cawhite

Hi everyone,

Our family of 4 will be in Rome at the end of June. We have a Scavi tour reservation on a Thursday at 10:45 a.m., and plan to take the 2 hour docent led Vatican tour at 2:00 p.m.. We plan to tour St. Peter's Basilica late that afternoon.

Based on the great reviews I've seen, we would love to go to Dino and Tony's Hosteria for lunch... I hear it's a 5 min. / 2-3 block walk from the Vatican. Will we have time to do this?

Our other option is to go to Dino and Tony's for dinner, after we finish touring St. Peter's Basilica.

Any suggestions on how to plan our day, and hopefully fit Dino and Tony's in? Is D&T's better (or less expensive) at lunch? Also, if anyone knows what hours D&T's is open, that would be helpful as well.

Many thanks.

Carole

Grinisa

Dino and Tony's probably won't open for lunch until 12:30. Your Scavi tour will conclude between 12 and 12:30 so by the time you walk there it should be open. The five minute walk might be if you are power walking from the Vatican Museums. We walked to D&T last summer and it took a little less than 10 minutes. But you will need to add on another 10 minutes at least from the Scavi Office. D&T is not a place to go if you are in a hurry. Our lunch of the antipasto (lots and lots) and pasta (again, lots and lots) took nearly 2 and half hours. We were way too full to even contemplate a meat or fish course. But D&T insisited we have watermelon for dessert and then brought out the coffee and limoncello. If I were under a time constraint, I'd go for dinner.

LAwoman

We went to Dino and Tony's after our 12:00 Scavi tour last October. It was our best meal in Rome and agree it should not be rushed. Would go for dinner.

Neopolitan

Hmm. Never heard of this place. We both HATE oversized portions, but like good food in smaller quantities. So is this a place we should skip? Is it all about the size of the portions?

espagnabound

You can order one portion to share in Italy. Just say "uno per due, per favore" when you order the item.

Neopolitan

Thanks, I'm aware of that, but that wasn't really my question. I've gotten used to people raving about a place, but when they mainly talk about the huge portions I find it's not so good, it's just all about the size. My question is -- is the food here special? If they served the same stuff in tiny portions would you still rave, or is the gimmick that they serve so much?

I ask, because I rarely see any good recommendations for restaurants in the Vatican area.

Grinisa

The food is very good. The portions are actually small to small/medium, but it's the number of different plates brought out. For the four of us (2 adults, 2 kids) we ordered (actually, we were told) the mixed antipasto. They brought out at least six different plates of various antipasti, each one fairly small. We ate those and were told the pasta course was coming. They brought out four different bowls of pasta. After we ate them, we were pretty full. He was ready to bring out the secondo but we swore we couldn't eat another bite. Not discouraged, he brought out four enormous chunks of watermelon and two tiny espressos and limoncellos.

nwtraveler

I also recommend that if you go, go for dinner. Our party of 3 adults had 8 different antipasti, two pasta dishes (one vegetarian and one with meat), deep fried artichokes and then 6 different desserts (after I said that we just wanted a little dessert). All the portions were small to medium, but that much food adds up quickly. It was one of the best meals I've ever had and the entire bill was about $100 (that price includes the house wine).

MaureenB

How did you reserve the docent-led tour of the Vatican (museums?)? Can it be reserved in advance on-line?

cawhite

Thanks everyone!!

Sounds like we better go for dinner, not for lunch! Does anyone know if Dino and Tony's closes in the afternoon and reopens at dinner time... if so what time do they re-open? If they re-open too late, we would probably have to skip D&T's and head back to Trastevere for dinner, where we are staying.

MaureenB: We do not have the reservations for the Vatican tour yet, but are *planning* for a 2 p.m. tour time.

30 days prior to our arrival we will fax the Vatican (from the US) as listed on their site at:

Fax: 011 39 06 6988 5100

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-In...zi_Visite.html

I'm crossing my fingers!

We just got our Scavi reservation date / time yesterday, so now I'm trying to plan the rest of our day on that date.

Carole

MaureenB

Thanks, cawhite. We will be in Rome in early May and have faxed to the number you list a couple of times, but no reply. Others say their replies came just a week before their requested date, so I'm still hoping! Worst case, our hotel desk has Vatican museum tours we can book up to an hour before. So that's the fall-back plan. Good luck.

cawhite

Hi MaureenB - I read on one of these threads of someone who showed up at the tour after not receiving a response and they did had a reservation. They just weren't notified for some reason. I can't recall if that was for the Vatican tour, or the Scavi tour.

I plan to give them the date we are leaving that I need a response by... and then cross my fingers!

Anyone else know the operating hours of Dino and Tony's Hosteria?

Thanks in advance.

Carole

Grinisa

Stuart Clark's website about Rome lists Dino and Tony's hours as 12:30--3:30 and 7:30 until close.

cawhite

That's a big help, Grinisa, and will help us with planning our day. I had printed out the map with the location of Dino and Tony's from that same website... but missed their hours of operation.

Thank you.

Carole

peppermintpatti

Hi Catwhite or Grinisa, Could you post this website? Thanks! Pepper

MDTSEA

We too will be in Rome in early June visiting the Vatican and hoping to dine at Dino and Tony's as well.

Are reservations required?

Grinisa

www.stuardtclarkesrome.com

Zydecoqueen

Carole how far in advance to your trip did you receive your Scavi confirmation? I'm still waiting for ours and I sent it March 19th. We are arriving in ROme July 7th. SOunds like Gino and Tony's is a great place...I'll have to check the website.

Mary

cawhite

Hi Mary,

I sent the request for the Scavi Tour on November 30th, and just got the Scavi date / time confirmation on April 26th. They must have just done all the June requests at the same time because I noticed on another thread someone else got their reservation at the same time we did, for an earlier date in June.

I faxed in our credit card information for payment on April 26th, and received a receipt on the 28th.

I would imagine you'll hear something in the next couple of weeks for July. Keep your fingers crossed!

Carole