Ttabb

I will be traveling to Florence and Rome with my two teenage daughters,my husband and my mother over spring break (March and April). I have been researching many restaurants and can't decide which ones to go to. I think we have Florence figured out but these are the Rome restaurant that we are trying to choose between for dinner;

• Tavernetta 48" located on Via degli Spagnioli
• Antica Taverna Via Monte Giordano,12 Tel 06 688 010 53(near Piazza Navona)
• Enoteca Corsi Via del Gesu 87/88Rome, 00186ItalyTel: 39 06-679-0821
• Cavour 313(near the Colosseum)
DAR PALLARO - Largo del Pallaro
MARGUTTA
• *Il Sorriso in Rome (Via Flavia 63-65)
• *Hostaria Farnese (Via Ballauri ( Campo di Fiori)
• Gino in Vicolo Rosini (a little side street near Parliament)
• Da Vito e Dina, 50 Via degli Scipioni.
• Armando al Pantheon http://www.armandoalpantheon.it/home.php
• Matricianella - near the Spanish Steps
• Ditirambo:

I would love to hear from someone that has tried these restaurants.

Thanks for your help.
Teri

Grinisa

I've been to some:
Dar Pallaro. Comfortable place with a prix fixe "menu." Actually, there's no menu, you just get what Paola is cooking that night. The food has always been very good (I've been there about 10 times) and a fairly good value at, I think, 22 Euro a person for several courses, wine and water. Conveniently located near Campo di Fiore.
Matricianella. I ate there a while ago so can't remember too much. I'm sure it was fine but, as I say, not memorable.
Ditirambo. One of my favorites in Rome. Great food but service can be spotty. Of course, with two teenage daughters, the waiters there seem to enjoy helping those tables.

ekscrunchy

Here is one of my reports; it contains details of my January 2007 meals at the last three on your list..


http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34931625

Nikki

I've been to Antica Taverna. It was a few years ago, but my family loved it. From my trip report:

Antica Taverna, Via Monte Giordano, 12, tel 06/68801053. A little hard to find on a winding cobbled street. A very lively place which was filled when we got there. They told us there would be a ten minute wait and brought glasses of sparkling wine for us to drink out on the street while waiting. Great atmosphere. I had delicious roast pork. My husband had a great pasta with sausage and cauliflower. My daughter had a spicy spaghetti all'amatriciana.

After dinner they brought after dinner drinks on the house. Don't remember what else, but the whole evening was a real highlight. By the time we were finishing, the owner had turned the radio up and was dancing in the back. The table behind us, with six young Italian men, had just been presented with three bottles of after-dinner drinks on their table. A middle aged guy sitting at one of the tables outside had sent glasses of wine to the table of two young women next to us, presumably because he was enjoying the view, which got better after the wine was presented.

LizaMarie

I have been planning a trip to Rome for over a year now. maybe longer!! I have copy and pasted millions of trip reviews etc from here and various other sites. Here is my very large list of restuarant recommendations for Rome (some gelato places at the bottom):
(sorry I can't give credit to anyone as I never saved people's names or anything!!!)

RESTAURANTS
-Osteria del Pegno in Rome, near Piazza Navona

-Da Sabatino at the Piazza San Ignazio. On the sign it's a little confusing, it says Le Cave di S. Ignazio so don't get confused and pass it up! It's a great little restaurant

-SABATINI- This is a great people-watching restaurant in Trastevere (Piazza Santa Maria). You definitely want a patio seat at night. However, we thought it was really overpriced for the quality of the food. My pasta dish was great, but my friends had other meals that were just average). If you don't mind spending the money, it's a scenic place to sit outside. But we had better food in Rome.

-RISTORANTE CLETO- We stumbled into this place entirely on accident and it ended up being the best meal we ate in Rome. It's tucked into an alley off of Via Cavour about a block and a half from the end of the street (near the Forum). It's got a tiny outdoor patio. The chef came out and greeted us personally and made dinner recommendations. The bruschetta here was the best we had on our whole trip, and the pasta Arrabiata was wonderful.

