In October 2016 we spent 2 weeks in Rome in an apartment near Piazza Navona. 
We have managed to walk and eat our way through almost every neighborhood in Rome. We traveled there in 2003 (Italy for Real), 2005 (Fortunato Family), 2008 (M&R), 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
In 2024 we had a cancelled flight from New York that left us sleep deprived, but we rallied quickly. We stayed for two weeks at Carola’s elegant apartment near Piazza Navona. We explored all parts of the city on foot and using public transportation and always had enough energy to climb the 50 steps to or apartment at the end of the evening. We toured the aqueduct park with Pina, toured several churches with Francesca of With Local and had a fabulous cooking lesson with Daniella and her son Francesco. We found new restaurants and returned to some old favorites. The tasting menu at Carter Oblio was our favorite place followed closely by Bottega Tredici. We also explored new neighborhoods such as the Quatiere Coppedè, which is situated in the Trieste area of Rome, was designed by Florentine architect Gino Coppedè. The buildings were built in the early twentieth century, and is an amalgamation of wildly diverse styles, ranging from classical, medieval, and gothic to Baroque, Art Decò, and Art Nouveau.
Favorite Restaurants 2024 in order:
Carter Oblio (new), Bottega Tredici (new), Ditirambo, Giano at Hotel W (new), Roscioli, Il Piperno, Armand, Colline Emiliane, La Fiaschetta (new), Lagana, Osteria dei Cappellari (new), Virginiae, Shell Bistrot (new), Emma
Top Restaurants 2022:
In order , Emiliane, Armando, Ditirambo (new), Piperno, Virginiae, Casa Coppelle, Taverna Agape (new), Nonna Betta, Hostoria Grappolo d’Oro, Lagana (new), Pecorino (new), Lilli, L’Arcangelo. Nonna Betta food was good but outside eating area was overcrowded, L’Arcangelo was just off, and Lilli was a busy night.
Top 10 Restaurants 2018:
Casa Coppelle, Armando al Pantheon, Antico Arco, Il Piperno, Osteria degli Amici, Nona Betta, Virginiae, Hostoria Grappolo d’Oro, Colline Emiliane, Trattoria Lilli.
Trattoria Lilli – Enjoyed the neighborhood setting and the classic Roman dishes. Great service and not expensive. Primi and secondi plates were limited as was the wine list, but good food. We love this neighborhood place. In 2018, we enjoyed cheese ravioli with sage and butter. I had magro maiale with sautéed eggplant and Joanne had roasted veal with potatoes. Piazza Navona neighborhood. In 2022 the restaurant was busy with big parties, and we didn’t have a reservation. Food was very good. Joanne had roasted veal with potatoes again and I had the fried Polpette.
Colline Emiliane – enjoyed two great meals here. The restaurant specializes in Cucina Bolognese. The Pappardelle Bolognese was delicious as was the Veal specialty of the house. Great/friendly service. In 2022, our best meal. Strict about reservations now. Two seatings -we had the early seating. We started with spinach pie, then shares zucca gnocchi with black truffles (exceptional), and coletto with an emmental cheese sauce. In 2024 we started with mortadella and a chard torta. We split the lasagna and veal shoulder with a half bottle of Amarone.
Armando al Pantheon – Classic old style restaurant near the Pantheon. Had a lunch and dinner there in 2016. Tight for table space, but the food is worth it. Returned for lunch in 2018 and we split Spaghetti alla Gricia. The waiter insisted that Joanne try the special – rolled beef in tomato sauce, stuffed with mortadella. It was great. I had veal with truffles and berries (only 3), which was beyond delicious. In 2022 another fabulous meal. There was outdoor seating. We shared eggplant parmigiana appetizer, Spaghetti with black truffles, and saltimbocca. Love this place. We went back for lunch in 2024 and shared the all’amatriciana and the saltimbocca.
