Hundreds of thousands of people were celebrating in St. Peter square and in the next days Rome will be hosting many additional visitors for this special occasion. Since we blog about food we thought it was the right moment to update our eateries recommendations in the area near the Vatican.

Our updated favorite venues are listed below with a map to easily locate them. When speaking about food and wine the area near the Vatican has been experiencing significant improvements. New high quality openings and nice renovations luckily keep on going. But be careful to the many “tourist traps” still operating in the streets around to the Basilica serving average or bad food. Better to avoid seating at the first restaurant you find!
The list includes places accessible within 20 minutes on foot from the Basilica. If you have time it may worth the effort to experience some of the best food available in the city.

Links are to blog posts or web sites providing more details such as opening time, address and pics. Some are in Italian, feel free to ask any additional information you may need writing a comment. The number/letter next to each place indicates the location on the map image below the list.

And if you are interested to join our guided Food Tours the Trionfale Food Market and Roman Cuisine may be easily combined with a visit to St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums.

Here you can access our complete map.

Breakfast: Settembrini Caffè (1), Castroni (2d e 5a), Caffetteria del Chiostro del Bramante (7c), V-ice Caffè (2a)
Lunch/Dinner: Settembrini (1),  L’Arcangelo (6b) , Vino e Camino (7a), Romeo Chef&Baker (5d), Splendor Parthenopes (6c), Flavio ai Quiriti (2e)
Gluten-Free: Renovatio La Soffitta (5c)
Pizza: La Pratolina (2b), Amalfi (5b)
Pizza by the slice: Pizzarium (4b), Panificio Bonci (3c), Romeo Chef&Baker (5d)
Savoury and sweet break: Settembrini Caffè (1), Franchi Gastronomia (2c), Pasticceria Siciliana Svizzera (8b), Romeo Chef&Baker (5d), Splendor Parthenopes (6c)
Happy Hour: eTablì (7b), Sorpasso (6d), Bancovino (3a)
Gelato (ice cream): Fatamorgana (3b), I Gracchi (6a), V-ice (8a, 2a)
Food shopping: Castroni (2d e 5a), La Tradizione (4a), Comptoir de France (6e)

click the map for a larger view

Credit Image: Gregorio Borgia/AP

Top 5 BRUNCH SPOTS IN ROME

1. The Perfect Bun 35%
2. Bakery House 21%
3. Said 15%
4. Open Colonna 5%
5. Grandma Bistrot 4%

The amount of collected votes has been impressive, by far our most popular contest. More than the one dedicated to Roman pastas, unbelievable!
Maybe it’s just because Italy is approaching an important political election right this weekend…
Or more seriously because Sunday (and Saturday) brunch is becoming more and more popular in Rome. Even CNN Travel has dedicated an article to Rome’s best brunches few days ago.

Don’t miss the considerations about brunch “food trend” written about one year ago in collaboration with the “legendary” Cucina Digitale (already heard about her? Maybe you use Instagram too!) and Mozzarella Mamma. Almost prophetic. And a much talked topic mainly because Rome’s offers are often more Mediterranean than Anglo-Saxon-style, also if the latter type is quickly growing as the first two classified demonstrate.

Our congratulations to the contest winners and thank you to all the blog readers that have participated with their vote.
And a practical information: one of the most popular brunch, Sweety Rome, is currently suspended. Will keep you informed about their news in the coming weeks.

Click here to download our pocket ”Top Brunch in Rome“, including the above and the other most loved places for our blog readers. Prices and addresses information are reported too. Hope it helps during your stay in Rome.

Italian version

Image: The Perfect Bun web site

Following the success of the previous special event “A Saturday Morning with…” in collaboration with Chef Cristina Bowerman together with the visit of the amazing Villa Farnesina, we are happy to inform you that we have organized a new edition always at a very special price. A “starred” way to begin 2013!

This time we have coupled other two Roman gems: a guided tour of the Borghese Gallery and an exclusive informal Tasting lunch with wine pairings at the Michelin-starred restaurant Metamorfosi (here a blog post we wrote about it). The journalist Federico De Cesare Viola interviews Chef Roy Caceres.

The event is in English (few tickets available) and Italian (fully booked!). The Gallery visit is differentiated for language with two 25-people max groups. Tourist guide and great foodie Flaminia Chapman will lead our visit in English! The two groups will join together at Metamorfosi restaurant to enjoy the lunch, talk with other passionate people and discover something more about the talented Chef, his dishes and philosophy.
If you are an expat living in Rome or you will be visiting the city don’t miss it!

