what an excellent posting to top!<BR>I'll add my own recent favorite, although I've posted it on other threads--and originally got the recommendation from someone else who posted.<BR>La Tartaruga,via del Monte della Farina 53, 06 686 9473, closed Mon. <BR>This past Sept I had dinner two nights in a row at the same restaurant--I've never done that anywhere before. The address is on a small street that starts next to the church of St Andrea della Valle, immediately south of Corso Vittorio Emmanuelle, near the Pantheon/Piazza Navona area. Not a long walk, about ten minutes from Piazza Navona, just off the beaten track. What a great little restaurant/wine bar! It is family-run, and the same family owns a farm in Tuscany where they produce their own olive oil and wine vinegar. All the food was outstanding on both nights (the second night I went with some new acquaintances) and as simple as it sounds, the mandarine (tangerine) sorbet was to die for. Cost for one, full meal plus a glass of wine and coffee, was the equivalent of about $40 and worth twice that.<BR>

I heartily second Richard's recommendations of Da Francesco and, especially, Enoteca Antica.

Il Capitello in Campo de Fiori was our favourite. The food was good, the atmosphere relaxed and cosy, they played good music on a great sound system, but most of all the service was wonderful. Patrizia is the most genuinely friendly, delightful waitress we've ever met. She offered us a free drink of choice when we told her we were going home the next day, and gave us her card with a lovely message on it when we left. Fond memories.

I've been to Rome many times, and I have great friends that live there. The restaurant we went to the most was called Cul de Sac - it's between Piazza Navona (where my friend owns a bar called Jonathans Angels - yet another awesome place to go) and Campo di Fiori. It's fabulous. Platters of meats, cheese, pate etc. It's not a traditional italian meal with the antipasti, primi etc - it's more modern. The wine list is as thick as a bible, and the prices range from $4 a bottle to $500. We ate like kings one night (me and three others) for less than $15 a person (including three bottles of wine). It's fabulous but crowded, so you should know how to wheedle your way to a table in Italian.

Hi Richard,<BR>What a fabulous post. I live and work in Rome as a tour guide and it really made me smile to see how much you have captured this wonderful city with your review of restaurants and things to do. I hope you don't mind if I make a couple of other recommendations. Right near Insalata Ricca (Largo di Chiavari) if you keep walking you will find a piazza called Piazza Pallaro. Here you will find Trattoria del Pallaro. It is a typical Italian trattoria with people (mainly Italians which is always a good sign) lining up to get in! Here youdon't order, Mamma just brings out different plates of typical dishes. The cost of a meal including wine is 35,000 lire each. Great value and great fun to see the owners in action.<BR>As to icecream, whilst Giolitti is excellent I would highly recommend a small chain called Blue Ice. There is one near Piazza Navona, Campo di Fiori and the Trevi Fountain. To die for!!!!<BR>Remember too that if the pastry shops are closed it is very typically Italian to have a pastry late at night after being out dancing etc. So it is quite acceptable (and a wonderful experience) to knock on the bakery door and get them straight out of the oven at 3am!!!!<BR>As to the sellers, I have a friend who has a restaurant in Rome and he is always telling them to leave the restaurant. It is difficult as they just keep coming back again and again. However as you mentioned a very firm "grazie" and not even glancing at anything, will eventually get the message across.<BR>Hope this post is of interest to everyone, but if anyone would like any other information or general advice, please feel free to email me direct.<BR>I am currently on holiday myself in Australia but will be back in Rome (the most beautiful city and now my home) very soon. <BR>Merry Xmas to all.<BR>Marianna

I haven't been to Rome in a couple of years (wow, I can't believe it's been that long!), but here's my choise for most memorable restaurant:<BR><BR>Trattoria da Gigghetto. <BR><BR>A wonderful restaurant in the heart of the "Jewish Ghetto" of Rome and sitting right beside an ancient Roman structure "Potico d'Ottavia". There's nothing like eating your dinner as you ponder the ancient ruins that are within arm's reach. <BR><BR>You'll want to make reservations and check the price range for your comfort level. Contact information: Via del Portica d'Ottavia, 21/A-22-00186. Tel. 06.68.61.105 (closed Mondays).

