First let me say, I’m not a food critic. I enjoy food and wanted to experience a variety of Roman specialties, while remaining under some kind of budget. As long as the food was hot, delicious and the staff graciously forgave my lack of language and culture I consider it a win. That being said, I wanted to add a few places I could recommend to fellow travelers. There are so many reviews circulating out there I thought I’d add my two cents.
“Nerone”
“La Taverna Dei Fori Imperiali”
And I do have to say, if you really want to eat at a restaurant GO! Don’t let a bad review sway you one way or the other. It’s your trip to Rome and just because somebody, somewhere thought it was the “worst service ever” go and enjoy the moment. Maybe that reviewer was the biggest idiot ever. You never know. I do encourage people to read some reviews since there is so much information out there, then make an informed decision. But it is your decision and your trip.
Here are a few helpful websites I found that recommend restaurants.
Trip Advisior – we’ve all heard of this one. There are a ton of reviews here but…reading 200 reviews can sometimes just stress you out.
Yelp – Yep, fewer reviews of restaurants all across Rome. It’s easy to work with and you can narrow your search by neighborhood.
Parla Food – here you’ll find some of the better restaurants in Rome. A little pricey sometimes for my budget, but very helpful nonetheless. Katie Parla also does other Italian cities such as Naples and Florence.
Spotted By Locals – This site has restaurants, shopping bars, and culture. The restaurants they review includes some ethnic spots as well.
Elizabeth Minchili in Rome – she has a ton of cool stuff on her website and an App as well called “Eat Rome” that I found very helpful. A bit lower price point than Parla Food.