Here is the menu, including some of the flagship dishes that are allowing Roy Caceres to be among the most appreciated Chefs in Rome despite his age of 35:

Egg 65°c Carbonara
Crispy ox tail and “salsa verde”
Piemontese Fassona expression of the moment
Beignet, creamy baccala, red onion and citrus fruit
Chicken liver ravioli, hazetnut and onion consommè
Crispy prawn and passion fruit sorbet
Cinta senese pork from tuscany and Bloody Mary sauce
Potato, sheeps milk cheese and saffron

Vanilla ice cream and mandarin krapfen
Pineapple, coconut and rum
Chocolate, hazelnut and coffee

Note that there could be slightly changes to the menu according to season and market availability.

Day: 2013, January 19
Time: 10.45am – 2.45pm
Price: 72€ per person including VAT, museum ticket, tasting lunch, wine and soft drinks.

Advanced booking required through our web site:

Event information and tickets

If you want to book it as a gift to your loved ones, relatives or friends we will send you a gift card with your personalized names and sentences. Please specify it at purchasing time.

In addition to the Chef our special thanks goes to Federico De Cesare Viola for his friendly participation and to Sous-chef John Regefalk @caputmundicibus (he will be interviewed too!) for his warm welcome when we initially proposed this event and his support in the organization.
Finally, thank you to all our Friends and Followers that are helping us in sharing the event!
We have created a facebook event too only for sharing purposes.
Contact us for any additional information you may need and please write here any comments you may have.

Images: Tavole Romane – All Rights Reserved

To visitors spending Christmas holidays in Rome here our scheduled Food Tours (few seats available!) and our restaurants suggestions for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Tavole Romane Food Tours – All Rights Reserved

Well, let us get into the “real thing” and review what is expected this year from the places we like. We wrote this in a hurry as there is little time left for reservations. Heard on the street: the trend seem to be this year that more and more people, including locals, choose to gather in a restaurant for a special lunch or dinner in order to enjoy their time together.As an example, what is one of the reference places for us, “Roberto e Loretta”, has been sold out for a few days now! By the way, we are including here only menus within the 250 Euros. There are interesting more expensive offers too of course and  you can easily get menus and all the information you may need in the restaurants web sites. Worth a mention (and some links!): the single Michelin 3-stars restaurant in Rome La Pergola @ the Cavalieri Hilton hotel, plus the other “celebrities” Oliver Glowig @ the Aldovrandi, Il Pagliaccio and La Terrazza dell’Eden.

Below our recommendations with a split in Central Rome and other areas for your convenience.
You can follow us on twitter as well as facebook for last-minute updates which we will try to show here as well!

CENTRAL ROME

Antico Arco at the Gianicolo hill (map). Over time it stays as a reference in town, with preparations created by the young Albanian chef Fundim Gjepali that never let you down and with its location, within walking distance from one of the breathtaking “natural rooftops” in Rome. Open on New Year’s Eve: an 8-dish sophisticated menu based on earth and sea products. You can find here pictures and menu dishes. Prices: New Year’s Eve 200€ (including a champagne bottle for a 4-people table, takeaway flûte to celebrate at midnight on the Gianicolo, and the traditional Cotechino with lentils after midnight).

Flavio al Velavevodetto in Testaccio and in Prati @ Quiriti (maps). By now a well-known reference for Roman Cuisine. Open on Christmas day and on New Year’s day (lunch) with a shorter à la carte menu where you will find anyhow some seasonal dishes such as tortellini in broth. Price: à-la-carte (35€ in average plus drinks).

Glass Hostaria in Trastevere (map). Here we go with another Michelin star confirmation! One of our most beloved food-corners, by Cristina Bowerman & Fabio Spada. While the first one puts in creativity and energy with a genial touch, the second one provides experience and savoir faire. Result of this mix: evenings which stay impressed in your mind for a long time. Open on New Year’s Eve with a real special occasion menu (available in English too, just read it through!). Price: New Year’s Eve 190€ (including aperitif, Champagne at midnight, and takeaway panettone for your breakfast, other drinks not included).

Imàgo at the Hotel Hassler, in the heart of Rome over the Spanish Steps (map). Panoramic view and starred cuisine by Francesco Apreda who needs no introduction. Open on Christmas and New Year’s Eve for dinner, it features a brunch menu at lunch time. Here you can find the menus in English too. In particular we are referencing the brunch because the rest lies well above 250€! Prices: Christmas and New Year’s day, 130€ each (not including drinks).

L’Asino d’oro in Monti (map). Time goes by, but still this place stands as a secluded place where you can spend a lovely evening! To keep you company, the expert cuisine by Lucio Sforza, the warm service and the atmosphere at the same time simple and informal. Open on New Year’s Eve, click here for  the menu (in Italian). Prices: 80€ including wines.

