My husband and I will be in Rome next week, staying at the Hotel Romano at Largo Corrado Ricci 32, across the street from the Forum. Can anyone recommend a decent pizzeria or trattoria nearby the hotel for our first evening?
Thank you,
Marsha

We loved Taverna dei Fori Imperiali so much that we ate there twice. It's at via Madonna dei Monti 16
tel. 06 6798643 closed Tuesdays and not far from the Forum. It's a small family owned place, one of the sons speaks excellent English, and the food is fantastic.

I also 2nd the restaurant Marija recommended, I ate there quite a few times when I stayed at the Romana in '06. Also google it, I recall some foodie website(s) mentioned it.

[Directions from the hotel]
Walk straight across the street from the hotel to the right of the Medieval Tower (This photo was taken in front of the Romano http://tinyurl.com/6b4uk7) and take the 1st right down the narrow street (Via Madonna dei Monti 16).

~80m on the left is the Taverna Dei Fori Imperiali. You can't miss it with the name on the awning and a few tables out front.

The owner speaks excellent English and will tell you the Specials of the day.

Also right across the street from him is a nice neighborhood pizza restaurant. This was recommended to me by the above taverna owner 1 day when I stopped by and he was closed (tuesdays).

 That medieval tower's base is from 1198, built by Riccardo dei Conti brother of Pope Innocent III. Damaged in the 1348 Earthquake, it's present state is from the 17C additions to strengthen it and reduce by Pope Urban VIII.
 Originally it was ~twice as high.

 The Via Madonna d Monti is a Medieval street (you'll feel it as you walk down it) that is built over an ancient Roman street called the Argiletum.

 You can see the Argiletum on the rightside of the Curia in the Roman Forum, going thru the Forum of Nerva (seen from sidewalks on both sides of the Via d. Fori Imperiali) and heading to the higher modern Via M. d. Monti.

 This street lead from the Forum to Subura which was the slum of ancient Rome, also where Julius Caesar grew-up.

 I'm not much of a foodie, so I don't explore restaurants, I find a couple and eat there for 2+ weeks.
 
 But in general I would avoid any restaurant on this end of Via Cavour which would cater to tourists.

 I didn't try the restaurant right across the street from the hotel for that reason and its prices.
  Also if you go up Via Cavour (~100m) I would avoid the modern-styled pizza restaurant on the left.

 But if you want to spice-up your tripreport when you get back go to Ristorante Cleto on Via del Cardello 28 (2 blocks up Cavour and 1 over).
  I swear I thought I was on Italian Candid Camera .
It was every stereotype of rude service rolled into 2 waiters.
  2 waiters covering me, a couple and 2 couples at 3 tables, so it's not like they were busy.
 The food was terrible also.
 
 And the finale was; Walking by my table without breaking stride, he flipped the bill on the table with a "Service NOT included" over his shoulder.

Go to
www.stuardtclarkesrome.com/cavour.htm
The photographer is standing on the sidewalk on Via d. Fori Imperiali, behind him (40m) is the entrance to the Roman Forum. The Romano is that yellow 4-story bldg in the center just to the right alttle (and to the right of that tree).

Also this woman's photo & trip report has a few pictures of the Hotel Romano and area around it.
www.pbase.com/andrys/rome1

Small World; We had talked briefly in the hotel's lobby in May '06 and then ran into each other again on the Frommer's messageboard 14 months later.

 The front 12 of the Romano's 16 rooms offer *very nice* views (Roman Forum to the left).

Noise was not a problem the shutters and windows closed.

  Actually at night I just shut the shutters and had the windows opened like this /_\ and the curtains closed with no noise problems on the (US) 2nd floor.
 
 Breakfast is light but typical for a 2* (coffee, roll/pastry, fake juice) and is from the coffee bar next door with covered outside seating in front of the hotel.

 I think the hotel says 7am but the coffee bar opens at 6 or earlier.
If you are early just go into the bar with your token, get your stuff and seat yourself.
I did that everyday myself anyway, alot easier.

