Got a recommendation for this restaurant from our AirBnb host and she also helped us make a reservation for 8:30 that evening. After all the reviews we read on yelp we had some pretty high expectations and Hostaria Romana delivered on every one. When we arrived to the restaurant we were happy we made the reservation, 5-7 people had already lined up waiting for available tables due to no shows.The dining room is quite quaint so i could see why reservations were highly recommended. The party in front of us had 4 people and no reservation but were still able to make a reservation at the door; however it was for an hour to an hour and a half later. After they left my wife and i happily informed the host that we had a reservation and they asked for our name. Our reservation was quickly retrieved and we were sat promptly. Again since the dining room was "quaint" we were basically sat at a 4 person table that was separated for two parties of two. The seating was a bit tight but i managed to find a comfortable position. We glanced over the menu and saw a lot of items that we had not seen in our italy travels. Hostaria Romana specializes in traditional Roman/Italian cuisine, so you'll see more lamb and traditional meats. We also took a quick look around the dining room and a majority of the tables had two things 1. the house antipasto or 2. fried artichokes. So we knew 1 dish we were getting. Looking over the rest of the menu we decided to get one first course (pasta) and one second course (usually a meat type dish). From there we could split each course and have a little bit of both. Our waiter came shortly after we were seated with our drink orders and proceeded to take our order. He was super friendly and also gave us some suggestions. We decided on the antipasto, the cacio e pepe, and the lamb cacciatora. After a short while our antipasto came out. The appetizer consisted of fresh mozerella, marinated eggplant, marinated mushrooms, cured meats, anchovies, and a small selection of cheeses. Everything tasted excellent. The anchovies with the crusty bread was especially delightful. In addition sauteed beans were also brought out to our table. The beans looked like bbq baked beans but they had a rich tomato stewed flavor which even my wife enjoyed and she's definitely not a bean fan. After we finished the antipasto, the waiter cleaned our table and our first and 2nd courses were quickly brought out. The cacio e pepe and lamb cacciatora were equally excellent. The lamb was tender and flavorful and the cacio e pepe was perfect to compliment the lamb. Overall the food and service were excellent at Hostaria Romana. I would definitely recommend making a reservation if you plan to eat during the normal dinner rush hour. I wish we had a few more days in rome to try everything on the menu! Happy eats! read more

We stumbled upon this place after hunger had set in after walking the city for several hours. Thanks to trusty "yelp" we made a dash to this place to experience some good Italian food. Menu options is quite extensive (there really is a long list of things you can get here) including suckling pig. Great atmosphere, staff was friendly and patient. You'll find that there is a good amount of locals who eat here. read more

So we had already eaten quite a bit that day, but it was our last night in Rome and we were determined to have one more memorable meal. Hostaria Romana came through and then some. The antipasti de la casa appetizer was delicious and plentiful enough to be a meal for three in itself, particularly when eaten with the top-notch bread. We couldn't believe the amount of dishes--they just kept coming. The fried artichokes and eggplant were particularly good, as were the complimentary suppli. We also had pasta ameritriciana and chicken with peppers--both excellent. The lively atmosphere adds to the feeling that you've done the right thing in dining here. We'll have to fly back soon. read more

I don't just give out 5 stars. Good prices and great food. Menus in English too. Friendly staff. Free wifi. Near Trevi Fountain. Cloth napkins too! Great spot, you won't be disappointed. read more

We ate our last dinner in Rome here. High stakes. The space is small and cozy (some might say cramped--NYC style). The antipasti platter was filled with garlic marinated vegetables, cheese and meat. I enjoyed most everything but my husband thought everything was "bouncy". The house red was good. The caprese and bruschetta were both fresh, garlicky and the bread wonderful. For secondi, we got the veal and Gorgonzola fettuccine. Meat was tender and tasty. Husband gobbled it up even though he was full. Pasta was homemade, rich and something I would definitely get again. I was happy with everything. The only missing star was for the service and that it was very good but not amazing. read more

On the prowl for best carbonara in Rome on a recent six day visit--we are a professional restaurant critic, a 15 yr old, and me the husband. We all agreed this place had the best. Other great things about Hosteria Romana: full of locals having a really good time (50/50 locals/tourists when we went); service is very pleasing; everything else we ordered was great; prices were fair. This was one of top 2 favorites during our visit. It just seemed to do everything right. Not high end Roman expensive nouvelle italian but a get down restaurant with classic roman food well prepared that delivers exactly what you want in this style. read more

