After spending a week in Tuscany we are spending a day and night in Rome before flying out. We have never been to Rome beore. Any suggestions for lunch and dinner restaurants. We genuinely like everything, but maybe looking for a casual traditinal lunch and a more upscale dinner. Any help is appreciated.

I always recommend 'Gusto, an upbeat bar, restaurant, pizzaria near the piazza del Popolo (sp?). Its at the corner of via della Frezza and via del Corea. Good eats, great fun.

I used to love Gusto, but after two bad experiences in the past year, I won't return...

Here are a couple of places we ate in last month when we were there for a few days.

Ristorante da Alceste – Al Buon Gusto
Corso Rinascimento, 66/70
Tel: 06 68 61 312

Wonderful restaurant, serving the freshest seafood I’ve ever had in Rome.
Very modern, with a rather stark design, the food is the star here.
There is no menu per se – the waiter simply tells you what is available.
I chose an entree of raw seafood and my husband chose the cooked seafood. Small platters, bowls and dishes arrived and were arranged on the crisp white tablecloth…. One platter offered an arrangement of shaved raw sea bass, three large translucent shrimp, a large scallop in its shell and drizzled with lime juice, lemon zest and olive oil.
Among the cooked offerings was a paper cone of tempura battered deep fried baby squid and small red mullet filets in a fresh tomato sauce.
For the main course we had a beautifully baked whole sea bass with fresh tomatoes and chunks of potato. Delicious.
Dinner for two with a bottle of white wine, dessert and coffee was E 180,-

Trattoria Otello alla Concordia
Via della Croce, 81
Tel: 06 67 91 178
www.otelloallaconcordia.com

I first ate here in the early 1980’s, when a friend and I were looking for a cool place to escape the August noontime heat. Set off the street in a courtyard, the garden dining area is glassed in during the winter months. Now we try to eat there at least once every winter when we’re in Rome – it’s lively, the banter with the waiters is fun and the food is very good.

Toto alle Carrozze
Via delle Carrrozze, 10
Tel: 06 67 85 558
www.totoallecarrozze.com

A small restaurant not far from the Spanish Steps. Nice for lunch.

With such a short time in Rome, you might first figure out where you are likely to be at lunch time, and ask for recommendations within easy walking distance. Similarly, it is always good to know the names of good restaurants close to your hotel. It's worth picking up a Time Out guide to Rome, which is organized around Rome's neighborhoods.

In the meantime, I would highly recommend that you try the Roman specialty of fried artichokes at Da Giggetto at the Portico d'Ottavia in the Jewish Quarter.

While there are many wonderful places with really fine food in Rome, I'd mainly aim myself at least for lunch to one of those places on Piazza Navona or better yet, facing the Pantheon. The best food in Rome? No. The most memorable place to have a lunch? Probably!