Pipero al Rex in the Termini Train Station area (map). Again a star, a new Michelin star! Right, slightly more than a year has passed since Alessandro Pipero left Albano – the location where his fame has blossomed – and started a new adventure at the Rex Hotel along with the young chef Luciano Monosilio. Slightly more than a year we said, but one of the highest rewards has already arrived. The mix of ingredients making up a dish always surprise – right away when you read the name on the menu – and these occasions are no exception. Open on Christmas as well as on New Year’s Eve. Here are the special menus, at the moment available only in Italian and here our recent blog post, written in Italian too. For information in English we recommend to read Katie Parla review. Price: Christmas Eve 180€, Christmas Day Lunch 150€, New Year’s Eve 250€ (include champagne-based aperitif and do not include any other drink).

Vino e Camino in the Historical Center near via Giulia / Corso Vittorio (map). Are you up to spend a few hours in an atmosphere which takes you back to family traditions and to preparations which will surely make you feel cozy and warm? Well, this is the place! Open on New Year’s Eve. Menu and Price still not available (it should be under 100€).

OTHER ROME AREAS

All’Oro in Parioli (map). As always is the young chef Riccardo Di Giacinto who is leading the way, making a Michelin star keep shining in the restaurant. Open both on Christmas (Eve and Lunch) and on New Year’s Eve (dinner) with special menus where as usual tradition, creativity, earth and sea meet. Here you can find the menus (in Italian). Prices: Christmas Eve Dinner 145€, Christmas Lunch 120€, New Year’s Eve 180€ (drinks not included).

Da Cesare al Casaletto in Monteverde (map). One of the places where we head for experiencing an authentic Roman cuisine fully loyal to the tradition. Open on Christmas and on New Year’s Day (Lunch) with an “à la carte” menu (even though choice is slightly more limited as compared to the usual abundance). Please, if showing in the menu, do not miss eggplant croquettes, tail croquettes, carbonara/gricia and gnocchi! Price: à-la-carte (35€ in average plus drinks).

Giuda Ballerino in the Tuscolana area (map). Forget downtown with its historical solemn tone, and get into the metropolitan folklore, a few blocks away from Cinecittà. This is the place where – surrounded by comics and modern notes – the Giuda Ballerino (“Judas the Dancer” from a Dylan Dog comic sentence) lives according to his two “souls”: restaurant and hostaria, under the guide of the chef Andrea Fusco, just (re)awarded a Michelin star. Open on Christmas (Eve and Lunch) and on New Year’s Eve: for these occasions the two souls merge into one. Here you can find the menus (at the moment the menu in English link is broken). Prices: Christmas Eve and Lunch 55€, New Year’s Eve 90€ (both not including drinks).

Metamorfosi in the Parioli area (map). Another Michelin star, but this is brand new! You will be in the capable hands of the chef Roy Caceres and of the sous chef John R. @caputmundicibus, not to mention the entire friendly staff, and will linger on a mix of innovation and tradition which – we bet – will gratify your senses. Open on New Year’s Eve with a catchy menu. Price: New Year’s Eve 220€ (drinks not included).

L’Osteria di Monteverde right in the heart of the quarter it is named after (map). One of the best quality/price ratios in town which will make you feel at home thanks to a cheerful service and the nice informal atmosphere. A cuisine deeply rooted in the region which often dares – and with amazing results – shuffle the cards and get creative. Open on New Year’s Eve with a 6-dish menu with selected wines: here all the details on the dishes (in Italian). Prices: New Year’s Eve 60€. For Christmas day catering service is provided (upon reservation requested by no later than Tuesday, December 18).

Romeo Chef&Baker in Prati (map). This is really a novelty! Showed up lately – very lately – in the Roman scenario, but Romeo has already been on everyone’s mouth… This does not come as a surprise when a new venue is led by the Bowerman/Spada (yes, them again… and lucky us to have them!) alongside the Roscioli brothers! Open on New Year’s Eve offering an original menu (available in English too) and also promoting a fun initiative for singles: 10 dedicated bar-seats at a reduced price. Price: New Year’s Eve 110€ and 80€ for “single seats” (aperitif and midnight champagne included, other rinks not included).

Salotto Culinario in the Tuscolana area, close to the GRA (map). Closed on Christmas and New Year’s day. However, the chef Dino de Bellis, a recent top figure of our contest dedicated to the best Carbonara-Amatriciana-Cacio&Pepe in Rome, has promoted for these holidays the initiative “Cucinati per le feste” i.e. 5 takeaway menus which will be served vacuum-packed along with indications to finalize the preparation at home. Price ranges between 25 and 45 Euro for a takeaway menu.

Enjoy Rome on Christmas Season and have a look to our scheduled Food Tours!

Last but not least, special thanks to Aldo for the kind help with the English translation.