try 'La Serenissima'...ONLY if you have a good appetite. Tough to find in northeast section of Rome, the chef (called "the assassin" because he trys to 'kill' you with his food), keeps bringing out food until you surrender and say Stop!<BR><BR>

I checked this great site to <BR>see if anyone could tell me the name of a little restaurant my husband & I wandered into. Rosa was in the name. It was in an "alley"( actually a street I guess),near the Trevi Fountain.It seemed to be patronized mostly by local business men.My husband turned down no gelati.."he never met a gelati he didn't like" I would avoid the Pizzza place directly across the street from the Vatican exit. We were ravenous or we would not have stopped there. It was the ONLY place on our trip where we felt ripped off. And the food wasn't good.The gelato was overpriced but good. Most all our trip thru Italy (late March-early April) was damp but the people were friendly and NICE.

Our visit was in 2000.

kenny, I'm just now seeing your question about reastaurants in the Colosseum area. We ate at San Teodoro (in August, 2001)in Via Fienili (or a spelling very close to that)near the Forum & Colosseum. It had very fine food. Imaginative and seasonal. Not cheap, but not high end expensive, either. We ate outside (their outdoor area stayed full the entire time we were there, and seemed to have a large number of Italians - a good sign!. But, we saw the inside of the restaurant also and it looked lovely. Dress was Italian informal. In other words, people looked nicely dressed, but were not what I'd call "dressed up."

L'Orso 80 on Via Orso not far from Piazza Novona. They have an amazing antipasti- plates and plates of food, frittatta, beans, mozzarella, potato, meat, fish, vegetables, bread...you do not need to order a main course. A wonderful gastromonic experience. Also, liked Margutta Vegetariano on Via Margutta. We're vegetarian so we also loved Insalata Ricci not too far from Piazza Argentina.

Thought of another great restaurant near the Pantheon- Myosotis on Vicolo Della Vaccarella(?)- very good!<BR><BR>Venture to Trastevere! Lot's of great restaurants!

ttt

I'm looking forward to my first trip to Italy in Oct for my honeymoon. Since we're leaning against a tour, this post is extremely helpful!!! One question though. What is gnochi?

I love gnocchi...they are a dumpling.<BR>In the Italian food arena, gnocchi [NYOH-kee] has come to mean dumpling. Dumplings are pieces of dough usually made from flour (a starch) and water and then poached, baked, or fried. Good dumplings are made by adding flavorful ingredients or by being served in a soup or sauce. Are you familiar with Jewish matzo balls or sp&auml;tzle from Germany? These are well-known dumplings. Well, gnocchi is from Italy and there’s different kinds from different regions. But the very basic recipe refers to gnocchi di patate--potato gnocchi. <BR>

Thanks Kathy, I appreciate it!<BR>

I love gnocchi...they are a dumpling.<BR>In the Italian food arena, gnocchi [NYOH-kee] has come to mean dumpling. Dumplings are pieces of dough usually made from flour (a starch) and water and then poached, baked, or fried. Good dumplings are made by adding flavorful ingredients or by being served in a soup or sauce. Are you familiar with Jewish matzo balls or sp&auml;tzle from Germany? These are well-known dumplings. Well, gnocchi is from Italy and there’s different kinds from different regions. But the very basic recipe refers to gnocchi di patate--potato gnocchi. <BR>

For those of you really interested in finding good restaurants in Rome, you might want to buy the book "Gambero Rosso - Rome". It's a book written by Italian food critics (it's in English) and lists various restaurants in all parts of the city with a blurb about the food, atmosphere, etc. It also lists wine bars, ice cream and snack places, gourmet food stores, home accessory stores. I got it through Amazon.com.

ttt<BR><BR>By the way mine is Vecchio Roma !

topping