ANTICO CAFFE DELLA PACE- This was another wonderful restaurant (Near Piazza Navona) where we had an outstanding lunch. Tucked into a quiet and scenic little alley near Piazza Navona, this café has outdoor seating and some really great paninis and salads. If you're in the area, I highly recommend it.

TUDINI- This was the one restaurant that seemed to be open during the blackout in Rome. It also turned out to be the best pizza I had on my trip. Tudini is on Via Cavour, only a few blocks from the train station. It's rather elegant inside, but the prices are very reasonable. The pizzas have a wonderful, light, flaky crust and delicious cheese.

CAFFÉ SANT'EUSTACHIO- This was a tip from the people at Fodors.com and one of my favorite places in all of Rome. I ended up going here for capuccino every day! It is in Piazza Sant'Eustachio, right near the Pantheon and the cappuccino here is just exceptional. It's always crowded with Romans and a few smart tourists. The cappuccino recipe here is so guarded that the staff actually turns their back to you when they make them, which is funny. Be sure to buy a bag of the coffee beans and bring them home! Also, the chocolate covered espresso beans make great gifts.

BLUE ICE- I got lost looking for San Crispino (which is supposed to be one of the best gelato places in Rome) near Trevi Fountain and ended up just buying a gelato here instead. It was very, very tasty--- and they have a great selection of flavors. I recommend it! The gelato is Italy is to die for. I was having 3 cones a day (and still somehow lost weight with all the walking!).
Ditirambo –Piazza della Cancelleria 74-75. www.ristoranteditirambo.it- We had one of our best meals in Italy here! It is a cozy and romantic restaurant just one block from CorsoVittorio Emanuele II opposite Piazza Navona. We each had a primi piatti, secondi and dessert. I ordered clams with gnocchi in a lemon butter sauce. This dish was heavenly! The gnocchi melted in my mouth and the lemon butter sauce was a delicate blend of citrus balanced against the creaminess of the butter. For my main entrée I ordered the veal kabobs that were grilled with eggplant and sesame seeds. The gelato dessert was unique since each flavor was backed into its fruit (a peach flavored gelato was in the peach skin, the hazelnut was in a hazelnut shell). I still salivate at the thought of going back to this restaurant someday. Every dish we had was incredible and the price was very reasonable (80 euros for both of us including glass of wine). We went early -7pm, but noticed that the restaurant filled up very quickly.

Ristorante Al Pompiere- via Santa Maria de’ Calderari 38- This restaurant is listed in Fodors and Rachael Ray so we had to try it! It turned out to be quite good. I had the zucchini flowers and penne arrabiatta. My DH had the carbonara that Rachael Ray recommended and true to her word it was delicious. It’s good authentic food at a good price. The service was also excellent.

Da Baffetto II- I list this place only to warn people not to waste a meal in Rome here! I don’t know if Da Baffetto I is better, however, I’m not exactly sure why the lines are so long. The crust on the pizza was paper thin, but burnt on the edges and completely soggy in the middle. The flavors were not particularly fragrant or fresh tasting. Overall, it seems like a tourist trap to me.

Ristorante Grottino de Rino - I’m not sure I got the name of this spot quite right - it also had a big sign that said ‘al Gambero’ underneath the restaurant name. This place was a few blocks walk away from the Colosseum, along the Via Claudia. My husband wanted me to mention it because he got this spaghetti al gambero dish there that came in a big clam shell. I thought the food was just OK, plus it took a while to get to this restaurant (we were trying to explore a bit), and then we had trouble finding the bus to take us back toward the center of the city. But, if you happen upon this place, it’s worth trying out the spaghetti al gambero, if only for the photo op.