Click here fot the Italian version

Images: restaurants web sites, ziofrankie, Tavole Romane – All Rights Reserved

Pipero al Rex

Carbonara @ Pipero al Rex

Alessandro Pipero, the owner and maître, has long been well known by Rome food lovers for his previous restaurant in Albano, a village in the Roman countryside. After moving to Rome, it took him slightly more than a year to become known nationwide. Now the Michelin-star and other awards will surely contribute to make his popularity grow internationally. Here you can taste arguably the most celebrated carbonara in Rome, priced by weight (10€ per each 50 grams). We recommend to taste also less traditional dishes created by the young talented chef Luciano Monosilio such as spaghetti with sea urchins and oysters with “flying” fish. Beware only 6 tables are available in a comfortable room inside the Hotel Rex, not far from Termini train station. Pics from our recent tasting menu are posted in our Italian blog (a google translation button is available at the bottom of the post).

Pipero al Rex (Hotel Rex)
Web Site: http://www.hotelrex.net/restaurant.htm
Address: via Torino 149, Rome
Opening Hours: closed Sunday evening and all Monday
Tel. 06.4824828
Price: 80-100€ plus beverages

Metamorfosi

Uovo 65° carbonara @ Metamorfosi

In the luxury residential area of Parioli you can find one of the best contemporary cuisine in the city by chef Roy Caceres (previously he worked with the above mentioned Pipero!) and sous-chef John R. “caputmundicibus. Comments and pics are available in our previously published post in this blog. As we were highly impressed with their cuisine, we had started the post by writing “Our first dine at Metamorfosi has been a memorable experience! We can bet it will be one of the best 2012 Rome meals we will have”. And the bet as you can guess was definitely won!

Metamorfosi
Web Site: http://metamorfosiroma.it/ (menu with prices available in English)
Address: via Giovanni Antonelli 30, Rome (map)
Opening Hours: closed for lunch on Saturday and all Sunday
Tel. 06.8076839
Price: 70-90€ plus beverages

La Terrazza dell’Eden

Zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta and taleggio cheese @ La Terrazza dell’Eden

It took another young chef, Fabio Ciervo, just a short time to be awarded with his first star. A high-end cuisine with a menu thought also for the many foreign visitors staying at this 5-star lux hotel, located near via Veneto. The view of Rome from the main room large windows is breathtaking. Ask to visit the wine cellar in the terrace. The whole atmosphere has its price!

La Terrazza dell’Eden (Hotel Eden)
Web Site: http://www.laterrazzadelleden.com/en/ (menu with prices available in English)
Address: via Ludovisi 49, Rome
Opening Hours: open all days at lunch and dinner
Tel. 06.47812752
Price: 110-140€ plus beverages

Below you can read the whole list of 2013 Michelin-starred restaurants in Rome and more widely in Lazio area.

Among the already starred a special mention goes to two Michelin-starred restaurants that are in our hearts: Glass Hostaria in Trastevere for creativity and food research and Pascucci al Porticciolo in Fiumicino few miles from FCO Rome airport for seafood preparations.

Images: Dissapore, Tavole Romane – All Rights Reserved

We already did web contests for Cornetto, Gelato and Supplì (click the links to download the pdf files) and today we have just closed an amazing pasta contest! We have selected three Roman pasta recipes among the most appreciated by locals and visitors, we created a list of 12 restaurants among our favorites for each type and allowed everybody to vote for one week, leaving the possibility to add any not listed restaurants with blog comments.

Below you’ll discover the top 5 restaurants for each dish with the percentage of votes received in the contest, but you’ll also know something more about their preparations according to “grandmother” traditions thanks to the great recommendations written by Giovanna “Burro e Alici“. She is president of a cultural association, educational teacher, food blogger and food guide in our Trionfale Food Market and Romane Cuisine Food Tour (and not only). Let Giovanna “speak”…

“Roman pasta recipes are based on so simple ingredients that everybody thinks they can make a very good pasta…BIG MISTAKE! It is not as easy as it seems, and I, a self-proclaimed judge, am not willing to let go on a few rules which are THE rules. Do not dare put parmesan on the carbonara, forget about olive oil on the “cacio e pepe” and, please, do not even think you can use pancetta for the “amatriciana”!!!

If you really want to be sure you are really eating high-quality pasta, you need to be aware of a number of things: but first of all pasta must be al dente, and I mean it!”

“The CARBONARA must show a perfectly creamy yellow sauce (neither overcooked pieces nor over fluid sauces), it should be prepared with the “guanciale” (but if the “pancetta” is good quality I could let it pass) and needs to be served with black pepper and Roman pecorino (remember this is very different from Tuscany type such as Siena’s pecorino). Most of all, a good carbonara shall keep its taste till the end: if instead, as you eat, it gets dry and hard to eat, that means it was not so good (or else you are indeed a slow eater!). Spaghetti or rigatoni? It does not really matter, if it stays good!
P.S. I do not even mention cream, butter or onions or other ingredients… as far as I am concerned, this would not qualify as carbonara at all.”

