I think depending on the time and day, the service you get can vary. We waited 45+ minutes on a Friday night at around 8PM for this joint. Was it worth it, meh. Was the food good, it was above average but not the ways that people are raving about it on yelp. If we didn't have to wait, I'd probably be happier but given the wait + the rude waiters, it deserves a 3 star. We got the cured meat/cheese plate and it was pretty good but no one bothered explaining what meat or cheese we were eating, unacceptable. I ate the whole thing myself and was almost full at the end. Duck ravioli was not that great, but I guess coming from Paris after 6 days there, I didn't expect them to make duck well. You can skip this dish. Also got the mozzarella and tomato caprese salad, it was fresh and I appreciated it but the couple next to us got a different type of mozzarella and it was way better with a gooey inside. I got the oxtail which was probably the highlight of the night! The only good thing about the waiting was that we had to share a table with a really nice couple from the South of France. We shared our plates and stories and they were extremely nice. Other than that, I'd probably skip this place on our trip next time back to Rome (if that happens.) Don't get me wrong, this place isn't bad but it's just not worth the wait and the rude service, maybe try making a reservation. The other couple we chatted up made a reservation and only had to wait 20 minutes for their table. Good luck! read more

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We found it via Yelp, it came up on the nearby page since we were staying in that area. What luck, we were so glad we gave it a try. I agree with Petala, the meatballs and mashed potatoes was excellent, so was the lasagne and broccoli and cheese pasta, we ordered seconds of those as the four of us ended up sharing our dishes, and those two disappeared fast. Large wine list separated by regions in Italy. We had a very nice bottle of Barbera at a very reasonable price, one of my favourite red varieties. Nice quiet location in a very small piazza. Service staff was very attentive. Easily our best dinner in Rome. read more

Cul de Sac - Wineries Near Me - Rome, RM

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What a great find! Completely off the beaten track and not a tourist in sight. This lovely cosy restaurant is bigger than it looks from the outside and has the walls lined with wine. Clearly encouraging you to try them all. A delight as well as when you order your wine the waiter get an interesting and very long wine grabber then use to select the wine from the walls above your heads. Cul de Sac is however extremely popular with the locals and doesn't take bookings however this simply adds to the experience. Once seated inside we were offered ordered a beautiful selection of cheeses and some duck rillette the rest is history but extremely good local Italian faire. When in the area don't be put off but the line it's worth the short wait! read more

Cul de Sac - A happy Nik and family. - Wineries Near Me - Rome, RM

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Delicious oxtail stew. Fall off the bone good. Hearty meal after a day of sightseeing. Bread to soak up the sauce and Prosecco to wash it all down. They have an extensive wine list which was great. read more

Cul de Sac - Oxtail Stew - Wineries Near Me - Rome, RM

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This place has an unbelievably huge wine list and an amazing menu! We split the duck ravioli to begin with and enjoyed the oxtail as well as the tripe. The duck was very well seasoned and the portions were large enough to share as an appetizer with someone. The oxtail was super super tender and was cooked in the most delicious red sauce. My friend, who had never tried tripe before took one bite into the tripe dish and confirmed that he liked tripe! Cheese was oozing out of each bite! One note is that you need to buy food to enjoy their wine but it's sooooo worth it!!! read more

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Such an unbelievably good restaurant tucked away on a quirky sidestreet. The wine list is as thick as a phone book. We ordered a bottle of red for only nine euro that was delicious. For the food ordered pasta with broccoli and Parmesan, Lasagna, salad, Meatballs and mashed potatoes. All of us thought the food was the best we have had so far in Rome. This is a must stop for foodie and wine lover. For dessert ordered the chocolate mousse. Dark, & rich. Service was very good. Dinner for four with a bottle of wine was around €65. read more

This place was next to our hotel but we didn't eat there until our last night in Rome, that was a big mistake. The food was delicious and very good wine. We ordered the OXTAIL and it was more that I was expecting, highly recommended alot of flavor. read more

A wine-centric restaurant (wine list is a thick binder) a block away from Plaza Navona. The food menu is limited to staples, but we really liked each of the 6 dishes ordered. Recommend the cheese plates and the oxtail entree. Very reasonable prices - recommend. 60% of clients were Italian, which we took as a good sign. read more

Cul de Sac - Assorted cheeses and cold cuts, pate (excellent), etc. - Wineries Near Me - Rome, RM

