Restaurants in Rome

[Curlybrunette]

Hi all,

Hubby and I are escaping from the kids for 3 nights in June and going to Rome. Wondered if anyone could recommend any good places to eat, or are most places good? I am imagining that the food in Rome will the best pizza and pasta I've tasted EVER. I hope I'm not bigging it up too much in my mind!

And of course there's the obvious touristy places to visit but was there anywhere you went that you thought was amazing and would recommend we go to above other places?

Ta chucks
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Also while I remember, would you pre book tickets to any places you'd plan to visit? Someone at work has recommended pre booking at the colosseum and vatican to beat the queues. Any other places you'd pre book for?
I've heard there are plenty of people giving free walking tours, are these people good rather than paying for tours?

Bump!

Ohh, I loved Rome, we went there on honeymoon. There is so much to see, but make sure you take some time out to just sit in the Piazza Navona and just watch the city go by. We spent many happy hours with a bottle (or two! ) of wine, just taking in the architecture, the atmosphere, the people.. fab!

Am very of you! Have a great time!

Def book the vatican the queues are huge but well worth a visit (free on last Sunday of the month ), the open top bus is a good way to see the sites. We had a lovely meal on an evening on the river Tiber where they have lovely market stalls. Also enjoyed a bottle of vino by the Trevi fountain and Spanish Steps.
Lovely place just to wander around

Don't what ever you do eat at a pizza chain restaurant just outside of the Vatican walls (cant remember its name - it has a few around rome) The service was the worst I have ever ever experienced and they did a fine scam in getting a few extra euro out of the customers. i only didnt make a fuss as it was so funny watching the everyone else making a fuss.

Booking for the Vatican and collosseum was utterly brilliant - you skip a huge huge line. For an interting and free quick tour head down to the Cat sanctuary (forget that name too) They do a once a day tour around some ruins. We had an amazing lady who was very very passionate about Rome and her heritage.

Also recommend seeing the cappuchin monks bones in another place I cant be arsed to google. Very weird indeed.

Trevi fountains worth going to at night - very very busy so just do it as a five minute fly by.

Rome is utterly ace!

I live in Rome.The market stalls by the river dont usually set up til mid June-not sure when you are going? If they are up though definitely have a drink and food down by the river towards Isola Tiberina / Trastevere. You can eat really badly in Rome as well as really well. There is a lot of overpriced bad quality stuff available. I always say to people re food to avoid eating on the main piazzas if you can-costs more and food not as good. If you want to eat near the Vatican, head more into the Prati area rather than eat by the Vatican and there are loads of places to eat off the main streets-in the more residential areas. If you want pizza avoid the pretty checked table cloth places on the whole and look for a pizzeria popular with the locals- look for a wood oven "pizza a forno" sign. The best pizzerias tend to be bright lighting, TVs on the wall for the football and very basic looking.
My recommendation of where to see that isnt one of the obvious places is San Clemente church here - amazing place with a pagan temple in the foundations, a 4th century basilica above and then on ground level the more modern church.
Have a great time

Thanks guys,

Lilyloo - I'd seen an open top bus advert on the internet somewhere and quite fancied that.
Joolyjoolyjoo - I'll toast you as we're sat with a bottle of wine watching the world go by
Badkitten - we're staying near the Trevi fountain, I'll prepare myself for manic business
BananaGio - Thanks for the restaurant advice, I'll choose slightly more tatty looking places rather than shiny tourist traps! San Clemente looks fabulous

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