Try a polite request to visit the kitchen. No? Visit the WC. Seated, are extra place settings removed from the table? Is the bread/cracker offering in sealed packages? Appearances count..look about at what is being served and eaten by earlier customers. Really paranoid? Check the back door garbage!

Regarding the cafe at the top of Castle Sant'Angelo, I ate a small meal there in October (was exhausted and was watching the sun set). It wasn't expensive, but was definitely the worst food of the trip (by far). The food had been microwaved and seemed pre-packaged. No one else around was eating ... all were just have drinks. The view of the lights coming on over the Tiber and St. Peter's was gorgeous, though, and I took a few beautiful photos.

Chicago Heather, I concur! Sat at a table with an espresso and a piece of cake as the sun was setting and I hadn't eaten since my "cornetto" at breakfast, but I'd definitely not have a full meal or more than a snack there. View is unparalleled, though, particularly at sunset. Glad you had a chance to enjoy it.

BC

About Alfredo e Ada: On another travel forum, one person posted that it was closed.

A few days later, another person posted to say that she had just eaten there, that she recognized Ada from photographs of her, and that the only change was that the fixed-price menu had gone up to, I think, 18 Euro.

Take your pick of whom you choose to believe...

Okay, a couple of poor reviews on the restaurant at Castel Sant'Angelo. It's coming off my list with so many other options to eat very well in Roma!

Thanks for the input.

I was out of town last week and missed the posts on Slowtalk that indicated Ada's might still be open. If it is, that's wonderful. Anyone going to Rome should try to eat there, as Ada is well over retirement age and whether or not her daughter takes over the restaurant is anyone's guess.

Nerone is very close to the Colisseum and has excellent food...Via della Terme di Tito, 96. They have a large antipasti spread, great gnocchi on Thursdays (gnocchi day in Rome) and some of the best linguine with clams I have ever eaten.

There are good places to eat throughout Rome; there are no areas to avoid, although there are some with a heavy concentration of tourist-oriented places. Personally I do not like the Spanish Steps/Condotti triangle area for eating, although even there there are a few good places.

Two to avoid:

The trattoria where the Context Rome tours for the Vatican museums meet. DO NOT eat here! I knew it would be bad, but frozen, microwave pizza in Italy! It should be illegal! Even their gallato was bad, amazing.

In Assisi - the little cafe in the main piazza where the Tourist Office is. Again, frozen, microwave pizza, but at least they serve Orvieto Classico.

Sacro e Profane-central location -it was a church - has murals
Recommended by Rick Steves
Veal was FULL of fat - ugg! They took away my full plate without a comment

Chances are you wouldn't even end up here, but I grabbed pizza for lunch at Pizza Buono on Corso Vittorio Emanuele near Piazza Navona and it was the worst pizza I've ever had!

Do not eat at Cafe San Pietro!

My worst meal in Rome a few years ago was at Al 34, Via Mario de Fiori. Another reason to avoid the Spanish Steps area for eating.

Great question, Missy, and great answers...thanks...marking for later.

Hi:
There ARE good, reasonable restaurants
on Vatican Hill and near the Forum/Coliseum. Just back from Rome and want to thank I_am_kane for the recommendation of Sicillianbocca on Vatican Hill. You'll need a map, but it wasn't hard to find, in a quiet residential area, nice break after the mobs at St. Peters. It is a few blocks walk, so if you're already worn out from trekking through the museums, you might want to find a closer place. Food was terrific, people nice, no tourists when we were there--just Italians, and lovely garden atmosphere (under roof).
I would also like to highly recommend a place near the Forum: Ristorante Pizzaria Imperiale. the address is Largo Corrado Ricci,37, but it is just where Via Cavour meets Via Dei Fori Imperiali. There are a line of places there and it is 2nd in from Via Imperiale (I think). Very good food--much more than just pizza. I had a seafood risotto that had so many mussels it would have taken me two days to eat it all.
Trip report coming when I've recovered from a bug (not related to food).
Vera

That's good to know. Thanks...we leave tomorrow (yikes!)

Here are two restaurants in Rome that we really enjoyed two weeks ago:

Very casual and good, the Maccheroni Ristorante at Piazza delle Coppelle, 44, phone 06 68307895. Also very popular with locals and gets very busy. 47EUR for two, with one-half liter of house wine.

Il Matriciano, Via dei Gracchi, 49- 61, phone 063213040, or 063212327. For a more special dinner, but certainly not over-the-top. For three people dining, we paid 103EUR, which included a liter of house wine, coffee and three desserts. We order very lightly. Two of us had veal dishes, one had just spaghetti. We shared two appetizers. It is a very, very friendly and pleasant place. You need reservations there. A friend who studied in Rome directed us to it. We completely enjoyed ourselves.

Worst: Antica Taverna
Why: .Waiters are rude ...too many americans (loud)...Lamb ordered was neck bones!!!....what a rip off ..this place is west of the Piazza Navona
Best in Rome: Perilli e prati a few blocks NE of the vatican museum
Why: antipasto was to die for!!!! best ever!!! great freindly service! nice quiet atmosphere...

Near the Vatican family place workers eat there simple good food.
If you happen to be in the vatican area is directly off the via porta cavalleggeri. If you take the pickpocket special (64 bus) to the Vatican the porta cavalleggeri is the street where the bus stops for the vatican. As you get out look ahead you will see a arched train trestle. Its about 2 blocks. The Goose is under the trestle on your side of street. Its a small side street you can't see the sign until your right in front of it.
Your be hard put to spend 20e including wine.

Worst on my trip: something Costanza. Wish I could tell you where it was, but I can't remember the street. Will get this info. Bad service, rude waiter who questioned the size of the tip. Our party was left for over half an hour with no wine. Not fun.

Best on our trip: Ristorante (something like that) la or le Coppelle on a street by the same name near the Pantheon. Also, Virginiae or Virginiale to the west of Piazza Navona. Both were very casual (hey, we have a toddler) warm, welcoming places and the food was great.

Near the Vatican, there is a place called Paolo's where Context Rome meets tour groups. Can't speak about the food, but the bathroom was great (and free) and they were very, very friendly while we bought some water!

Have a nice trip, missypie. If I remember correctly, you are leaving tomorrow?

Yes! 24 hours - and tons of work - to go!