Cannot say enough about all the positives of this place. Our party of ten people (4 of which are children between 7-14) all left with full bellies and happy tastebuds. The service was AMAZING! Our waiter spoke English very well and patiently explained the dishes we were unfamiliar with in addition to picking out a superb bottle of wine (out of over 1,000 to choose from) after asking a few questions to get a sense of our taste. read more

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This place is a gem. It came recommended to us by a local. They are tourist friendly, but not a tourist trap, as it was filled with locals eating. Food was excellent. read more

Nice wine bar situated on a picturesque Roman street corner, near Piazza Novana. We stopped between sights for some wine and charcuterie. Neither disappointed!! Especially the wine with an extensive list to choose from. Only critique is that it was a bit pricey. read more

Cul de Sac - Outside - Wineries Near Me - Rome, RM

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MICROWAVED. ALL FOODS ARE MICROWAVED. Good job with home made when there is 2 people behind the counter: dishes in the dishwasher and the other cutting bread. The waiters are running the food from the fridge below and microwaving in the oven above. read more

Came here on a weekday for a cheese and wine tasting reservation. On arrival they informed us it would be just a few minutes. A few minutes later we were taken to our table which was set nicely with water, oil and balsamic ready to go. Our server was very nice and polite. He was a bit shy because his English was not great but it was much better than my Italian. The meats and cheeses we're fresh and fantastic. We had 4 or 6 (it gets a little blurry) generous wine sample pours. More cheese was brought to our table without question. If you're looking for charcuterie in Rome I would highly recommend this place infatti! read more

Cul de Sac - Our server loves American Rock and Roll! - Wineries Near Me - Rome, RM

Visited 3 times in 10 days, my favorite place in Rome. Fantastic pate, cured meats, cheese, and wine. Service was a bit on the curt side, but it could have been due to my friend's soccer hooligan costume. read more

Delicious oxtail , tomatoes w/ mozarella,and pasta pesto!!! I would definitely go back! read more

Cul de Sac - Oxtail!! Delicious, the meat was falling off the bone! - Wineries Near Me - Rome, RM

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This place is great! Affordable & very smooth wines. The red & White House wines are delicious. And the food comes in perfect portions for 1-2 people to share. Had the pasta with home pesto sauce & lasagna as main course & was some of the most fresh & perfectly sauced pasta we have had in Rome. The goat cheese & veggies ( broccoli & cauliflower) are a MUST. And the black olives are marinated & sun-dried to perfection. We enjoyed it so much that we came back the next day for more :) read more

Last night in Roma and stopped by the Cul de Sac at the recommendation of our Airbnb host. As we were just a couple, we were seated right away. I ordered the cheese and meat plate followed by Homestyle Lasagna. My wife ordered the fruit cup and meatballs with potatoes. Our waiter suggested a nice red wine to go with my meal, and he did so without going to the top of the cost wine, which I appreciated. They have one person whose only job is to individually create plates such as my meat and cheese plate. When he received the order he carefully sliced the prosciutto and ham, followed with a chunk of two cheeses selected to compliment the meats. The fruit was fresh and flavorful. My first bite of the lasagna gave me cause to hesitate as I got mostly meat. It seemed a bit bland. Fortunately, my second bite took in all the components of the lasagna. The pasta was cooked to perfection, the cheese was balanced with the rest of the ingredients and the tomato and meat were in perfect blend with each other. I would add that the Vino Nobile, Trerose complemented the lasagna quite well. read more

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Had a pasta dish here for lunch. Good service, great pasta. The only down side was the smoking at the tables near by and by some of the staff. The smoke right next to your table as they talk on the phone. Cheese ravioli with pistachio and a butter sauce with a hint of orange, thus was very good read more

Cul de Sac - Cheese paste with crushed nuts and tropical fruit. Very good - Wineries Near Me - Rome, RM

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I sought this place out based on location and reviews. I was very disappointed. The service was poor. The wait staff made no attempt to be friendly. It took an hour and a half to get our food and it was cold when it came. We did not see our waiter again and paying our bill was an ordeal. However- even cold the Roman Style Ravioli had a lot of flavor and was a welcome change to the bland tourist food surrounding the area. Also the wine list was very impressive. read more