  What is nice about this arrangement is, if you want more food just go back in and buy it.
  He has a nice assortment and is popular with the early-bird Romans heading to work.
  Also sandwiches if you're heading out somewhere on a daytrip.

If you walk up the leftside of Via Cavour there is a tabacchi, small wine shop, atm and a deli/grocery/wine shop all within ~125m.

Also if you walk out of the hotel, turn right, and right again there is an Irish Pub close-by.
Regards, Walter

"Also if you go up Via Cavour (~100m) I would avoid the modern-styled pizza restaurant on the left".
Make that "on the RIGHT".

Dear Marija and ParadiseLost:
Thank you very much for your answers. Your recommendations will give us several good options for supper.
ParadiseLost: I am glad to hear from you. Your earlier posts here lead me to Hotel Romano in the first place. Thank you for the sites for the pictures and the neighborhood and breakfast info.
Marsha

Walter, I wish we'd been able to use that knowledge of yours! when there. Wonderful info you offer.

I remembered, after seeing my galleries had visitors from Fodor's, that I had not yet put up pics of the Pantheon (pics enough online already) or, more interestingly, of a visit to the interesting layered (different centuries) Church of San Clemente.

Highly recommended. My travel partner has photos of that at http://www.pbase.com/mcampbell/rome2

as well as more photos of the Hotel Romano if you click there on 'Rome around the colosseum'

Re where one can get a decent early dinner, our FIRST dinner in Rome was delicious but I don't remember the name of the restaurant. You exit the Hotel, turn right and walk up half a block. Then turn right and go half way up the block and there is a sort of alley. Right there is the restaurant and we enjoyed that dinner outdoors - my favorite fetuccine of the entire 3 weeks too. A photo to memorialize it is at http://www.pbase.com/andrys/image/63199439

There are also photos of that place on the page that Walter/Paradise Lost linked you to.

Have a GREAT trip! Pretty much guaranteed...

- Andrys
---
http://www.pbase.com/italy

Bookmarking

Marsha, Have a Wonderful Trip!

Andrys; Thanks.

Also re: pictures on your travel partners website.

6359; That picture was taken on Via dei Fori Imperiali between our hotel and the Colosseum.
Mussolini built that street (1932/3) for military parades.
He put up 5 of those maps, the 1st 4 showed Rome's expansion and Empire from its Founding 753BC to Trajan's reign (96-117AD).
The 5th showed his new planned Empire's expansion into No. Africa.
The Italians later smashed his map that was hanging up there and hung him up instead.

The building in the background is the Basilica of (Emperor) Maxentius started in 306AD and finished by Emperor Constantine in 313AD who also finished-off Maxentius the year before.

6503: Is a small section of the Tower across the street from the hotel.
http://tinyurl.com/6b4uk7 the section is the right half of the Tower ~15 above the ground (match-up the windows).

6572; IS the Arch of Titus.

6577; The photo was taken from where the Emperor's Box once was.
On the opposite side where the cross is, was another Box where the Vestal Virgins sat.
Of course if there was going to be any male nudity in the arena they had to leave.
But the wholesale blood bath events were OK, kind-of like TV .
Regards, Walter

Hostaria da Nerone, Via delle Terme di Tito, overlooking the Colosseum is good but I think maybe closed in August

Per your recommendations, we ate at Taverna dei Fori Imperiali our first night in Rome. The food was excellent and everyone was very friendly! I especially enjoyed sitting outside and listening to the neighbors greet and chat with the restaurant owners. We also ate at the pizzeria across the street. I would recommend both.

Hotel Romano was just what we wanted in a hotel - small, quiet and cool. The combination of a ceiling fan and air-conditioning cooled us off after a long hot day walking around Rome. My husband was delighted that the hotel was so close to the Forum.
Hey, Walter, I wondered about those maps on the walls along Via dei Fori Imperiali. Thanks.

I'm bookmarking this thread! Great info! Can't wait for our trip this fall!!!!