Nerone, Via Delle Terme Di Tito, 96 - This restaurant was so-so. We tried it because we read about it in one of our guidebooks and someone else had mentioned it as a place to eat in the Colosseum area. It was nice to be able to sit outside and still have a view of the Colosseum while we ate, but the food itself was nothing special. We shared a fried artichoke plate (that seemed kinda like a fritatta), and I had some pasta al carbonara while my husband had a veal dish. They serve a lot of sweetbreads and offal.

Al Forno, Campo di Fiori - This pizza shop/bakery is a great place to stop for lunch on the go or to grab some pastries. The pignoli cookies were freshly made.

San Marco, Via Sardegna, 38/D Roma, 06.420.12.620

Trattoria da Armando al Pantheon, Salita de' Crescenzi 31Roma
06.68.80.30.34, http://www.armandoalpantheon.it
*Reservations highly recommended, if not mandatory*
Osteria dell'Angelo

Il Matriciano, Via dei Gracchi, 55 Roma, 06.32.13.040

Osteria del Pegno
Vicolo di Montevecchio, 8
06 688 07 025 www.osteriadelpegno.com

This restaurant was perfection from beginning to end. My many thanks to SeaUrchin and so many others that recommended this wonderful establishment. They were closed during the first part of our stay in Rome but opened again two days before our departure.

The first thing you note upon entering is the beauty and extreme warmth. A large round flat basket of beautiful orange clementines. Rows of wine bottles scattered here and there. White pleasant candle light on each table countered by the glow of a huge under lit round light fixture above. The enticing aroma of a meal that will follow. It is everything you picture in your imaginary Italian dinner; a very romantic atmosphere. The service was excellent.

DH’s onion soup, which was among their specials, was the best he has every had. His prawns in white wine sauce tender and delicious. My Tagliatelle alla Norma was fabulous, homemade pasta, aubergines, and tomatoes all wrapped together to greet me. The dessert was, you know sometimes you have a dessert that you will never forget, ahhh haaa, it was one of those desserts. We ordered one of the chocolate ones, though it was difficult to decide between the two offered. It was almost as if our waiter was reading our minds, for what did he do but bring us what we ordered and then a sampler of the other chocolate dolce and a delicious apple tart. All were so delectable I am having a hard time typing on this keyboard and not just closing my eyes remembering.
I am certain this will be the longest of my reviews, but share I must!
Ooooooh one more thing - make a reservation. We saw five couples turned away just during the time we were there and two more as we were leaving.
Make your res and enjoy the splendor!

La Sagrestia
Via del Seminario, 89
06 67 97 584
This is a wonderful cozy little place. Excellent service. Many local residents present. Lovely stained glass doors at one end that I can only imagine they must open during warmer months. Mussels soup my DH adored. The risotto was very good. The pizza margherita was absolutely the best we have ever had anywhere. To die for. Very good house wine. Located by the Pantheon. If you are facing the Pantheon, it is the little street to the left, exactly parallel with the line of the front of it. Not to miss, not to miss.

Trattoria da Armando al Pantheon
Salita de’ Crescenzi, 31
06 68 80 30 34
Wonderful! Every bite wonderful. The zuppa had every vegetable you could imagine and was our favorite of the minestrones. Service was fantastic. All local businessman on their lunch. While we were there they had the kitchen open and I could see them preparing everyone’s meals. DH and I have this thing we do sometimes… we each describe what the other cannot see, we describe our “views”. This one was so much fun for me to describe to DH so he could visualize it. We really liked this little spot. The daughter of the owner was our server and she was a sweetheart, her English was very good and hearing this adult daughter call her father Poppa with such love, was precious and made me miss my own so much. A very cute Asian couple, who spoke no Italian and no English were at the table next to us and we were very touched when this sweet server went and got a book to assist them all in ordering process. I loved it there. This family run restaurant exuded heart and warmth everywhere.

Antica Taverna
Via Monte Giordondo, 13
66880153
DH’s meal was pretty good. My meal was ok. This place was fine. Would we go back, probably not. Too many other great places. I think it was the average service that killed it for us in this place. Now if the meal had been off the charts, we can deal with poor to average service, but it wasn’t even close. Just so-so, but it could have been just an off day.