A little gem that was recommended to us by a Rome native. The kind of no frills place where all the effort goes into making the food divine and maintaining an amazing wine selection. Popped in for 1 glass and a snack, stayed for 3 + dinner. Staff very friendly, knowledgeable and very accommodating for vegetarians. read more

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Perfect little place to eat lunch near Piazza Navona. I found this little gem reading the Rick Steves' Rome guidebook. I passed it up my last trip to Rome and I regret that decision! This is a very low-key, not-so-touristy restaurant. We got the escargot, and the salami and cheese plate. Both were fantastic, although we ordered too much salami and cheese so make sure you ask about portions! The bread tasted homemade, and the restaurant is very cute, walls lined with wine. I had a couple glasses of prosecco, and it was delicious. A little bit dry, and a little bit sweet. I can't wait to come back here on my next trip to Rome! 10/10! read more

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For the first night in "Roma", I couldn't have thought of a better place to spend with my fam. Great job by me in finding this place! The dope general ambience leaves nothing to be desired, the staff is on you like bees hovering around a good old fashioned soda pop, and the food is as tasty as the Vatican City is small! Overall, I would recommend this restaurant as if it were owned by my very own grand-pappy, and would suggest getting the palatial stuffed peppers "Calabrian Style" and the jim-dandy Cheese Ravioli with Citrus Aroma. I cannot stress enough how proud I am of myself for finding this place! read more

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Amazing wine, pasta, and salmon. Must go when in Rome. We ordered the cheese and salumi plate, good for an antipasta. The ravioli was an excellent first course and baked salmon was great! Good wine, we bought two bottles! Must go! read more

Cul de Sac - Wineries Near Me - Rome, RM

After agonizing over online reviews for different restaurants near us, we settled on another place down the street from Cul de Sac. But the wait was insane, so we hopped back on the old internet machine to figure out where to go-- that's when Cul de Sac popped up and we headed over. The restaurant is cute, well decorated with outdoor seating that is a little tight, but that's standard for most places in Italy. It was hot, so we definitely waited to be seated outside so we could enjoy the dusky breeze rather than being pent up inside. There was a bit of confusion as my friend tried to explain that he is a vegetarian, but it all worked out in the end and we enjoyed our meals. I got the lasagna, which was good. My friend had. . . something vegetarian I can't remember, but he said it was good as well. My glass of wine was good. Everything was good. Service was kind of cool- the waiter wasn't exactly friendly or anything, but whatever, that's fine. We waited a bit for service and eventually for the check, but that's also ok because I understand that when in Rome. . . So, so far, I've deducted one star for the cramped quarters and service, but the food was good, so they're still hovering at a 4 star. Except. . . When we left, my friend's phone went off. It was a dating app that utilizes proximity to other folks to find people to talk to. It was our waiter. In his message, the waiter was chastising me friend because we didn't leave a tip. Now, we did leave the change from the difference in our bill, but we didn't leave an additional tip. My friend responded that we were made to understand that it isn't standard to tip in Italy. The waiter replied back that, that's true, but since we're Americans, we make more money than him and should have tipped. What? Look, I'm a generous tipper when appropriate, but I also try my best to adhere to local customs when traveling the world. All of my research before the trip and since has said that in Italy, it's customary to round up your bill and leave a few Euros (the change) if the service was good. . . which we did. Everything seems to say that if service is exceptional, go ahead and leave a bit more. But service was not exceptional at Cul de Sac, so it was totally inappropriate for the waiter to reach out like that. read more

Cul de Sac is somewhere I awkwardly call home. Being here makes me forget anything that bother's me in my mind; the food and wine demands your full attention. I'm blessed to live right across the street but I have to hold myself back from going too often! This restaurant should be in every tourist's itinerary and at the top of every native's place to dine. Every time I order a course from their short and unique menu, I'm in for a surprise. No matter if it's a typical/classic Roman dish, they manage to make a spin off it and make it heavenly. You'll notice other customers craning their heads over tables to see what the next person ordered. They have a phone-book of a while list and a smaller, manageable one, which I order from with the help of the server. I haven't had the boards of cheese or cured meats, but that's a huge part of their success. The kitchen is near the entrance and strangely doesn't have any burners or stoves. There are several ovens that heat or cook the food. Everything seems assorted ahead of time, which some say takes away from the experience but no one can deny that masterpieces come from that small space. Service is impeccable for Italian standards; they don't smile but they do their jobs well with efficiency and politeness. The outdoor area is adorable but I sit inside during the winter. It has it's charm with wooden beams, walls crowded with wines, and nets high over the tables for jackets and bags. The seating arrangements in the narrow restaurant has a closeness that creates a cozy atmosphere with warm lighting. I would definitely take a date here for a romantic evening. Favorites: Fettucine con Broccoli, Involtini alla Romana, and Trippa alla Romana... but trust me, everything is good! Dessert: Coppa Incredibile (custard, strawberries, little meringue balls, panna/whip cream)... Incredibile! Also try the Torta d'Arancia (simple orange tart done very well). Prices are very reasonable and won't break your wallet. I usually non-hesitantly order more than 1 entree for myself. Customers have the option to take-out food with a 20% discount (because it saves them the service). Cul de Sac is easily my favorite restaurant in Rome. I highly recommend tourists to dedicate more than one evening here to really exploit their amazing food. read more

