#3 Ristorante “Antica Taverna”: Via Monte Giordono No.13 Tel. 668801053
 Accepts Credit Cards.  Open every day.

“Paulo” the owner greets you and shows you to a table in this small, cozy, friendly restaurant.  In nice weather, which means most months in Rome, you may sit at an outside table under a lighted awning.  Occasionally, a few tourists luckily stumble upon “Antica Taverna,” rambling through this most beautiful area of Rome. Traveling through the streets behind Piazza Navonna, your senses are filled with Rome’s poetic atmosphere: the cobblestone streets; the warm, earth-toned stuccoed buildings; the melodic salutations of friends; the ringing of bicycle bells; the baskets of fresh red, green, and yellow produce; the blue skies over head. The scent of fresh espresso fills every corner.  You see, hear and smell the tools and materials of artisans carefully restoring furniture and art of times past. Here, you feel as though time stands still. As you stroll into Paulo’s restaurant, you often see clerics from the nearby Vatican, as well as well-heeled Italian businessmen coming in for lunch or dinner.

In the center of all this beauty, you will now sit down to a fabulous meal. The antipasti selections are a wonderful choice, for around seven dollars. For light eaters, the salad of radicchio and shrimp is lovely, or there is a meal-sized “insalata fantasia” which includes fresh vegetables, fruits, and seafood. As a first course, my children loved all the soups offered here. We sampled and loved all the pastas, from the rigatoni with eggplant and zucchini to the spaghetti pomodoro (tomatoes), frutti di mare (seafood), or the popular dish made with the flower of the zucchini. When in season, you are offered pasta with a sauce derived from fresh truffles. As a second course, the grilled orata fish (which is similar to sea bass) is fresh and delicate. The lamb or roasted chicken gets rave reviews, served with oven-roasted potatoes. Pasta dishes are around six dollars, entrees around eight. If Paulo the owner is not there, ask for his friendly sister (sorella).  Tell them that your American friends sent you. You will eat well.
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#4 Ristorante/Pizzeria Due Colonne: Via dei Serpentini No. 91 Tel. 64880852. Closed Sunday.  Accepts Credit Cards  64880852 Closed Sunday. Accepts Credit Cards.

We found this treasure after visiting the Forum and Coliseum. We returned after viewing an exhibition at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni, which is located steps away on Via Nazionale, 194. Thereafter, we visited this marvelous little restaurant often. The food and the prices are great.

My children consider the minestrone here to be the best in Rome. The pastas and pizzas are some of the finest we came across-rich, traditional preparations, fresh ingredients, wonderful choices of entrees, including fresh fish on Tuesdays and Fridays. 

The service is warm and friendly. While we were living in Italy, my husband broke his wrist. When we recently revisited Due Colonne, our favorite waiter instantly recognized us. Without missing a beat he asked, “How is your arm, signore snowboard?” This place is truly an undiscovered treasure.

#5 Da Francesco: Piazza del Fico, No. 29. Tel. 66864009.  No credit cards.

Roman friends whose families have lived in this beautiful neighborhood for generations introduced us to this restaurant. Located steps away from Piazza Navonna and the gorgeous pedestrian street of antique shops, Via dei Coronari,  Da Francesco characterizes the traditional Roman neighborhood eatery. The ambience and food are typically Roman. The pitch is loud, the flavors are strong, the prices are very reasonable, and the portions are abundant.

My husband and sons dream about the fresh mountain ham prosciutto and dry salted beef bresaola, which are served as appetizers with fresh, crusty white pizza. I dream about the appetizer table, offering fragrant and tasty vegetables and cheeses in season, prepared perfectly. The most famous pasta here is the Roman “Cacio e Pepe,” which is pasta with ewe’s cheese, Parmesan, and pepper.  However, you must ask for it! (All the locals know it is not listed on the menu!) Alternatively, all the traditional pasta dishes are offered, as well as beef, veal, and fish.  There is a wood burning pizza oven turning out dozens of pizzas and calzones. Desserts are made in-house and include Tiramisu, apple tortes, and cream pudding (panna cotta). 

Go early (Romans consider 8pm early) and beat the inevitable crowd. Here, you are Roman, dining informally, yet wonderfully.

#6. “Al 34”: Via Mario de’Fiori No. 34.  Tel. 66795091.  Closed Mondays. Accepts Credit Cards.

This choice is for a special night out. Although Al 34 is a little more expensive than the other restaurants recommended here, it is still a bargain!  Located minutes down the street from the famous “Spanish Steps,” this place is popular with many international travelers.  In fact, the menu comes in many languages. Additionally, Al 34 is a popular lunch and dinner spot for the beautiful Italians shopping in the tony “Via Condotti” neighborhood.  "The people watching" alone is worth the extra cost of your meal! 

Menu choices here run from the traditional to the exotic.  Pastas, soups and risottos are prepared to perfection.  Many locals rave about Al 34’s version of “pasta e ceci”, a customary Italian dish of pasta, tomatoes, and ceci beans. This eatery is also legendary for its “sepia fettuccini with seafood,” which is black pasta colored from squid’s ink. I loved the swordfish alla siciliana as an entrée.