Cantina del Vecchio
Via dei Coronari, 30 06 6867427
www.cantinadelvecchio.it
This was our first bite. They were very kind to take us in as it was late (2300). They prepared a wonderful meal for us. The wine was good, the prosecco delish. At the end of the meal, DH forgot that in the beginning he said we could not get one of the desserts anymore due to the time to prepare it and accidently ordered it and yet, he still prepared it for us even though we told him it was so not necessary, very quickly actually. Very gracious. Many locals. Very good.

Ristorante Tre Archi Loneta
Via dei Coronari
I wish I had the exact address and I am sorry, I do not.
If you are walking from Piazza Navona, once you reach Via dei Coronari, it is the first restaurant you come to on your right. It was just steps away from where we were staying.
A very nice gentleman took care of us. Delicious and hearty lentil soup. We enjoyed it here and would go back again.

Il Bacaro
Via degli Spagnoli, 27 06 6872554
http://ilbacaro.com/
This little hidden gem greets you with gorgeous roping vines everywhere. Very quaint. The young lady that served us spoke very good English and was a lot of fun. Just darling. I enjoyed ravioli with pecorino cheese and in wonderful pumpkin sauce and truffle, very rich but quite good . DH’s every bite of his delicious pasta with capers and olives in pomodoro was exactly what he wanted. Our darling waitress brought us each a sample of each other’s meals on a separate plate, it was very cute. And ironic because DH and I always share and sometimes even exchange plates, discreetly of course, half way through our meals so the other gets to sample. No exchanging needed here, heeeeee. We did not want to leave.

Lo Stregone
Piazza dei Coronari, 1
06 68 93 652
This place is a total mystery to us. We actually found it by mistake. I had forgotten my map and restaurant list, and only slightly remembered the name and general location. So we continued to stroll anyway, while looking for what I now know as ‘Le Streghe’ and also happens to be just down the street from this restaurant.

It is a huge establishment and if I can decipher the Italian on their business card, I believe they mainly do banquets and conferences. There food was fantastic. We ate here twice. But really the whole atmosphere was bizarre. A TV in the main eating area at a front table with the rabbit ears sticking up and the Mr. eating and reading his paper and watching a game show. While the Mrs. served us in the most proper and polite manner, she was just precious. Their vegetable antipasto was so succulent it made me want to go into the kitchen and beg them to show me just what they did with these simple vegetables. The pomodoro was the best we had in the city. The best.
Each time we were there, it was almost empty. Total mystery!!!!!!!

Le Streghe
Vicolo del Curato 13
And the mystery continues... We when got back to our room, I retrieved our map and this was the place that we had been looking for when we ended down at Lo Stregone. Once we did have dinner here, the description was so different from what we read. No lone candlelight as SeaUrchin mentioned. Just a bright loud place, and the food was our only bad meal. DH did not even finish his, it was inedible. And there were somany good reviews from so many guests that had been here previously, it was beyond us. There was only one other couple there. The owners had on this ‘boom box’ near the front door with a local news station on, very, very loud. (like one of our am stations with news here in the States) and the woman just kept standing by it and shaking her head and moaning. A very dramatic, and not to laugh, but we kinda were laughing on the inside because it was so not what we read at all, so not even close, in fact (laughing now) picture the exact opposite. We just looked at each and thought “are we in the right place???” But we were and checked the address again upon leaving. DH’s carne had so much gristle that he had to stop eating it. All in all, just not a good experience.

Ristorante Quirino
Via Delle Muratte, 84
06 679 41 058
This place was a nice surprise. We were over by the Trevi, and suddenly famished and gave it a shot. We were not expecting much because of the touristy area, but it was nice. If you are in a pinch, we liked it here. And the wonderful young server chased us down the street afterward because we had forgot our camera. Very kind of him, he was sweet.