Nonna Betta – Classic Roman fare in the Jewish Ghetto. The food is simple and very good. Tried the fried artichokes (carciofi alla giuda), and the deep fried baccala. We returned for lunch in 2018 on Thursday which is potato gnocchi day in Rome. We started with the fried baccala and a carciofo giudeca. Both were good, a little better than Il Piperno because of the salt. Joanne had the kosher version of Spaghetti Carbonara, I had the potato gnocchi in lamb sauce. It was delightful. In 2022 they expanded the seating outdoors which increased the capacity 3x. There was a drop of in the service, but the food was good. We shared the appetizer plater and the ragu di Nonna.
Il Piperno – This is an old style restaurant with very professional service in the ghetto. Great place for Sunday lunch. We ate there twice in 2016. We returned for Sunday lunch in 2018. It is clearly one of our favorite places. We shared the carciofi alla giudia, then the spaghetti con vongole, and then had spigola. In 2022 we had our traditional Sunday lunch. It has become one of our favorite things to do. We started with the carciofi alla giudia and the baccala, then shared the veal ravioli and sea bass encrusted in potatoes and stuffed with artichokes. In 2024, another lovely Sunday meal. We started with the fried zucchini and the carciofi alla giudia, and shared Veal ravioli in tomato sauce and potato crusted sea bass. Always a wonderful experience at this fine restaurant established in 1963 by the Mazzarella family.
Casa Coppelle – Interesting mix of French and Italian. Ate there twice in 2016 and thoroughly enjoyed our meals. The dishes were unique and well prepared. Nice wine list and elegant setting in the back. We returned in 2018 and we were greeted at the door by the French owner who was very gracious. She told us in the future to ask for table 50 or 51. We had a good table with a view of the procession in and out of the kitchen. We started with a delicious contorno of ratatouille, followed by a pasta of stuffed cheese tortellini in a broccoli soup like sauce. We had separate entrees. I had rack of lamb, beyond good and, Joanne had a delicate sea bass in a tomato sauce. Probably our best dinner in 2018 and quickly becoming our favorite restaurant in Rome. In 2022 it was a little more upscale. They offered a la carte or a price fixe meals, we did the a la carte, but next time we will do the price fixe. We shared the foie gras, and I had the veal roast and Joanne had the sea bass with fennel and orange sauce.
L’arcangelo – Classic Roman food in the Prati district. We had lunch there (there is a 3 course 30E menu), and started with a Suppli and shared 2 of the classic Roman pastas. Arcangelo’s classic dishes of the cucina romana are the best. In 2022 they also had outdoor seating. It was a strange meal. We waited a while for our table and the restaurant was next to a bakery and we were constantly smelling the aroma of the bakery. I had the veal polpette in a verde sauce and Joanne had the crunchy cod. Main course was guanciale di maiale and Joanne had the galena stuffed with chestnuts. Next time stick with the pastas. Honestly it was a little disappointing. Now only opened for dinner.
Virginiae – local trattoria in the Piazza Navona neighborhood. We ate there twice in 2016 and had the fish special both nights. The food, service and prices are all good. We returned in 2018 and Joanne and I shared pasta alla gricia to start and I had the coda romana (oxtail), which was awesome. It was an ample helping. Joanne had scottadito, which are baby lamb rib chops. There was a lot of fat and a lot of work. In 2022 after traveling all day and a four hour delay at Seatac, this was our first meal in Italy in 3 years. We had the identical meal we ate in 2018. We are consistent. We went back a second time and shared pappardelle con sugo coda, the I had ossobuco and Joanne had abbacchio al forno. We returned in 2024 a little sleep deprived, but enjoyed a half portion of carbonara, coda alla vaccinara, and ossobuco. One of our favorite places.
Il Gabriello – Nice restaurant, but it was a little disappointing. Close tables and low ceiling, did not add to the overall meal. Food was good, service excellent, but not worth a second try. Near Piazza del Popolo.
Da Francesco – Classic trattoria near Piazza Navona. This is on several “best lists”. The food was good, but not special. We ate outside and in a crowded spot which did not help. People recommend the pizza. Maybe next time.
Osteria Degli Amici – 2022 Shut Down!!!
Da Felice – Testaccio neighborhood. This restaurant is on several “best of Rome” lists. The food is excellent, the service is excellent, the atmosphere is a little stuffy, but the food is great.