BEST CARBONARA IN ROME

1. Salotto Culinario 25%
2. Roscioli 22%
3. Flavio al Velavevodetto 13%
4. L’Arcangelo 10%
5. Pipero al Rex 7%

“When it comes to AMATRICIANA make no mistake: it is the guanciale which makes this recipe a masterpiece! The guanciale (it is imperative you never use pancetta!) must be cut into small stripes (not in cubes) so that each piece would have a fat as well as a lean part. If the guanciale is hard, it means that it has been cooked with oil too hot or too cold! Bad… Many restaurants use rigatoni for amatriciana… it can pass but either big spaghetti or “bucatini” are the real thing. Also for the amatriciana using pecorino is a must, along with just a little of red pepper (not too much as the pasta needs to be tasty not spicy) and pay attention to the sauce: if no piece of tomato is visible that means it has been made with squeezed tomato sauce, another breach to the rules!”

BEST AMATRICIANA IN ROME

1. Flavio al Velavevodetto 16%
2. Roscioli 15%
3. Osteria Fernanda 14%
4. Da Cesare al Casaletto 12%
5. Armando al Pantheon 11%

“The CACIO E PEPE is the simplest of them all but, according to me, the tastiest. Spaghetti (or rigatoni if you really insist…), pecorino and a lot of black pepper. No olive oil at all. Many restaurants use olive oil to avoid that precooked pasta get sticky. However the real cacio e pepe is made only by using cooking water to create the typical pecorino cream. So, it is necessary to cook everything at the same time including the pasta. Pecorino needs to be high quality and well matured… watch out: if you find thickened pecorino on the bottom of the dish we are very far from the real thing! In this case it means the pecorino was not matured long enough and too much water was poured onto it. A good cacio e pepe needs to perfectly mix pecorino and cooking water which, forming a creamy sauce, provides pasta with a black- dotted white cover. Just one recommendation: this pasta needs to be eaten rather fast, the cream does not stand for long!”.

BEST CACIO E PEPE IN ROME

1. Felice a Testaccio 43%
2. Roscioli 13%
3. Flavio al Velavevodetto 9%
4. Armando al Pantheon 7%
5. Vino e Camino 6%

Congratulations to the contest winners and thank you to all the blog readers that have participated with their vote.

Click here to download our pocket “Best Pasta restaurants in Rome“, including the above and the other most loved places for our blog readers.

Enjoy Rome and its amazing pasta!

Italian version

Images intend to be representative and not associated to hihlighted restaurants.

Right, the clock is ticking: in just a couple of months we will be once again dealing with the preparation of the tree, crib and decorations, getting ready to taste panettone, pandoro, torrone, lentils, cotechino and…well, we could write an entire chapter of Christmas specialties and last year we did one for Christams Sweets as a guest post for Food Lover’s Odyseey! In a word it will be Christmas time and before we know it the new year will be banging on our door.

Of course the incoming Fall season with its tastes, smells and colors is already making us feel the holiday season is approaching. However, the strong sense of anticipation is amplified by the growing number of “Christmas & New Year’s Eve” google-searches, in a combination mix of all kinds which, just like all roads, lead invariably to Rome. This holds especially true when the search aiming at finding out “where to eat” and “Rome”, takes the reader to last year’s post on Christmas and our Christmas Time Food Tours (check the dates through the calendar).

Disappointed with the lack of news? Do not worry, we have already our radar on: give us just time to check openings and menus and will be right on time in the early days of December, with the 2012 update. So stick around and check again in a few weeks! For the “impatient” and the “very-much-in-advance planner” we can give it a guess: expect the following ones to be probably open along with special menus:

Antico Arco (2012 NYE 200€ menu already published in their web site)

Glass Hostaria (NYE)

 Metamorfosi

Pipero al Rex 

…but for full coverage and updates just stay tuned…

Images: Pipero al Rex facebook page, Tavole Romane – All Rights Reserved

Since 2010 when we launched our blog in Italian we decided to give our contribution to August planning as far as eateries is concerned, doing some specific and not always simple research (unfortunately few restaurant owners are used to keep updated their websites and social pages) and sharing available information in an easy to use way.

This year in addition to the August openings full list published in our Italian blog (including information about more than 50 recommended restaurants and pizzerias in Rome and nearby), we have decided to write also this blog post with a selection more oriented to visitors that have chosen Rome for a short break or a bit longer holiday.
Hope it helps.
Eat. Explore. Enjoy. Rome!

- RESTAURANTS IN MAIN TOURISTIC AREAS -
When choosing where to eat many times logistic is a strong requirement for people visiting Rome just few days. The following places are located in the hearth of main touristic areas (Historical Center and Trastevere) and still offer a great food experience in our opinion!