Babington’s
Piazza di Spagna, 23
I adore tea. This wonderful tea room has been there forever and should not be missed for anyone such as I. Read the paper, enjoy your Earl Grey, purchase a little gift on your way out. Delightful.

We loved Piperno in Rome (Jewish quarter). Fabulous.
Il Gusto. There are about five or different little restaurants on this one square block with the same name, but they serve different things. One is a trattoria, one an enoteca. etc... I think we ate at the pizzeria and had pizza, appetizers, wine, etc... quite yummy and a pretty hip place to be from what I understand. The absolute best pizza we had in Rome was in a little area by the Emanuel monument (can't remember the correct name). It was called Florida Pizzeria and was nothing but a walk in place like for office workers. It was focacia type pizza and had amazing flavor.

Osteria Del Pegno in Rome- down an alley off of Piazza Navona. Very cozy and romantic, but make reservations or show up early. We showed up around 7 and the place was almost empty, but they almost didn't take us. Apparently if you reserve a table, its yours for the night regardless of what time you show up! The waiter shows up and in conversation asks if we like mushrooms...then goes and gets a big basket of mushrooms to show us (dirt and all!) and tells us that they just picked these and proceeds to make a fresh mushroom pasta! Very good food. Here are the directions I googled: Vicola di Montevecchio 8. Just off Coronari by the only fountain on Coronari
lunch at this little place right next to the Circo Massimo, I think it was just called Bar Circo Massimo, but we both got the lasagna and it was the best lasagna I have ever had. It was far superior to all the other places we ate the entire time we were there.


Enoteca Cul de Sac. Near Navona square is excellent. Really best food I had while in Rome. Wine choices outstanding too. I had red recommended by waiter and loved it. They really know wine there. Pasta with broccoli and pecorino or meatball with white wine both good choices.

Antonio's at the Panthenon was really fun for dinner too. Tagliolini with wild pork sauce was very tasty as was the fried artichokes.

also maceroni, near the pantheon and a place called taverna romana just off via cavour, it was via madonna (something).

Cafe Romano: the main dining room at Hotel d'Inghilterra. Good pastas. Don't recall hubby's main course; mine was a nice sliced filet.

Nino's on Via Borgognona: very close to our hotel, and recommended by Carlo, our driver from Sorrento to Rome. Very good food. My chicken stew with peppers and tomatoes was a standout. Good service.

Da Baffetto, Via del Governo Vecchio, 114, near Piazza Navona: we walked past this tiny place a couple of times before noticing the sign above. Sat at a long table outside. Two British women on holiday sat next to us. At the next long table was a group of older Americans who had escaped their guided tour. Our pizzas were quite good; the company was delightful. No reservations, so best to arrive early. After dinner, we took our British friends to Piazza Navona to sample the tartufo at Tre Scalini.

Giggetto, Via Portico d'Ottavia 21a, in the Jewish Ghetto: we liked the carciofi alla guidia (fried artichokes), potato croquettes, fried rice/cheese/tomato balls(whose name temporarily escapes me). We liked the pastas - cacio e pepe (noodles with pepper and cheese) and fettucine with artichokes. My husband's "lamb cacciattore" frightened us! Unidentifiable (and scary)parts of the lamb mixed with vaguely familiar(and thus scarier) parts. He sent it back for safer - and very identifiable - lamb chops.

Tullio, Via S. Nicola da Tolentino, 26: a wonderful restaurant serving Tuscan influenced fare. Great service. We loved the delicious and delicately flavored bean soup, pasta tubes with beef and cheese, filet and veal.

La Piazzetta, Vicolo del Buon Consiglio, 23a, near the Forum: recommended by Daniella, our tour guide for the Roman Forum and Colosseum; we treated her for lunch here after our tour. Delicious antipasto buffet, breads, pastas and complimentary dessert.

Rosati's, Piazza del Popolo: Had lunch outside; ok food and great people watching.




