I'm looking for a restaurant in the Piazza Navona area of Rome to celebrate my mother's birthday next month during her dream trip to Rome. There will only be three of us (Mom, sis and I) and we prefer something that offers both indoor and outdoor seating.

I'd like it to be some place a bit special, but it doesn't necessarily have to be top of the line. The price range I'm looking at is around 200 euro for three people...give or take.

Any ideas or suggetions for restaurants? I'm also open to any suggestions for how to make this a special evening, being that it's her birthday AND our last night in Rome.

While I like the Piazza Navonna area, for a really special celebration and with a good budget like that, I would recommend one of the following. I would try to time it to be there around sunset so you can see the view and the lights come up over the city. Go to sunrisesunset.com for timings:

Mirabelle Restaurant
Hotel Splendide Royal
Via Di Porta Pinciana 14
Tel: 39 06 421 689
Fax: 39 06 421 68800

This is just off the Via Veneto. The restaurant is on the roof and has a beautiful view over the rooftops of the houses along the Via Veneto, the Borghese Gardens and the dome of St. Peters. At sunset this is really something. Very good food and service. It is a wonderful experience. I especially recommend a table on their large terrace if it is warm enough, if not there are good views from the large glass windows.

La Terrazza dell'Eden
Hotel Eden
Via Ludovisi 49 - 00187 Roma Italy
Tel. (39-06) 478121
Fax (39-06) 4821584

This is a Michelen one-star restaurant, great views over Rome and of course great food.

I would normally also recco the restaurant on the roof of the Hassler Hotel, but a friend has told me that it is closed for renovations, but do check because if it is open it is worth considering as well.

Statia,

I highly recommend Osteria dell'Antiquario. They have top-notch Roman and International cuisine and a first rate wine cellar. It has lots of ambience both inside and outside looking onto the small fountain on the piazetta (not sure if will it be warm enough to sit outside in March?). It's far enough off Piazza Navona (about 6 blocks) that it is almost all local patrons. It is a very pleasant stroll down Via dei Coronari from Piazza Navona.

Osteria dell'Antiquario
Piazzetta di S. Simeone 26-27 (on Via dei Coronari a few blocks off Piazza Navona)
Reservastions required.
tel. 06.6879694

Hi Statia,
The recommendations above are nice. If you are looking for something directly in the Piazza Navona area there is the rooftop restaurant on top of the Hotel Raphael. If not dinner, it is a lovely place to have a drink overlooking the city.

Thanks so much for the tips. I am looking into all of these now. Too bad that most don't seem to open for dinner until after sunset, but they all still seem to be wonderful options for a special dinner.

Close to Piazza Navona, in the Piazza Cancelleria, is the wonderful Ditirambo.

We had an excellent meal at Ditrambo a few years ago. I second this recommendation!

Thanks for the further info about Ditrambo. I'll check it out.