Coromandel (NEW OPENING!)
open all August except 13th – 19th
breakfast lunch & dinner
via di Monte Giordano 60 / 61 (Piazza Navona area)
price: lunch 25-30 euros, dinner menu available at 28, 35 and 55 euros

An original format offered by this trendy place opened just few days ago. The name is from a Chanel parfum with “ROMA” in the word and the philosophy is to serve few dishes mainly based on selected seasonal ingredients, a-la-carte for lunch and with fixed menu at dinner. An all female staff wants to let you feel like at home from the breakfast to lunch and of course dinner. We haven’t tried it yet but first reviews are nice and it looks an interesting new venue with good quality/price ratio, not easy in Rome historical center. Spacedlaw nice pics on Flickr help in better understanding the type of place and food.

Glass Hostaria
open all August except Mondays
dinner only
vicolo de’ Cinque 58 (Trastevere area)
price: 70-100 euros, tasting menu available at 65 and 90 euros

A top choice for us when looking for a “splurge” dinner, with the creative cuisine by Cristina Bowerman, one of the few ladies between the most celebrated Italian chefs. This restaurant in the heart of Trastevere rightly keep one Michelin star since many years, actually we wish them to achieve the second one. We have chosen it recently also to organize an exciting special food tour, well reported by Maria HeartRome! Menu changes often according to seasons and is available in English too on their website (not yet  updated for August). It includes original combinations like the Foie escalope, hazelnut brittle fig compote, pan brioche, contemporary interpretations of Roman traditions based on offal such as veal tongue pastrami and the amazing Amatriciana sauce “mezzelune” (stuffed pasta) with crunchy “guanciale”. Tables are in the modern, elegant but not formal (jacket is not required) spaces distributed between the not big ground floor and a rectangular loft. Reservation in advance strongly recommended.

La Gensola
open all August except the 15th and Sundays
dinner only during August (lunch to be verified)
piazza della Gensola 15 (Trastevere area)
price: 50 euros

Family run osteria located in a cute and quiet square of Trastevere. A place loved by locals and tourists, especially for their fish dishes with fresh raw materials and Sicilian influences. Not at the same level the traditional Roman preparations in our opinion.  Informal setting with tables close each other in a friendly and warm atmosphere.

Pipero al Rex
open all August except Mondays
dinner only
via Torino 149 (Hotel Rex restaurant, near Termini train station)
price: 70-100 euros, tasting menu available at 90 euros.

A recent entry in the gourmet panorama managed with passion by the owner Alessandro Pipero that became famous at his previous restaurant in a village in the Rome countryside. Probably the most celebrated carbonara in Rome (and consequently in Italy), here priced according to the weight you want to eat (10€ per each 50 grams). But we recommend to taste also less traditional creations by the young talented chef Luciano Monosilio such as spaghetti with sea urchins and oysters with “flying” fish. Better to reserve one of the few seats available in the nice room located at the bottom floor of the Hotel Rex building.

Roscioli Restaurant-Grocery
open all August except the 15th and Sundays
lunch & dinner
via dei Giubbonari 21 (Campo de’ Fiori area)
price: 50-60 euros

Roscioli family is an institution in Rome offering some of the highest quality food available in the city. Their restaurant-grocery-delicatessen-wine bar  is perfect for an informal and unusual meal with an impressive selection of wine bottles too. Of course quality has its price and you will pay for food and drinks more than for ambience (small tables without privacy) and service (sometimes rude). Almost impossible to find a seat without booking some days in advance.
Great news for food lovers staying in August in Rome: the nearby amazing Roscioli old bakery (via dei Chiavari 34) will also be open all August Monday-Saturday.

- RESTAURANTS FOR MORE “ADVENTURE” EATERS -
If you are an authentic foodie and you don’t mind for a good meal to spend some time in the chaotic Roman public transportation or to add few euros for a taxi to your bill, we recommend to experience also restaurants outside the most touristic areas of Rome. Click map links below to see how to get there. 

Antico Arco
open all days of August
lunch & dinner
piazzale Aurelio 7 (Gianicolo area) – map
price: 60-85 euros, tasting menu 75 euros

A reference address open the whole month of August, offering a restricted menu selection for lunch with a 10% discount and the full menu as always for dinner. The young chef Fundim Gjepali is from Albania but he is well continuing the food tradition of this restaurant, where you can taste not ordinary dishes mixing Roman and Italian traditions with character without being creative. Crispy buffalo mozzarella, salted tuna roe and confit tomato or homemade ‘chitarra’ spaghetti with pecorino cheese and zucchini flowers just to give you few examples. Full menu including prices is available on their website in English too. Ambience is sophisticated and modern, outside seats. We suggest to choose a table in the main room at the entrance floor when reserving and don’t miss a short walk before or after the meal to catch one of the best view of Rome from the Gianicolo hill.