This restaurant would cost a fortune if in New York. Here, however, it is affordable and well worth the $15 or so dollars a person you will spend for dinner.

#7 Ristorante Edy: Vicolo del Babbuino No. 4. Tel. 636001738. Accepts Credit Cards.

If you wander between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps, remember to find Ristorante Edy, and please order the signature dish, “Spaghetti Alcartocio,” which is pasta and seafood perfectly sauced and baked in a foil packet.  This dish costs around $9.50. If you like seafood, you will dream about this meal for months afterward! 

Edy is in the same price range as the previous recommendation, Al 34, because of its location, steps away from some of the most upscale shopping in the world.  First courses run about six dollars, and entrees are around twelve. We particularly enjoyed Edy’s “faro e fagiole”, which is a grain and beans soup, as well as the “pasta e ceci”, the traditional dish noted above. Edy’s is also a wonderful place to sample the typically Roman dish of greens and anchovy sauce, called “puntarelle” in “salsa d’alici.”  My other favorite dish here is the octopus salad with chickpeas. Another wonderful dish is the linguini with roman broccolini, garlic, pecorino cheese, and pine nuts. For those desiring meat, Edy’s offers a wonderful “tagliatelle allamaticriciana,” which is a pasta made with tomato, bacon, red pepper, and pecorino cheese. All the traditional pasta choices are also available here. Edy’s interior is somewhat modern, and air-conditioned. There are a few outside tables.
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#8 MonteCarlo: Vicolo Savelli  No. 11A, 12-13 Tel. 66861877. Accepts credit cards.

Tucked away on a back street not far from Piazza Navonna, the Vatican, Castle St. Angel and Campo di Fiori, this restaurant is quite a find.  Specifically, it is located near Piazza Chiesa Nuova, in between Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Governo Vecchio, minutes from the Tiber River.  MonteCarlo is popular amongst locals and international travelers because the menu is extensive, the food is wonderful, and the prices are great.  The waiters are helpful and attentive. There are many tables both inside and out, but you feel as though you are in your own neighborhood trattoria. 

My family loves this place!  The wood-burning oven turns out perfect, thin-crusted pizzas. The antipasti table offers many exquisite choices to sample the finest Roman traditional recipes. The pastas and risottos are stellar, and there are several entrée choices including beef, steak, and chicken.  MonteCarlo is a perfect choice for a large family or group. There is something special here for everyone.

#9 No Name, Just an address: Via Governo Vecchio No. 19.  No credit cards.

Okay, this is for the more adventurous of you. This restaurant is always full of locals, visible through the curtained windows of the storefront trattoria. According to locals, it has always been here. The traditional first and second courses change daily. You must listen to the server for your options, and then make a selection. The first course is usually pasta, soup, or a risotto. The second courses are entrée portions of meat, sometimes veal, lamb, or fish. Plainly stated, the food is great. We encountered only pleasant surprises here, including the very reasonable prices.

#10 Tavola Caldas: Various locations throughout Rome. Usually cash only.

All well-informed visitors to Rome should know about Tavola Caldas. Literally, the name means “hot table.” These are Rome’s interpretation of a cafeteria. However, you will absolutely marvel at the superb quality of the food, and the incredible variety that you will encounter, all at very cheap prices. You make your selections from pizza, pasta, salads, sandwiches, entrees and sides. It is quite acceptable to point to what you want and say “per uno” (for one) or “per due” (for two). Typically, you are then asked something that sounds like “Scalda?” If you answer “si” (yes), your meal will be instantly heated for you. After your tray is complete, you pay the cashier, who gets your drink order. (Beer and Wine are usually available!)  Usually for around five or six dollars, you will dine like Roman royalty.

Tavola calda offer inside seating, and many even have tables outside. Some offer clean-up service, others place obvious stations for placement of your trays. This is a great option when you don’t leave enough time to sit down and really dine, as Italians usually do.

As I mentioned, we just returned from a trip to Rome. As tourists, we revisited all of our favorite eateries. In each location, the owners and servers take pride in serving you fresh, made to order dishes, in the rich Roman tradition.  In any of the recommended restaurants, feel free to order the house table wine (vino della casa), if you are so inclined. We were always impressed with the quality of what $3 a bottle would buy in Rome! Feel free to linger in any of these places. No one is in a hurry. You are welcome to sit, talk, eat, and enjoy. You must ask for the bill (il conto), as Italians consider it rude to be delivered to your table prior to a request.  Waiters are gracious, not expecting a tip. Gratuity is usually included in the bill. However, the equivalent of a dollar or two is always appreciated for excellent service. 

My family and I are now very settled back into our life here in the United States. We do, however, miss Rome. We miss the Pantheon, the piazzas, The Forum, the Coliseum, the Vatican. We miss our many Italian friends, the streets of stone, and the skies of blue. But, most of all, I’m not embarrassed to say... we truly miss the food! 

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