By the Spanish Steps.... and other Rome, Italy Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Mario

This restaurant is very close to Piazza di Spagna and, although it's small and not very luxurious, the food there is excellent and is a very well known restaurant both among tourists and Romans. The prices are a little high, but they're average prices if you consider that you're in an European country, and they are definitely worth it. Very Italian atmosphere too! And personal attention from its owner, Mr. Mario, and family.

Favorite Dish: Minestrone al riso (which is a vegetable soup with rice and olive oil in it, EXCELLENT) and the Coniglio a la casserole (Rabbit meat), both very tasty, but I must say that any food there is great.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Address: Via della Vite 55
Directions: This is located a few blocks away from Piazza di Spagna.

Restaurant Name: Pizzarito Pastarito

This is a tip that a good friend passed on to me. Back then I searched for this place on the net and easily found several references about it. I had not attended this restaurant personally but I trusted in the info she gave me, as she has traveled a lot and has a travelling style very similar to mine.

However, in 2007 I walked by one of these restaurants and decided to go in to try it on my own. My friend went to the one located close to the Vittoriano monument, on its left side if you look at it face to face (Via IV Novembre). The one I visited was only 2 blocks away from Termini station, on Via Gioberti. Other locations for this restaurant as per their website: Via Cola di Rienzo; Via Cassia; Via Tiburtina, 616; Via Tuscolana, 226..... and many more!!!

This restaurant might not be the typical cozy Italian restaurant with plaid tablecloths that tourists might like best, but they have a very good variety of dishes and the prices aren't too high.... I had a HUGE dish of pasta (freshly made) and a big size soda for 13 EUR, but you may eat something smaller and pay less. Service was a bit slow but food quality was good and I would recommend it.

Favorite Dish: Tagliatelle (fresh home made) with a creamy sauce with cheese, sausage and peas.... really good.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Directions: Close to the Vittoriano Monument (left side) on Via IV Novembre, or 2 blocks away from Termini station, Via Gioberti (corner with P. Amedeo).

Restaurant Name: Pizza Re

There are 2-3 of these around Rome, and they have a very good Napolitan Pizza and a very Roman atmosphere. Not many tourists know about this restaurant, it's rather Romans who go there, so that's why you will see mainly native people there. Celebrities visit this place often as well. The prices are a little bit high but they're worth it.

Favorite Dish: All pizzas are great, try those that appeal you the most according to their ingredients, they are all good.

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Theme: Pizza
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: +39.063211468
Address: Via di Ripetta, 14
Directions: Search for their locations in the phonebook or google it, I did and found this other address which is different from the one provided by VT: Via Oslavia, 39.....

Restaurant Name: Pizza Forum

This is also a great place to eat Napolitan pizza (thicker and tastier than Roman style pizza) and other Italian specialties at low prices. It isn't very good looking, for some people it looks like a fast food place, but it isn't so. The food is good and the prices are quite low, and it's well located. Not many tourists (or even Romans) know about this place either.

Favorite Dish: All pizzas are great here too: there's even one that includes ALL of the ingredients in the menu!!! You can also order some typical Italian appetizers, fried stuff such as pizza dough, breaded rice balls (some with melted cheese inside) which are absolutely great. You can eat a lot and not pay a lot of money for it. But be careful, because if you order a lot of appetizers before the main course, you won't be able to finish the HUGE pizzas they serve you there!

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Theme: Pizza
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Directions: Only a few steps from the Colosseum, I think the name of the street is San Giovanni in Laterano, and it's in front of some underground ruins.

Restaurant Name: Old Bridge

My local friends took me to this place since my very first days in Rome as they said it was one of the best places to eat ice cream..... and I agree with them!! It's been on business for several years now, and I was glad to find out it's still there, so of course I stopped by to buy a big cone during my last visit in 2007.

It's located only a few blocks away from St. Peter's basilica, on your way to the Vatican museums -- going round the Vatican City walls. It's easy to find as it's almost on a corner (next to Piazza del Risorgimento) and you will see a lot of people with ice cream cones around. There are some times when it's crowded (you can also recognize it because of this, it's a tiny place so people gather outside even late at night) and you have to wait in line for a while, but they are pretty fast so you won't have to wait too long, and it's worth it.

They have several different flavors, the cones are pretty inexpensive and HUGE (1.50 EUR for a 2 scoop cone -- I think this is the smallest one but it's BIG!), and you can ask to have some whipped cream put on top of them..... I REALLY recommend this place, and plus it's open till midnight or later, so you can go have a great ice cream almost anytime you want!!

Favorite Dish: Zabaione and Creme Caramel ice creams..... of course with whipped cream on top...... they were GREAT!!!!

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Theme: Ice Cream
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Directions: Next to Piazza del Risorgimento, as if going towards the Vatican Museums (along Via Leone IV)... Metro station Ottaviano-St. Pietro is quite close.

Restaurant Name: Sora Mirella

I tried this stuff 7 years ago but couldn't remember what its name was, and this time (2007) I asked everywhere but I didn't seem to be able to find it anywhere.... that is, till my Roman friend Simone took me to this small street-stand next to the river which was crowded at 10-11 PM where they turned out to sell the same stuff I was craving for..........!!! YAAAYYY!!!!!

Grattachecca is grated ice (they grate it manually, "a la old fashion") with flavor syrup inside and fruit pieces on top. But it tastes SOOO GREAT!! And it's great for the summer time as it's very fresh so it satisfies your sweet tooth without making you thirsty...

They have many different varieties in this place, with different syrup and fruit combinations (coconut, lemon, melon, coffee, etc.), but they all looked really great so you might want to come several times and try them all ;))) I would have, hadn't I discovered this place on my very last night in Rome!! Argghh!!

Favorite Dish: I tried the Monterosa specialty which had strawberries and bananas on top and was great, but there was also this other one called Preziosa which had strawberries, raspberries and cranberries (and syrups of those same flavors inside) and which looked fantastic as well!! I will try that one on my next visit! ;)

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Theme: Dessert
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Lungotevere degli Anguillara
Directions: Next to Ponte Cestio by the stairs that lead you to the river bank, next to Isola Tiberina.