Flavio al Velavevodetto
open all days of August except the 15th
lunch & dinner (dinner only Sat and Sun)
via di Monte Testaccio 97 (Testaccio area)  - map
Flavio ai Quiriti
open all days of August except Sundays
dinner only
piazza dei Quiriti 5 (Prati, not far from Vatican area) – map
price: 30-40 euros

It’s not a secret this trattoria is in our hearts and this is why we currently propose here some of our “Sit-down meal tours“, in particular dedicated to Roman Cuisine (if you are curious don’t miss to read also this great post written by Kathy on Food Lover’s Odyssey). Well done traditional food, genuine raw materials,  distance between tables and noise much better than in many other trattorias, pleasant outdoor tables. Some of the key “ingredients” of this place. This year they have replicated the formula grown in Testaccio opening a second branch in Prati area (closed at lunch during August), about 15 minutes walking distance from St Peter Basilica. Menu and prices are the same in both locations, but Testaccio one can be more charming for foodies and for the amazing monte dei cocci windows  inside the restaurant.

Giuda Ballerino Osteria
open all August except 13th – 16th
lunch & dinner
largo Appio Claudio 346 (Tuscolana area, subway A stop Giulio Agricola or Subaugusta) – map
price: 30-40 euros

In the suburbs an address that worth a 20-25 minutes subway trip from downtown in our opinion for the good quality/price ratio and also to live the atmosphere of an authentic local area, especially when seated outside in the few restaurant tables available in the middle of the large modern (and not beautiful) pedestrian square where residents cool down themselves during summer evenings. Restaurant name is a tribute to the popular Italian comics Dylan Dog (“Giuda Ballerino” is an exclamation much used by the main character, actually not existing in the Italian dictionary) and also tables and internal walls refer to it. Food is creative with strong Roman influences, don’t miss piccoli arancini (deep-fried rice balls with mixed furnitures), a pasta dish and for dessert bombe calde mignon (deep-fried again). Chef Andrea Fusco Michelin starred restaurant located in the same building will be closed the whole month of August, however few of the dishes that made the restaurant famous (“Giuda classics”) are available at the osteria too.

Pascucci al Porticciolo (Fiumicino)
open all August except 16th – 22nd
lunch & dinner
via Fiumara 2, FIUMICINO - map
price: 50-70 euros

Roman residents love to have a summer meal at the sea-side villages near Rome, the distance is short and especially during August it can be nice for visitors too. You’ll not find tropical paradises of courses, but there are very interesting food venues. Pascucci is not located in front of the beach but you can experience here some of the best fish food preparations, we could say “with a twist”. Elegant but not too formal, it is one of the new 2012 Michelin starred restaurants. Hope this will not change the excellent quality/price ratio characterizing this place since many years. It can be a good option also if you have few hours to spend in Rome for a stop-over at Fiumicino airport!

Settembrini Café
open all days of August at the Café
breakfast, lunch & dinner
via Settembrini 21 (Mazzini square, Prati area) – map
price: 20-50 euros

The restaurant will be closed during August but the Café represents a nice option not only for a light break and an aperitivo but also for a whole dinner during this month, with the kitchen open (hopefully) until midnight. More information about the Café are available in the English post we wrote about it.

We include also a spot we recommend more for its uniqueness and “green” ambience than for food preparations: ViVi Bistrot (map). It is located inside Villa Pamphili, one of our favorites public parks in Rome. The restaurant is open for breakfast lunch and dinner, providing also picnic baskets if you prefer to seat on the lawn grass or on a bench. Open all August except between the 13th and 15th and on Mondays.

- PIZZA VENUES -

Finally we can’t miss a round-up on where to eat a summer evening pizza in Rome. Unfortunately our pizza top list venues will be closed almost the whole month of August: Sforno (closed from the 5th of August until the end of the month), Tonda (closed from the 6th and opening again the 28th of August), La Fucina (open only until the 3rd of August), La Gatta Mangiona (open until the 10th of August and after the 26th, working also during their traditional Monday weekly closure).

An exception interesting for “adventure pizza eaters” can be to take the A subway to Furio Camillo stop to experience the recent opening Lazzaroni (via Tommaso Fortifiocca 68/70 - Appia area - map) open for dinner only and closed on Mondays and between the 10th and 22nd of August.
Opened last February it is quickly becoming a mecca for Roman pizza foodies. Their philosophy is to replicate in Rome the authentic and original pizza from Naples (the pizza large picture above was taken there!). In our xperience not everything was perfect (especially noise and service have to be improved) but pizza is great and it can be a nice option completely outside tourist paths. Outdoor seats not available.

However if you are staying in Rome few days most probably you will not be interested to eat one of the above pizza. They are located in Rome residential semi-central if not suburban areas and it’s not so easy to get there, except for the mentioned Lazzaroni, La Gatta Magiona near a 8 tram stop about 20-25 minutes far from Largo Argentina and maybe Sforno with the A subway (Subaugusta stop) and a bit of walking.

