Rome: Saturday lunch and Sunday dinner
 

Hi

I am looking for casual dining recs in the center for a Saturday lunch and Sunday dinner. Need great food.

I have been sifting through too many dining recommendations and listings, and my brain is confused about what is open when.

If you have had a good meal at either of those times in Rome, and not payed more than 25e pp without wine, I would love to hear about it.

Thanks

Open for Sunday dinner:

Il Fico
Ditirambo
La Campana
Trattoria Polese
Vecchia Roma
Pierluigi

Almost every restaurant in the center is open for Saturday lunch.

What is your definition of a "good meal" for less than 25 Euro? You cannot have an antipasto, primo, secondo, contorno and dolce for less than 25 Euro at any of them. You can probably get a plate of pasta and a salad for less than 25 Euro at all of them. Polese and Il Fico are the least expensive; Vecchia Roma and Pierluigi the most expensive.

These are two of our favourites:

<b>La Sagrestia</b>, Via del Seminario 89, 06 6797581 (Pantheon—Streetwise “H9”) Closed Wednesday. Very friendly staff, excellent pizza (probably some of the best we've had in Rome), and great pasta.

<b>Ristorante Fiammetta</b>, Piazza Fiammetta, 10. (Pantheon area) Closed Tuesdays. Excellent gnocchi and pasta dishes--and the pizza is pretty good too (they serve it at lunchtime which isn't common).

For the best take-away sandwiches made with pizza bianca, head to <b>Lo Zozzone/Dirty Old Man</b> on Via del Teatro Pace 32 (Streetwise “I8”) Time Out p.195. A regular is (&euro;2.50) or large (&euro;3) piece. Caution: these sandwiches are <u>extremely</u> addictive...

A favorite restaurant of mine in Rome is Virginiae. It is family owned and it is not a touristy restaurant, most of the patrons live in the area. It was recommended to me by the night desk person at our hotel. It is located on the Via Di Parione, 41. Very close to Piazza Navona. The food is terrific as well as the wine. Go, I know you will enjoy it.

Pierluigi would be our first choice. We love to eat at this pretty spot. The food is great and the service some of the best we have had in Rome. They are also open for lunch, but we seem to only go for dinner as I love their shellfish and pastas. Try it, you will not be disappointed.

A place I have liked in the past, open on Sunday is:

Piccolo Arancio on Vicolo Scanderberg, 112

This is in the Trevi fountain area. I remember very good artichokes and excellent spaghetti with clams..prices are moderate. It is one of my standbys for Sunday dining, although I have not been in about 4 years..

http://www.ristorantidiroma.com/piccolo_arancio.htm

They have a sister restaurant in the Trident area..

I've actually eaten at many of the recs here and want to thank everyone for taking the time to post.

I don't expect to have several courses for under 25 euro, and for lunch, we only eat one or two courses.

I am just a bit brain dead from working like mad, dealing with ongoing health problems, and getting ready to leave in 13 days.

My idea of a great meal is pretty simple: well prepared, tasty food make with fresh ingredients, served in a pleasant manner. This is how I cook and I do hate to settle for less than that.

A plate of delicious pasta and perhaps a salad and dessert is often enough for me.

We are having lunch with a friend who is coming in from another part of Italy, just to visit with us. I want to have some decent options for lunch.

With our US dollars so devalued, we are pinching pennies. I don't expect Agata e Romeo or anything of the sort. Just good food, well prepared.

I have many of the places here on my list, and there are a couple that are new to me. I am going to copy them all into my Rome Dining doc. Thanks very much.

eks: I do trust your taste; it always seems to me that you know what you're talking about.

I know that the Arancio places are well thought of , and Sandra Gustafson recommends them. Thanks

dpranck: can you tell me more about Virginiae? It certainly must not be a tourist restaurant, despite the location, because I think I've looked at every guide known to man and haven't heard of it. And I've been trolling the 'net for months, for personal recs.

Do you know their opening times? Prices? Specialties? Thanks.

mvor: we once stayed at the Hotel TeatroPace33 and I missed Lo Zozzone. Rats. I'm going after a sandwich for sure.

mvor: we once stayed at the Hotel TeatroPace33 and I missed Lo Zozzone. Rats. I'm going after a sandwich for sure.

Zerlina: thank you for the recs, especially for those less expensive places.

Tuscan-What about a wine bar? Enoteca Buccone near the Piazza del Popolo was great. There's another place, Enoteca Trastevere, which I haven't written about yet which was fun too, as was Enoteca il Gocetto.
Trattoria da Luigi in Piazza Sforza Cesarini was pretty good and only cost us 80 euro for 4. Loved the stuffed zucchini flowers.
If you can, please try Frigidarium for gelato, it's great.
I'd also recommend Armando al Pantheon, but we spent more than 25 euro pp each time we went.
It's all in my trip report (which I see you've replied to!) and photos on my website:
http://www.wired2theworld.com