Had the Carbonara, it had so much oil, grease and salt I couldn't eat it...of course it was my first time to try in Italy...I was told it is the normal way of making it in Italy...its a shame, I thought Italian food was my favorite until we went to Italy...I guess I will only order it in the states from now on read more

This was an amazing place to get quality pasta and warm service! As very obvious tourists, friendly service has been a challenge to come by, but the whole staff was so incredibly helpful and welcoming. We ordered a side salad / Prosecco / Bucatini all'amatriciana / and another delicious pasta we don't remember the name of . We are going to try coming back again before we leave Rome! read more

What a great restaurant! Waiter unreal. The food authentic. I would definitely recommend this when in Rome. I found it extremely reasonably priced had anti pasta massive selection, 2 glasses of wine 2 pastas €55. Book and go! read more

Not the best. Portion size was huge and pasta had too much oil. I was hoping for something more authentic. Been to better places in Rome.

Make reservations!!!!! Don't even think of trying to get in without them. It's really good food for a very reasonable price for Rome. I highly recommend this place. Much better than most places I've been to in Rome. read more

My husband and I were on vacation in Rome and we loved this place so much we are there not once but twice!!! First of all the service was the best we had on our entire trip. They made you feel so welcome and at home. I highly recommend the carbonara and the cacio de Pepe!!! My mouth is salivating just thinking of both those dishes. My husband also had the suckling pig which was so delicious not a piece of meat was wasted! We spent over two hours there each meal and it was the most wonderful experience. This is an absolute must if in Rome! read more

Very good traditional Italian. Service is great. Get a reservation. Had the ravioli with spinach, and fettuccine with bacon. Tiramisu...trust me, do it. read more

We, family of 4, from USA ate lunch here yesterday. The food was GREAT as was the service. The staff was supper nice and attentive. Of all the places we ate, in Rome we liked this the best ***********, I'd give it 10 stars. I'll return here if we come back to Rome. read more

We could not get in for dinner but we showed next day for lunch. It was really really good food. Excellent service and great vino.

Food was great! Found it on Yelp last minute and it was just what we needed. Must be good, as we are the only American's in the place. Saturday night and everyone is speaking Italian. That's gotta stand for something if the locals come here for their weekend night out. read more

Great little Roma restaurant. We visited this past November and it was delicious. We shared an order of cacio e pepe and the slow roasted suckling pig. Both were large portions and oh so delicious. We had a carafe of the house wine and it was very good and inexpensive. A lot of local Roman families were there enjoying a meal. Highly recommend this restaurant during your visit to Rome. read more

Reservations a must. Everything we had was amazing (antipasti della casa, house wine, ravioli, roast lamb, shrimp kebab)

I made a reservation on January the 23rd for our family group of 14 people for May the 4th. When we arrived, with the email confirmation in hand, I was told that they had no record of the reservation and we were turned away. A few days later, the person that takes the reservations, Veronica, responded to my follow up email saying it was her fault and she was sorry. That did not help us at the time. Be sure to reconfirm with them at least 2 or 3 times. Trust me, they have no qualms about sending you away even with a reservation confirmation in hand. read more

We decided on this restaurant after reading some of the yelp reviews and I'm so glad we did! They start you off with fried mozzarella cheese which is delish!!! The white house wine is very good! My sister in law had the fettuccini alfredo and it was perfect. My husband had a grilled steak that was cooked to perfection (yes i tried everyones meal!) and the roasted potatoes!!! Yum! The service was a little dry at first, but they warm up to you quickly. Oh and super cheap for a great meal! read more

WOW!!! This restaurant was amazing. From the food to the service, (the waiter was wonderful) this is definitely a 5 star restaurant and if you happen to be in the area, make a reservation... its SO worth it!!! read more

Amazing authentic Italian cuisines. You know you're in a real restaurant when the conversations around you are local Italians enjoying their dinner here. I love to eat what the real locals eat and this place is it. Every dish was delicious . Oso bucco was the best ! read more

Surprisingly rude waiters, kept us waiting for a really long time. Spaghetti is extremely awful, pizza is fine.