In the heart of the historical center main open options are the most famous and crowded pizzerias in Rome (not top quality in our and most common opinion) but we are talking about pizza not gourmet food here and it worth mentioning them: ‘Gusto (piazza Augusto Imperatore, open all days of August) with its Neapolitan-style pizza and large internal and external spaces, La Montecarlo or Baffetto (both near via del Governo Vecchio, opening days to be verified) that can fit your needs if you are looking to experience a typical roman thin & crispy pizza and if you are ready to stay quite long time in a queue waiting to be seated.

In Trastevere area Bir&Fud (via Benedetta 23) will be closed only between the 6th and 20th of August and offers a less thin pizza and a great selection of craft beers too.

Usually both Remo in Testaccio and Panattoni “Ai Marmi” on viale Trastevere close for short periods, but we have not yet information about their specific 2012 August opening days.

[2 Aug update: Panattoni closed from the 9th of August until the 28th]

[10th of Aug update: Remo is closed too until the 26th]

We’ll do our best to keep updated this post, however we suggest to check before going since opening dates/time may change at the last moment.

Other suggested source of information for August in Rome:
Where to Eat in Rome in August, 2012 Edition by Katie Parla
Chowhound forum 1, 2
The Lowdown on Traveling to Italy in August on Dream of Italy

Images credits: Spigoloso (Maurizio Camagna),  ziofrankie, restaurants web-sites and facebook pages

4 floors and 160.000 square feet space
23 restaurants and other eating areas
8 classrooms for cooking classes and professional courses
14.000 goods for sale
8 artisan production points
a food market
conference area

Eataly Rome is devoted to beauty and a “Manifesto dell’Armonia” was issued: they want to be “a place for everybody where it’s possible to spend some time in harmony”.
Is it only marketing stuff? Not in our opinion, at least after the pre-opening visit we had together with food journalists and other bloggers few days ago. It’s going to become a “Mecca” (or a “fan fair” if you prefer) for foodies in Rome! A useful venue for people living in Rome and a must-visit place for who is staying just few days in Rome (indications on how to get there are at the end of the post).

Nearby area is still “under construction” but it already looks like a miracle the renovations and valorization of a building that was emblematic of the waste of public money for Italia ’90 soccer world championships. One of the most degraded points of Rome until few months ago.

Thank you Mr Farinetti!

Since we write about many Rome restaurants let’s start just from the high-end restaurant at the top of Eataly building, named “Italia”. We can bet easily it will be the most talked one between Rome foodies during the next months!
We can’t yet write about its food since we haven’t tried it, but the young (29 years old) chef Gianluca Esposito is an interesting name coming from Eataly Bologna, open-plan kitchen is amazing, decor is superb with a minimalist style not easy to find in Rome and three true Modigliani sculptures around enrich it! At one side of the room a contemporary mirror-wall-cellar is an artwork itself.
Restaurant is located at the highest floor of the building and has a 180° panorama. But you could be astonished by the view! Don’t expect to see Rome historical center from there. Remember, you are in Ostiense district that is located few miles from city hearth and built (not so well) in the XX century. Hope the local government will let Eataly realize a vegetable garden on the horrible roof just in front of the windows as they’d like to do.
The restaurant menu will include seasonal dishes representing Italian Regions diversity. About 20 dishes from 20 different areas of Italy with frequent changes. A potential candidate for a Michelin-star and maybe for our future traditional with a twist sit-down meals in a “splurge” version?

Let’s move to the other spaces. In one sentence, you can find at Eataly every kind of Italian food you can imagine, to eat there or to take away. Pasta, Pizza, Bread, Meat, Fish, Fried delicacies, Panino, Gelato, Pastries just to mention “few” of the available type of food. Live making of Mozzarella, fresh pasta and other artisanal products. Interesting events w ithspecial guests are planned for the coming weeks.
And for a really exclusive dinner you can try to buy one of the 10 tickets that will be sold by auction on their website each month of the first year of operation, to seat at the “Tavolo dei 10 fortunati” with a dinner prepared at the same table by some of the world’s most famous chef (Ferran Adrià, Alain Ducasse, etc). After the first year the show cooking table made by Whirlpool will move to New York City at the MOMA museum.

Craft Beer and Wine lovers will also be more than satisfied such as people looking for food shopping and kitchen equipment.

But we don’t want to describe in detail all the many spaces you’ll find. We prefer to let the pictures we took during the “press tour” give you some highlights.

Eataly Roma
Air Terminal Ostiense
Piazzale XII Ottobre 1492, Rome
Open all days from 10am until midnight
Tel. +39 06 90.27.92.01

How to get there
Metro B Piramide or Garbatella stop
Bus: 60, 63, 280, 175 and 30 express, 670, 715 and 716
Train: Ostiense station
map

Italian version

Images by Tavole Romane – All Rights Reserved