Marco G. – Now relocated near the Esquillino area.
Antico Arco – Best restaurant we have eaten at in Rome. Unique take on old favorites. On the Janiculum Hill in Trastevere. Expensive but worth it. Ate there in 2015 as well. In 2018 we ate there for the 3rd time and the food was great as usual but the service was lacking….slow three-hour meal. Fortunately, we were entertained by 2 couples from NY. We split appetizer, pasta, and main course. We had grilled scallops to start, then tortellini stuffed with sea bass in a pesto sauce (great dish) and finished with lamb chops (which were under done). I sent an email complaining about the service and received a nice replay with a certificate for a bottle of champagne on our next visit.
Osteria delle Commari – Good restaurant in Pratti. Recommended by the Roman Food Tour group. Had a nice lunch there. Via Santamaura, 23 .
Da Cesare al Casaletto – In the Casaletto is a neighborhood. It is about a 15 minute tram ride from Lago Aargentina – tram number 8. We finally made it out there in 2018. It is a restaurant rated by many as one of the best traditional trattorias in Rome. We were not disappointed. We started with fried gnocchi in cheese and black pepper sauce and a piece of the fried baccala. We each had pastas. I had bucatini all’amatriciana and Joanne had a version of that without onions. Excellent!
Hosteria Grappolo d’Ora – Ate in this Cmpo dei Fiori restaurant for the first time in 2018. We had an eggplant parmigiana appetizer and polpette bollito with a verde sauce. We each had a secondo, I had sea bass covered with zucchini, it was light, delicate and delicious. Joanne had the home-made sausage with potatoes which was very good. Returned in 2022. I was less impressed. They had outdoor seating and more tables to cover, so I believe the service suffered a bit. I had the eggplant meatballs as a starter, which was very good and then the roasted lamb which was fair. Joanne had zucca parmigiana and the spigola encrusted in zucchini. She enjoyed both.
New in 2022:
Ditirambo – Our guide Pina recommended us here for lunch after our tour of Adrian’s Villa. They treated us very well. There was a waitress who spoke to us in Italian and was a fan of Seattle grunge. We shared all the house specials – flan, gnocchi with meat sauce, and guanciale brasata. We liked the experience and went back for our last dinner in Rome. We were not disappointed. We shared the vegetable melody of eggplant meatballs, broccoli flan and zucchine, then tortoni with fava beans, asparagus and qunaciale, and the secondo was suckling pig w/potatoes. We ate here with our friend Calra in 2023. In 2024 we returned and our waitress Magdalena was there as well. Another great meal – we started we complimentary prosecco, shared polpette melanzane, cappellacci di gamberi (like a stuffed agnolotti), quanciale brasata in barbera, and an apple tart for the dolce. Wow!
Taverna Agape – Great restaurant with outdoor space that specializes in seafood. We shared delicious bruschetta with fresh tomatoes, rigatoni alla coda, and branzino crostata. Next time skip the pasta and get 2 appetizers and 2 secondi.
Lagana – Right outside our apartment. We had a nice lunch where we split a calabrese salad, I had spaghetti con vongole and Joanne had the carbonara. It was a nice find and very Italian. We had an amazing dinner there in 2023. We sat outside and Alessandro Gassman, the star of I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone, was at the next table. He took photos with the waiters and came to our table to say hello. In 2024 we were back at our familiar apartment had two dinners there. The dishes we shared were alla gricia pasta, spigola, roman style chicken, sliced steak, and vin santo with cantucci. We sat in very close proximity to a couple from Sweden and shared the vin santo and cantucci.
Pecorino – Pecorino is right outside the Testaccio market. The day we went were over crowded and the service was slow, but the food was very good. We shared grilled veggies, I had cacio e pepe, and Joanne had maltagliata con carciofi. I would definitely go back.
Casa Manco – In the Testaccio market. Daniella introduced us to the new hot piazziola in town. I think it was better than Pizzarium. Many varieties of toppings and the crust is delicious.
