouch for the Minestrone, the gnocchi (gnocchi does not have to be heavy), the veggie fritatta and the Milanese (mini Italian Schnitzel - this was my first one). Bread, super creamy gonganzola and jug of slightly effervescent house red. Nothing cost more than €7, including what amounted to a pint of wine.
Neighborhood (between the market and the river) is more than a little sketchy in places. I saw some very strange goings on, but did not feel threatened. Great looking furniture shops on the same street a few blocks away from the river.


Trattoria Valenza
Via Borgo Dora, 39
10152 Turin, Italy
011 5213914

Pietro's opening gambit (I now trust him implicitly) on our first night in Rome.
P wanted us to see somewhere that still had old school Roman waiters. Not half!
Small, almost cramped. Busy - this is no insider's secret. And great fun.
Best antipasti spread I have experienced thus far. The aubergine (eggplant) with oil and (tiny) red peppers was the highlight of this trip for me. No weak offereings.
Pastas looked great (portions almost OTT huge but just within reason) but I had to try to roast suckling pig (I was only carnivore at table). Not quite up to Palma Mallorca standards but excellent.
Really need a table of 6 or 8 to share the antipasti and not waste (as we did).





Hostaria Romana
Via del Boccaccio, 1
00187 Rome, Italy
06 474 5284
hostariaromana.it

The previous night's meal had been fantastic but Piero insisted that this was his favourite Roman restaurant.
He booked the table and warned them about our lack of Italian.
We were greeted by the daughter, who spoke perfect English (I thinks she has spent some time, maybe studied, in the US). He brother also waits the tables. Father cooks and periodically ventures out to meet the regulars. If I lived in Rome I would be one.
It was just Mike and I and two people isn't enopugh, really, but we managed.
He has soup and pasta and was very happy.
I had aubergine parmigiano and the jewish fried artichoke (great at Hostaria Romana, sublime here), and then the simple pecorino cheese and pepper pasta, with a twist - the day's special added black truffles!
Everything about our experience here was wonderful. i think from start to finish this may be the most enjoyable eating experience I can remember (OK my memory is short). Ambience was slightly quirky, cool but without overdoing it. Another diner might say it was 'classy'. It is I suppose, but not even slightly ostentatious or imposing. Welcoming, I'd say. I need to get back to Italy soon. Rome especially.


La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali
Via della Madonna dei Monti, 9
00184 Rome, Italy
06 679 8643
latavernadeiforiimperiali.com