The place is 15 mins walk from st angelo bridge in a small street. We shared a mixed cheese and meat plate with olives and it was delicious but cheese were not adequate. Roman style ravioli was really nice and the wine rossi cesanese was smooth. Highly recommended read more

Cul de Sac - Wineries Near Me - Rome, RM

Five stars for the cheeses and sausages. With "Salumi e Formaggi" under their name, you would expect such. And they delivered. First we had some awesomely fresh Taleggio cheese. Wine, bread, and cheese, at a small side-street outdoor cafe in Rome - a perfect start to the evening. Then we ordered a grouping of four Lazio cured meats. They were all good, but the best was Lonzo - best sausage I have ever had. It looks harsh, but it tastes smooth and flavorful. Melts in your mouth. It has the ham flavor with no chewy fat. Sweet and tender. Sorry, I just can't describe it well enough to do it justice. This is a large place inside, small area outside, and very popular. They have a massive wine list with the Italian wines organized by regions of Italy. Plan on a half hour wait as a minimum to get an outside table. read more

Wow! My sister and I literally turned the corner from Piazza Navona to escape the touristy crowds and restaurant when we saw the line outside. Didn't have any idea the history of the place even though there was stacks of award stickers outside - didn't really do any research on restaurants at all in Rome. It was a rainy day and 2pm when I hesitantly gave my name to the guy outside who said it would be around a 20 minute wait. I wasn't so sure about what an Italian 20 minute could mean as we were pretty hungry but I was pleasantly surprised when our number was called about 20 minutes later! Boy was I glad we hung around and waited. You must order the duck ravioli, tiramisu, cheese platter!! Topped off with a glass of wine....no dinner for us!!! p.s. reason why I also loved this place was the very reasonably priced meals. The BEST bit was the menu though - by this stage, I was over the typical Italian meals that you see at 80-90% of the restaurants. read more

Cul De Sac is a great place for a very Italian experience. Call it a bistro, call it a restaurant, call it what you will. It is a narrow, long room, just wide enough for two rows of tables each seating 4 or six people on benches. The food is simple, well cooked, using the best of regional ingredients. Cold meats and cheeses come from the regions as do the wines in the racks that you sit under. The staff are all knowledgable and attentive and speak a variety of other languages. Take your waiter's recommended wine to go with the food you have ordered, unless you have someone in your party who is very knowledgable about pairing Italian food and wine. These guys know their stuff! read more

Cul de Sac - Inside Cul De Sac, on a quiet night. - Wineries Near Me - Rome, RM

My wife and I really enjoyed our meal here. The highlight for me was their meat and cheese plate. For my wife, it was the Cacio e Pepe. The encyclopedia that they call the wine list is pretty cool. It has a huge variety, obviously, but also many choices at different price levels. We were originally heading to a different restaurant for dinner, but saw the decent crowd at Cul de Sac.... and we thought their food looked pretty appetizing! If I ever make it back to Rome (the coin in the fountain assures that, right?), I'll be sure to stop by here again! Recommend! read more

Really really poor disgusting food. We had a group of Americans sitting next to us who ordered food before us and had an Italian tour guide. We ordered about 5 minutes later and we got our food within minutes. Oily disgusting meatballs which had been microwaved and were cold in the middle. Pasta was the same. There was a couple from England that came after we finished (partially as it was disgusting) our food and their food came before the table with the tour guide. We paid and left. I would seriously not advise anyone visiting Rome to go to this place as this is just a trap and they will just try and send you on your way. read more

