Rome

I’m going to Rome in about five days with my entire family for spring break. As there are six of us, I’m interested in suggestions for places that are interesting and of quality, but not particularly expensive as this is already a fairly expensive trip and some of the kids wouldn’t particularly appreciate it… We are staying in an apartment at the Piazza Mattei, near the Camp de Fiori, but will be walking all over the city so proximity to where we are staying is not critical. Frankly, when I’ve been to Rome before, I didn’t put a lot of effort into finding restaurants, and I’ve regretted it as most of the food has been pretty mediocre. It’s so overrun with tourists that the food is predictably mediocre in a lot of places. I’ve searched the forum and a lot of the suggestions have been for fairly high end places that are more than what we really need.

I appreciate the help.

Craig

Strong recommendation for Ragno d’Oro near the Vatican. Fantastic family run trattoria with great local/Roman food and not expensive at all. Perfect for 6 people. Warning - they’ll feed you until you burst!

Craig - We really enjoyed a cafe in the Piazza Navona. It is not the one right by the Fountain of the four rivers but the one next to that. Granted this is a really touristy area and there are certainly going to be people eating hamburgers and fries but they really had some great stuff on the menu that was well prepared. We went twice - on the second time they brought out huge Porcini for us that wasn’t on the menu. We also love that Piazza. I think I could sit there all day. Worked well for us and I think it might be what you and your family are looking for. Some decent wines by the bottle also.

George

I second the Piazza Navona suggestion - don’t remember which place we went I think we had Pizza, it was more about soaking up the atmosphere.

Heading there with my mother this summer. I too am very interested in this thread. Especially restaurants/cafes that have more accessible food for my slightly picky mother.

Go shop for wine at Enoteca Costantini http://www.pierocostantini.it/ and enjoy a glass of wine with some snacks and then grab a Caffè at Sant Eustachio right by the Pantheon and while you’re there you might as well enjoy the Pantheon.

Rochioli and Cul de Sac are both nearby and pretty good spots for wine lovers.

Here are two of our favorites that we always try to visit when we are in Rome:

Loved this very small, very casual place for lunch twice in 36 hour stay in Rome. Quality food and near the Spanish Steps except hidden from the throngs of tourists. http://www.toto1922.it

Definitely Armando al Pantheon , Roscioli as well
Also worth trying Roscioli’s new breakfast place called Caffe’ Roscioli
For traditional also try Sora Lella

Very much appreciate this thread. My son is studying in Europe this semester, and my daughter and I are meeting up with him in Rome and then traveling to Florence together, so I am also looking for similar, casual suggestions. We are staying at the Westin on the via veneto, not far from the Spanish steps, so I was hoping to avoid the tourist trap places but would love to eat somewhere walking distance, especially our first night after a long travel day.
Please keep them coming!

All the normal tourist stuff is great. Gotta do the Colosseum, Forum, St Peters, Spanish Steps, etc. Do not miss Galeria Borghese for the Bernini sculptures. You need to buy tickets in advance.
http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/it/default.htm

Crispino Gelato, next to Fontana di Trevi (hopefully it’s running again when you’re there).

I have a load of notes and suggestions from search here, you should be able to find all kinds of stuff that way. I copy everything I see over the years, and keep in in my own notes. Can PM that to you if you like (it’s pretty jumbled, but useful stuff).

I’ve always found eating in Rome to be nearly impossible as a tourist. Every place is a tourist restaurant, unless you really know your way around.

Sherri, here’s a recent thread on Florence:

I’ve posted this before, but can’t hurt to put it here:
In Florence there are numerous museums. Of course you’ll want to go to Accademia Galleria for Michelangelo’s David. But my favorite was the museum across from the Cathedral, Museo dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore. There is a wonderful late Michelangelo there, and then the simply stunning Mary by Donatello. Do not miss it. Uffizi gallery is the most famous, but frankly it is so huge, and takes so much time to get through, plus it is crowded and a very long line if you don’t purchase tickets ahead. I’m glad we did it, but I wouldn’t go back. If you have limited time, do the Cathedral museum for sure, then the Accademia.

If you’re planning on doing some serious sight seeing in Rome then it’s definitely worth hiring a guide for the day. Our hotel recommended a young guy who was superb. He arranged rapid access to St Peters (queue otherwise is typically hours long) and made both days (first day was forum/colosseum) so much more interesting.

Good advice. Another queue skipping tip is to sign up for entrance to the coliseum with one of the clip board toting folks in front. They are arranging ad hoc “group” tours. There is some rule that if you have 12 people or more you are considered a group and can gain access ahead of the line. It is well worth it. They offer tours in many languages as well. Your ticket also gives you access to the Forum across the street.

Dan - do you happen to have your guide’s contact info? I did arrange for a guide in Florence, as recommended in a thread in this forum by Ted Erfer.

One non-tourist place that we really enjoyed is La Pigna in “Piazza della Pigna.” (To call it a ‘piazza’ is kind of an overstatement.) From the way we were received, it was clear that we were the only people from outside Rome there that night. Nothing spectacular but solid, tasty food.

I’m not Ted or Dan, but I’ve been using Carol and David Ross’ Sophisticated Italy for tours and other arrangements thorughout Italy for the past 15 years: http://www.sophisticateditaly.com/

The tour guides have all been excellent and have arranged custom tours for us, as we like to see off the beaten path stuff as well as the regular monument type stuff. In that time, we’ve done maybe 20 tours with them. The most recent were this past fall in Milan and Venice, where we’ve been numerous times previously and still managed to see and learn about places that we had no idea about.

In Rome, one of the benefits of having a private tour guide is entering the Vatican through the Museums before either opens to the public. Nothing quite like being alone in the Sistine Chapel.

I’ve never been disappointed following a restaurant recommendation made by Riccardo Campinoti.

I had Italy Hotline book my hotel, airport transfers, Vatican tour (8 hr, 560Euro), Coliseum tour (4 hr, 280Euro) in 2013. The two tours used differnt guides (Daniela for Vatican, Michael for Coliseum). Both were exceptional.
Highly recommend Ally (assuming she is still there) for setting everything up.

Ally Novgorodtseva
Manager
Italy Hotline Custom and Gourmet Tours
Main office Rome, Italy:
(011)(39)393 5469303
(011)(39)393 5491033
Fax: 011 39 0683 505 160

Toll Free USA (answering machine only)
1 888 221 6686

www.italyhotline.com

Lots of great food right in the Campo - where you are staying. The market is great in the morning. Between Campo and Navona is Hosteria Costanza. It is one of our favorite restaurants in Rome. Not overly expensive. It is built into the Teatro di Pompeo - so there is history in the walls. Supposed to be where Caesar was stabbed by Brutus. Lots of little streets in and out of the Campo. The main building is the beautiful French embassy- right on the square.