Gelato
-Gelateria della Palma (on via della Maddalena near the Pantheon) or Giolittis (famous from Roman Holiday).

San Crispino – Via Paneterria 42, near Trevi Fountain – We had a tough time finding our way to this shop, and the sign outside is just small, elegant, blue lettering that is parallel to the wall, so you have to walk right up to the shop to see it. But, it was definitely worth finding – there are so many different flavors to try! Plus, since the Trevi Fountain was on our way back from the city center to our hotel, and the Trevi Fountain was always a great sight to see, whether in the daytime or at night, we stopped by this gelateria several times. My favorites flavors were the honey, meringue nocciola, and bergamot. There were plenty of flavors to try, and though the prices were a bit higher than other gelateria, it was well worth several visits.

Giolitti – Via Uffici del Vicario 40, near Pantheon – This was our favorite spot for gelato, though we couldn’t find it until we walked by it one day on a guided tour. The store is very bustling and busy, with dozens of people enjoying their snacks outside and even bigger crowds jostling inside. The first step is to pay for your gelato or granita (water ice), and then to go to the appropriate counter to place an order. I felt that the gelato here was the creamiest and tastiest of all the gelato spots we went to on our whole trip. Also, the granita was a very refreshing treat in the summer heat. On top of that, there were all sorts of interesting pastries and candies to see in the counters. Unfortunately, it was so busy in the store that it was difficult to really spend any time lingering in there. Still, I’d highly recommend finding this spot if you like exploring for gelato.

Blue Ice, Gelateria near the Trevi Fountain, etc. – the rest of the gelateria we tried in Rome were generally good, though none of them really made our mouths water like San Crispino and Giolitti. They are worth trying, though, since it was always nice to take a break from walking in the heat to enjoy a creamy, cold, and tasty snack!


Daily gelato is, of course, a must. We particularly enjoyed Giolitti, Gelateria della Palma, Il Gelato di San Crispino(the honey gelato was terrific), Tre Scalini, where the tartufo is a must for lovers of chocolate. My husband, a renowned chocoholic, gave it his seal of approval.

Ttabb

Lizamarie,
You have an amazing list of restaurants and they all sound so delicious. If you had to choose two restaurants (with teens in mind)moderate priced which two would you choose?
I was thinking about • Armando al Pantheon and Ditirambo and our guide had suggested dar pallaro?
So many great places so little time.

trumps

Bookmarking thanks

Thomarob

Of the places on your list, I had great meals at Hostaria Farnese (fresh pasta and mushrooms, osso bucco, and a wonderful pear in wine sauce for dessert) and Gino in Vicolo Rossini (near Parliament) - terrific gnocchi (Thursdays) and eggplant parmeggiano. Both would be a wonderful choice.

LizaMarie

Ttabb....
I haven't actually read that list thoroughly yet that I posted..... I have no idea what I will pick. I only have 5 nights in Rome and I wish I could eat at every single place I've saved! With 2 teenagers I would suggest eating somewhere that has as many options that would be appealing to them as you can, while keeping in mind what you and your hubby want as well!

lvillinois

bkmrk

Genie

Hi Teri, I have only eaten at 2 restaurants on your list.
Cavour 313 - LOVE IT! They're open at weird times, so check their hours.
Armando al Pantheon -HATE IT! I know a lot of people here love it, but our dinner was cold and awful.
Here's three not to miss :
Cul de Sac (Piazza Pasquino, near
Piazza Navona).
La Fiammetta (Piazza Fiammetta,
between the Tiber and P.Navona), I
think they have the best pizza.
GIOLITTI (Via Uffici del Vicario),
we go here twice a day !!!
Have fun, Genie

macinpv

Hi Ttabb,
Thanks for your list for Rome. Please also share your list for Florence. We will be there in April and would love the suggestions. Thanks!