Don't bother.. There are so many other great restaurants in Rome to go to... This was not one of them. Their pasta dishes were good, but typically one can't go wrong with pasta in Rome. It seemed like all tourists were cattled into a glass box and it did not feel like an authentic Italian experience. The service was terrible and the waiter Bordered on unprofessional. Highly you recommend you pass on this restaurant and visit Colline Emiliane via degli Avignonesi (two blocks away) for better food and a true Italian experience. read more

Glad we found This place after 2 days Of eating at tourist traps... This is one of the few "genuine" Italian restaurants in the old city... Tomorrow is our last night in Rome and we have reserved dinner at this place again... Lastly I feel that the money was well spent at this place... I recommend reservations... It's a small place that quickly gets full... read more

Our favorite meal in Rome. Everything was so good and for a very reasonable price. I recommend making a reservation because it is a small restaurant and it fills up quickly. The service was great and they gave us a couple of starters on the house. We had the house wine, the carbonara and penne Arrabbiata to start (the best we had in Rome) and then the Ossobuco, Suckling Pig, and an artichoke. It reminded me of my grandmothers cooking... It was amazing! read more

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Best trattoria in Rome. Feasted upon the best Italian food I've ever had. I had pasta carbonara and lamb roast, both of which I recommend highly. read more

My husband and and I went to Hostaria Romana on our honeymoon in March 2016; it was by far our favorite dining experience of the entire trip. The service was excellent, despite the fact that they were packed (make reservations!), and all of our food was fantastic. I highly recommend the Antipastini della casa (assortment of well-seasoned, cooked vegetables, olives, quiche, and mozzarella) and Bucatini all'amatriciana (spicy tomato-based sauce with guanciale, or Italian spiced pork jowl). I still crave those dishes! We also got two meat entrees and two desserts, the tiramisu and cheesecake, which were all delicious. It's worth noting that the restaurant is fairly small and the tables are close together, so be prepared to sit a little close to your neighbors. read more

Was fortunate enough to be staying right next door, after reading reviews both on yelp and in my travel book me and my wife stopped in. Glad we did, although a reservation would have been a good idea we were able to get a table. We started with the house antipasto, I'm not big on veggies, but the starter was excellent! First course was fettuccine al Gorgonzola, again excellent! Then had the grilled pork chop, it was like butter soooo good. I recommend, staff was good and food is great! read more

Very impolite reception . We didn't make any reservation , the couple in front of us also didn't . They found a table for them , but when we asked also for a table they avoided to answer. Finally they said to us to come back in 2.30 hours!! Don't go without reservation . read more

Don't listen to Rick Steve's for restaurants- mixed grill just ok at best -- bread was bad, graffiti on walls--they sure seem to like graffiti in rome - food isnt very tasty here - skip this place-- (sorry rick) read more

go for the legendary antipasto sampler, the carbonara has raw egg, the cacio e pepe is good

Overall awesome experience! They fit us in without a reservation. Definitely recommend the artichokes and Carbonara. Great atmosphere and not touristy at all a lot of locals! read more

We arrived at 11.30 pm, and even though there were plenty of empty tables and the kitchen was open, a very rude waiter told us we couldn't just go in for dessert. Very narrow minded. Was planning to go in the next day with a group of 15 people, obviously never stepping there again. read more

Amazing!!!!! We actually come here twice we loved it so much. The food is very fresh and the place is packed with tourists and Italians. Make a reservation!!!!!!!!! read more

Great dinner! Had the carbonara (fabulous), the antipasti de la casa (which had zucchini, eggplant, coleslaw), and a lamb dish. Good wine recommended by waiter, very familial. All great. read more

Went based on Yelp reviews and the restaurant backed up all the great reviews. As noted by many, making a reservation is definitely recommended as they are usually booked. For Americans, getting reservations near the opening times like 7:30pm seems more successful than trying for later in the evening. The service was great, complimentary snacks periodically during the meal, and all the food was excellent. Also prices were very reasonable. read more

we were at the door before it opened for dinner and there was already a line. the owner was such a sweetheart. the food was great. I especially loved the antipasto sampler. read more

Zero stars would point out their ability to make a reservation. Called 8 times, finally got someone to take a reservation.....to show up and not get seated! Thanks for wasting our dinner time till no other place was open, and then turn us away. My kids went to bed hungry (1 & 3 years old) even though we made a reservation. Tourists beware...they don't give a shit about you! Their food could be made of gold and I would not recommend this place......Welcome to Rome! read more

It is busy. Need appointment. Even at 11:00 pm in the evening there still a lot of people are waiting outside. Small space. Food is good as well as price. Most of the local people are there. read more