Chiostro Del Bramante – This is an art museum with a great cafe attached to the Santa Maria della Pace church. We have been there a number of times. It is a good place for an aperitivo or a quick meal. We had lunch there one afternoon and I had the hamburger and Joanne had the veggie burger. It is a quiet spot in the middle of a busy area.
New in 2024:
Roscioli – we finally booked a table there and wondered why we waited so long. We had a very nice lunch. We started with mortadella that was sliced razor thin and probably the best I ever had; gricia con tartufi, broccoli pie, and the roscioli bread. The bread was amazing, and there was enough to take home.
Bottega Tredici – newer restaurant that is on the best of Rome lists. The restaurant mixes traditional roman food with some more novel dishes. We ate there twice and very happy. We shared antipasti of zucca with raspberry sauce and gnocco stuffed with cheese. The main course annello brochette and a sliced steak in a delicious sauce. The second meal was the gnocco and zucca once again, and lamb skewers with pears and a veal cutlet. We’ll be back.
Giano at Hotel W – Near the Spanish steps with an advertised business lunch special – 2 course for 22 Euro. We went on a Saturday and were told it was only during the week. We stayed and had a delicious but overpriced lunch. The dishes where stunningly beautiful. We had Tortello Feste -stuffed ravioli filled with pork morsels, and Pacchero Norma, a deconstructed pasta Norma with the paccheri stuffed with eggplant, cherry tomatoes and ragusano cheese. Really delicious. The second time we were able to take advantage of the lunch special and had the Pacchero Norma again, a chicken salad dish and the cacio e pepe.
Osteria dei Cappellari – Jennifer’s recommendation. We had a good meal – gnocchi al regù was good, extremely large portion. Joanne had lemon chicken which she enjoyed.
La Fiaschetta – Carola’s recommendation. I liked this better that dei Cappellari. I had pasta all’amatriciana and sliced steak. Joanne had the grilled veggies and the spigola. It’s now on our favorites list.
Carter Oblio – Our best meal in 2024. We did the 3 course tasting menu, which had a lot of extra small bites. I remember the carrot appetizer dish as being the best presentation of carrots I ever had. We paired well selected affordable wines from all over Italy, with our food. Great service and ambiance in the restaurant.
Shell Liberia Bistrot – we stumbled upon this restaurant after our walk through the Quartiere Coppedè. We were greeted by the enthusiastic owner who told us we were the first American there in a week. We had a surprisingly good lunch. We shared gnocchi with ricotta and manzo, an burrata tortelli in a butter sage sauce. Hard to imagine we will make it back there, but you never know.
Emma – A very nice restaurant for pizza and pasta. The used high-end ingredients and the pizza crust was very tasty.
Trionfale market – We ate a porchetta sandwich at Garofolo. We then went to Pizzarium for pizza (few minutes from the market). It was fun adventure.
Other places of note:
Cul De Sac – Good food and wine bar. Ate here again in 2018.
Il Mirraggio – Neighborhood trattoria in Trastevere, along the Via Delle Lungara. Very local – we had 2 lunches there. Pasta Fagioli soup!
Enoteca Corsi – Family-owned wine bar. Drinking wine amongst the family members. Did not try the food which is suppose to be good.
Dar Poeta – Probably the best pizza place in Trastevere.
Enoteca Buccone – Great food and wine bar near Piazza Popolo. Had lunch there in 2024.
Pizzarium – the best pizza in Rome, maybe? Bonci is the master pizza maker in Italy. In 2018 we had pizza with potato, spinach with cherry tomatoes, and zucchini and ricotta. Had a few pieces in 2024 after our porchetta sandwich at the market. Remember it is right at the Cipro metro stop.
Hostaria Costanza – 2018 trip – Good but not great.
Trevi Fountain area – Hotel Fontana Rooftop – Piazza di Trevi 56
Piazza Navona area – Raphael Hotel Rooftop Largo Febo 2
Roman food tour notes – Prati area -La Pasticceria Sicilliana – Via Cipro 95; Al Giardino del Gatto e la Volpe – Via Buccari 14; Be.Re & Trapizzino – Via Vespasiano 2; Il Colibri – Via Famagosta 69; Zia Rilla – Via Famagosta 18.