A renowned wine pairing restaurant in town. The cheese fondue is almost a must-order dish, and it is truly rich. The duck ravioli doesn't have a good look, but it tastes real perfect! The tiramisu and chestnut cream are extraordinarily good. One of the best restaurants I have ever tried in Italy! (Staff is rude though) read more

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We loved Cul de Sac so much that we ate there twice! First off, you must make reservations. This place is packed every night. The first night my husband and I went and were seated right away. Sometimes even with reservations, you have to wait. We started off with red wine and the lasagna al ragu, then had chicken with bell peppers, then had a plate of cured meats and cheeses, and finished off with tiramisu and espressos. Everything that we had, we LOVED. The service is excellent, for such a small restaurant they are very efficiently run. As I mentioned, we loved it so much we went back the very next night. But that time, we took my sister and bro-in-law. They loved it too. That night we also had beef rolls, oxtail, and chocolate mousse. All amazing. The only thing we didn't enjoy was the roast beef plate, I can't actually remember what it's called. But it wasn't what we expected. The food is very decently priced. I think we spent no more than 80 euros per couple (that includes wine). read more

Situated in a quiet side street in Rome the Cul de Sac is a perfect place to rest your legs and cool down. There are not many tabels outside so we were lucky to get one at once, the bar seems to be quite crowded and very popular. We drank white wine and were served some snacks as well. Only when I went inside to go to the loo I saw the wide range of premium wines from all over the world they have on offer. Some good stuff is available, for example Sassicaia and Ornellaia, lots of Austrian, German and French wines also. We did not eat anything, we just used the cute little bar as a stopover and I can recommend to go and pay a visit if you are around the Piazza Navona. read more

Hunted out this place following its mention in the Lonely Planet Guide for Rome. It's a small, quirky little place. Has a massive selection of wines, with seating both inside and out. It's a stones throw away from the tourist hustle bustle of the main Piazzas. The food is awesome. We went for some meats, pate and cheese whilst we decided on what we wanted for the main event. The hare pate was delicious, as was the smokey cheese and the mixed Italian meats. For the main meal, we shared a lasagne and a bowl of pasta. Both were flavoursome. The service was great and it was very cheap for Rome (or London or NYC). If you are in Rome, I'd definitely recommend hunting this place out! read more

Excellent, excellent food here. Incredibly cheap for what you're getting. The quality of the food and wine was perfect. This is a great lunch spot. Lots of beauty in it's simplicity. Home cooked food. Don't miss out. read more

Cul de Sac - Mixed salad, bread, homemade ravioli and homemade pasta tomato and basil. Beauty in its simplicity. Must try. - Wineries Near Me - Rome, RM

I got the meatball and mash potatoes and it was just like meatloaf with mash potatoes. Nothing great about it but not bad. My dad got the salmon and he liked it. My cousins got the pasta dish and said it was okay, nothing great. But they did have a lot of wine on their shelves. They speak English here so that was a plus. read more

Overall this was our most disappointing meal in Rome. The restaurant itself is small but charming. It felt like a Parisian bistro and I loved how they store all the wine on shelving surrounding the restaurant. I was also excited about the menu but ended up only having one memorable dish which was a broccoli pasta. I also ordered the oxtail which was tender and flavorful but very hard to eat without leaving with sauce all over yourself. They waiter was kind enough to get me a bib. There were others using one as well for this dish so I didn't feel like a complete idiot. I also ordered the beef tongue which was a pretty large portion but lacked in flavor. There was really no seasoning at all. It was still good because beef tongue is awesome but it could've been kicked up a bit. This place is also rather expensive. Considering its proximity to Piazza Novona, Camp Di Fiori and the Pantheon that's not surprising. There are a lot of tourists in the area. read more

A friend we trust highly recommended this place. They are known for their extensive wine selection (mostly by the bottle), meats and cheeses. We went for lunch so we only had a few glasses of wine and a light meal. Latium meat and cheese plate- they did a good job of selecting a variety of flavors and textures. Artichoke pie Cannelloni with broccoli We saw the man next to us order these and knew we had to. Veggie comfort food. Sitting outside in a Roman piazza, sipping wine and sampling cheese. Does it get any better than this? read more

Great place. Great ambiance. Great wine selection. Lasagna was off the charts good. Menus is limited on regular food. But outstanding cheese and cured meat selection. Going back just for the lasagna. read more