lazydog

We are booked at this hotel for 3 nights (Sunday-Wednesday). I'm looking for feedback on this hotel, good places to eat nearby and wondering if we are going to have any trouble with lots of places (restaurants/bars) being closed since we are arriving on a Sunday of a holiday - May 1st - weekend. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

MFNYC

The Del Senato has always been well-received in this forum. If you do a search on it, you'll find many references.

ekscrunchy

It is not so much the holiday, but the fact that it will be Sunday and you will find quite a few restaurants closed. La Campana and Ditirambo are open on Sundays and are within easy walking distance of the hotel. You will find others; these are just two that come to mind.

ekscrunchy

This is from Maureen Fant's excellent website; she gives tours and cooking classes in Rome:

It's getting harder and harder to eat anything but pizza on a Sunday evening. Here are a few ideas from the Gambero Rosso guide. The ones I've tried and liked have an asterisk. In addition, there are a number of hotel restaurants and pizzerias as well as a few wine bars and ethnics.

*Dal Bolognese (classic, upmarket, haven't been in years)
Al Bric (Campo de' Fiori) (never been)
*La Campana (I find it tired but often irreplaceable)
Capricci Siciliani (OK in a pinch)
*Cavour 313
*Al Ceppo (upmarket, in Parioli, great food)
*Cul de Sac (wine bar, much love, much uncomfortable)
Il Focolare (Monteverde Vecchio; it's fine, just not fantastic)
Giggetto al Portico (the Ghetto classic)
*Giuda Ballerino! (Tuscolo; very good creative restaurant)
'Gusto (hate it, but it's the 800-pound gorilla of off-hours eating)
Le Jardin du Russie (never been)
Mamma Angelina (Quartiere Africano) (never been)
*Montevecchio (adorable, near via dei Coronari)
*Al Presidente (Trevi, mainly fish, lovely ambience)
*Tram Tram (San Lorenzo, chaotic but yummy)
*Uno e Bino (San Lorenzo, very good creative casual, emphasizes wine)
*Vecchia Roma (P. Campitelli, beautiful, food is uneven)
*Vinarium (similar, very good)
*Vino Garage (wine bar, no hot food)

AlessandraZoe

The Del Senato is in such a central tourist "hub" that it works in your favor, I'm sure, so it's likely those that are usually open on Sundays will be open that day. You could also try emailing your question to the front desk at the Del Senato? They were very helpful to us for restaurant suggestions when we were there during an Easter weekend.

LouisaH

I stayed here last November and the location was great. I was a little disappointed in a few things but to be fair, I was coming from the St. Regis, where I was lucky enough to stay for business so there is really no comparison. A few things in particular were the size of my bed, a single but ridiculously small, inadequate reading light, bar/lounge area totally lacking in ambiance but the price was right, so it was fine.

I cannot speak to dining over the holiday but I did dine on a Sunday night and wanted something relatively close because it was pouring. I went to La Sagrestia, via del Seminario, 89, which was very, very close and it was quite good.

Zerlina

Grano on Piazza Rondanini, a few blocks away, is open Sunday:
Mediterranean/"creative".

P.S. LouisaH has been dissing the Senato at every opportunity.

Lynnaustin

I don't know if you paid extra for a room with a view of the Pantheon. Be aware that one half of the entire front is covered with scaffolding.

appletea

We stayed there in 2006 on our first trip to Rome. It was pricey, but nice. The hotel staff was very accommodating in holding our luggage after we checked out on our last day.

LouisaH

Zerlina, that is a really unfair comment. I have only given my thoughts on my stay when specifically asked about this hotel and ALWAYS prefaced it by saying that it wasn't fair to comment since I was coming from the St. Regis. I heard nothing but rave reviews about del Senato before I went and I would have appreciated knowing about these particular issues that I've noted as I would have been better prepared upon check in to address these concerns.

lazydog

Thank you so much for your wonderful restaurant suggestions. I'm new to the forum chat so I wasn't aware that I should have searched first. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your responses. Ekscrunchy - thanks for your detail. I'm really hoping the hotel terrace is open when we get there. That's what I'm most looking forward to about the hotel. Are there any other rooftop terrace romantic bars that you would suggest? We are celebrating our 15th anniversary and my 40th birthday so looking for some romance...Thanks again!

Lynnaustin

You should email the hotel and ask about the terrace. We were going to stay at end of April and they emailed back to me that it would not yet be open. Worth a try to email.

ekscrunchy

Lazy: Congratulations! The classic rooftop terrace bar for celebrations is at the Eden Hotel.


http://www.edenroma.com/en/barlaterrazza




The Hotel Rafael also has a lovely terrace bar and is within an easy walk of the Senato.


http://www.raphaelhotel.com/the-terr...el-in-rome.htm

The Hassler restaurant has a superb view but you should check whether or not they have a bar area:


http://www.hotelhassler.com/imagoPag..._storia&lang=2

And the Hilton has a great view from their restaurant, out of the center of the city and very expensive.


http://www.romecavalieri.com/lapergola.php

Denise

topping

AnnMarie_C

We stayed at the Del Senato a few years ago for a week during our first trip to Rome. Great location, friendly and helpful staff, clean, great breakfast... When we return that is where we'll stay.

Zerlina

The Grand Hotel de la Minerve, three steps from the Senato, has a rooftop bar.