Ttabb

macinpy
Our Florence list is shorter only because we will be there for just two nights.
FLORENCE RESTAURANTS

• Il Latini (tel. 055-241-171)
• Trattoria I’ Cche’ c’e c’e (tel. 055-216-589)
• ***Acqua al 2 (tel. 055-284-170)
• Trattoria Antellesi (Via Faenza 9R, tel. 055 216990).
• Il Cantastorie (on Via della Condotta)
• Il Sasso di Dante (near the Duomo)
• Da Ganino (in the centro storico)
• Vivoli's (gelato)
• Vivaldi (gelato) (Eileen)
• Grom Gelato (near Duomo) (best gelato/culinary student)

• Trattoria Nell
• Via Guicciardini 48r. (authentic, cheap, delicious, recommended by locals)
• Ristorante Ottorino, (via delle Oche, 12-16r.) (close-up view of the Duomo)
• Cafe Za Za
• Ristorante Antico Paoli (on Via Tivoli)

I haven't been to any of these places but have put this list together from friends and bloggers.

Kristina

Ttabb-
I wasn't going to comment because I haven't been to Rome for over 12 years. However, I am going next month and have many of the same places on my list.
I'm also planning on trying La Fiametta (on Genie's list) as I read on Chowhound they have great Eggplant Parmesan.

What made me comment was your Florence list and the inclusion of Trattoria I’ Cche’ c’e c’e. I had no idea that this place still existed! I went there a couple of times in the mid-1990's and had such memorable meals! The chef/owner was this great, funny guy and made us a dish called "ravioli nudi", literally, "naked ravioli". Basically, it was the filling for spinach ravioli, cooked like little dumplings with a sage butter sauce. I won't ever forget it.
Please, go, and let me know how it is.

Lexma90

I've only been to one of the Rome restaurants on your list, Ditirambo. In fact, we've eaten there twice. I liked it both times, and the ambiance has been good both times; the customers were a combination of foreigners (U.S., French, etc.) and Italians (possibly Romans?). Ditirambo focuses on Roman cuisine, so they have a number of typical and tasty Roman dishes. They have their menu online, in Italian and English. Have your teenagers look at it and see what they think. On the whole, this is probably one of the more sophisticated (but not formal) restaurants on your list.

Armando al Pantheon, I've thought about eating there, and their menu is online too, but it just didn't interest me (for whatever reason). As I recall, they have a more standard sort of menu, so if your teenagers are the less adventurous type, this might be a good place to go.

Zerlina

Lexma, I'm afraid you've got the situation completely reversed. Ditirambo (where I admit I haven't been) advertises itself as "cucina italiana" and of their pasta dishes, there is *not one* that is typically Roman. The only one that comes close is cacio e pepe, classically made with spaghetti and pecorino (sheep's) cheese, which Ditirambo chooses to make with tonnarelli and goat's cheese.

Da Armando al Pantheon has a wider menu - probably better for a picky teenager - but it offers *all* the classic Roman dishes as well.

Lexma90

Well, I don't know that I had the situation complete reversed. Yes, the cacio e pepe was made with tonnarelli (which I had on my earlier trip), but to those of us who don't know that the dish is usually made with spaghetti noodles, it would certain seem a Roman dish (and my notes say that's what the waiter told me!) - and was quite tasty indeed. Also, I had an anchovy dish that the waiter told me was a Roman sort of item (and which I, surprisingly, found somewhat bland).

What I should have said more clearly was that between the two, however, that probably Armando would have a wider variety of dishes to choose from, including items that are more "standard." What I meant by that was that the menu includes more Italian dishes that might be more familiar to an American teenager (in addition to Roman favorites).

Bottom line, you'll enjoy them all!

TOtraveller

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. Now...where to start....

franco

In order to make it a bit more difficult for you: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34792415

Ttabb

I spoke to the concierge at our hotel in Rome about what restaurants we should try for our three nights in Rome.He suggested that we try Santo Padre,Pierluigi and Da Giggetto. From what I've read, they have all gotten pretty good reviews. Any comments?