Our Feb trip to Rome is getting closer and we want to go to a nice restaurant with view with our 2 young sons. I am deciding between the rooftop restaurants of Hotel Eden or Hotel Hassler. Could anyone been either one or both of them give me a hint of which has better food and better view. I read good reviews on the one in Eden here on fodors but Hassler wasn't on the list. I understand that both are one Michelin star restaurant and both are near the Spanish steps so the price and location will be similar. Also, what is the dress code for them? Thanks for all the help!

I've only been to the restaurant at Hassler. Not sure where the Eden is, but don't think it's near the Spanish Steps.

The food Hassler is good (as you would expect), view is nice, but the atmosphere is a little stuffy I thought. I didn't take my children, but would take my eldest children there (age 11/12), but probably not my youngest (who is 6).

Most men wore jackets/ties.

I wasn't impressed with either restaurant. Both are very overpriced and the food only so so. If pressed, I'd say the Eden has slightly more interesting food. The views are similar. Both are upscale restaurants so dress for men would mean a jacket and for women, a nice dress, suit or dressy slacks. Neither is a place that I would want to take young children to.

I can tell you that definitely the Hassler would probably warrant dressy attire if only because most, if not all, of the others will be dressed as Grinisa has suggested.

Frankly, I doubt you'll get a lot of response to this post because I suspect the majority of folks who post here have never eaten at either place, much less stayed there.

We have had dinner at the Eden Hotel which is near the top of the Spanish Steps, but about a block from the Hassler. The food was excellent and the view very good, the dress I would say was business attire, not neccesarily dressy, but a suit jacket for men and comparable clothes for women. My son was in Rome last winter with his children and, having previously stayed at the Eden, wanted to show them the view. He took them there late in the afternoon where they had a coke and he and his wife enjoyed a glass of wine. The view is the same, but the price a good bit cheaper than dinner. That said, the best view from any hotel in Rome, IMHO, is from the roof of the Hotel Elesio. I have not stayed there recently. They used to serve dinner there, but later used the rooftop only for breakfast. The hotel has been recently refurbished so you might check to see if they serve dinner again. The view is superior to that from the Eden. It looks out over the Borghese Gardens all the way to Saint Peters. You could definitely take children there when we went. It is just a few blocks beyond the Eden.

Thank you all for the replies. I think we've decided to try lunch at Eden because it sounds like they have better food there. I checked out Hotel Elseio and it seems still only serving breakfast for their hotel guests but thanks for the suggestion from travelswithstdavid.

If I'm not too late, I have to tell you that I thought the food at the Eden was TERRIBLE and way overpriced. Also I don't think your young sons would be very comfortable or welcome at the restaurant since it's mostly filled with business people at lunch.

In 2001, we had dinner on the rooftop at the Cavalieri Hotel in the Restaurant La Pergola which probably did have Michelin starts as my husband is into that...our kids were quite young, like 9 and 11. It was wonderful! The view was fabulous, the food was terrific and they were VERY accommodating of our kids. We did dress up some...it was so hot that not too much; my husband wore a coat and tie..my son just has on khaki's and a polo shirt (try getting a 15 year old to wear that!)

We had dinner at the Hassler and thoroughly enjoyed it but yes, it is a tad stuffy and not really 'kid-friendly'. Not that they eschew children, just that they aren't geared for the younger crowd. Attire is fairly formal and a bit quirky - for men jacket required, if collared shirt, tie required, if non-collared shirt, no tie required (odd I thought...) Women in dressy slacks or suits / dresses etc.

Wonderful experience though - be sure to make reservations.

Enjoy!

You've certainly picked the right one. I've had lunches and dinners at both Eden and Hassler and Eden is by far my favorite because it has an airier atmosphere, a nicer view, wonderful staff and a great and famous chef. One time, the chef even gave me a personal tour of his kitchen, while another time, a friend and I decided to have four servings of pasta between us instead of the usual courses and the staff didn't even hesitate or blink. Sure it's expensive, but if you want a special treat of sites and tastes in Rome, this is it. The Eden, by the way, is also my favorite hotel in Rome. There's nothing like it. The Hassler is nice as well but I think it has failed to keep up with the times and, as some have already mentioned, rather stuffy.

Thank you all again for the input. I've made a lunch reservation at Eden already and I am itching of making a dinner reservation for La Pergola since it's suppose to be the best in Rome. Although our 2 sons are quite young but they've always behaved in nice restaurants and we took them several times to other Michelin star restaurants in Europe and some of them even gave them puzzle and activity book and provided them special made kids dishes which made me believe that European do adore kids as long as they are well manner ones

baby108, Italians adore children for sure. And it sounds like you have raised yours in such a way that taking them to beautiful restaurants is a joy.
Good for you.

My parents did that with me, and we did it with ours. And now with grandchildren. In fact grtandchildren are first to whisper a comment to us when other children really misbehave, it is funny. Have a great trip and some wonderful meals along with great memories!