Unlike Theodore L. my experience was completely different (I mean I'd really like to hear the other side of that story). Hungry, my family and I were heading back to our hotel from the Spanish steps when we were approached by one of the staff members of La Fontanella Sistina. I was being a little standoffish myself because I was skeptical, but my family was hungry so we (I) reluctantly followed him to the restaurant a few steps away. The minute we walked i, we were warmly yet enthusiastically greeted by Francesco. He was extremely kind. They quickly scurried to set our table up in a spot that would comfortably accommodate my family. I wasn't sure how hungry i was compared to the rest of them, but they were very patient and kind in offering and explaining the different dishes they offered. Although the inside was not the rustic spot you would probably look forward to experiencing in Italy, the service made up for it ten fold. I'm sure you can find superior dishes elsewhere, but the food was still delicious and the service just made it all the better. When e finished and I went to the back towards the rest room to say good bye and thank Francesco, I mentioned I would put a review online. He didn't seem to know about how reviews work. He seemed confused when i asked about where i could post one about the restaurant. I explained and told him I'd be posting one. He seemed surprised and was so sweet- thanking me profusely shaking my hand. He then happily agreed to take a picture with my family. Thank you Francesco for making our first restaurant experience in Rome so memorable. I was pleasantly surprised and glad we decided to have dinner an at La Fontanella Sistina. Hope to return soon. read more

Scammers - Small bowl salad just lettuce and tomato 10 euros Misunderstanding order not correcting it well and still overcharge the manager got aggressive and threatened to fight us hitting the table with glad and screaming at lady when we refused to pay for a dessert that was originally offered as a complimentary gesture. Even police needed to be called Don't eat here, avoid at all cost!!! read more

Pass We stopped here on the way back to our hotel late in the evening and had dinner outside. We were super starving and just needed to find a place to dine and the menu looked appealing. Service was attentive, but the food just wasn't as good as we had elsewhere during our trip and the prices were high for some items (ex: a single piece of bruschetta was 5 euros and had no taste to it). The best part of dinner was my beer. I had a sausage and mushroom pizza - the crust was good, but the sausage seemed underdone and lacked flavor as well. Just disapointing as other reviews are not as sad as mine. read more

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This place was fabulous!!!!!!! I got the mushroom & ham ravioli and it was so phenomenal that I ordered a second plate right then and there. AND ATE BOTH!! In fact, everyone with me enjoyed what they ordered. My dish has been the best meal I've had so far in Italy. The wait staff was equally excellent!! The owner spent much of the evening doting on us personally making it feel like we were having a meal with family. Dine here, u won't regret it!!! read more

La Fontanella Sistina - Ham & mushroom ravioli in white sauce - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

We decided to come in for some pizza, beer,wine and Caffe'. The moment we come to the entrance the customer service was excellent. We all enjoyed the pizza, wine,beer and Caffe'. We will definitely stop by again before we leave Rome. Grazie per l'eccellente servizio... read more

La Fontanella Sistina - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

Great local restaurant family owned. I was here in the early 2000's and just came Back to find them still here. The food is fresh and outstanding. read more

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We happened upon this restaurant. I had a delicious hamburger with oven roasted little potatoes. My husband had tortellini with a pesto sauce. My burger was great and his dinner was also. He then ordered lemon sorbet. I had a small tiramisu. Mine was great. His came melted. Very disappointed. He could have used a straw being all melted. When we asked the waiter he said that's how it's served. ‍. The service was ok. The prices seemed ok. read more

Food was absolutely atrocious. Ordered spaghetti and meatballs with very little sauce. The spaghetti was swimming in sauce and meatballs were Iike hockey pucks. Garlic bread arrived burnt and tastless. Avoid going here!!! read more

If you're looking for that one token "worst meal of my Italy trip" then this is the spot for you. I believe I can honestly say this is the worst meal I have had in Italy in decades of travel to the country...& my first ever 1-star review. read more

La Fontanella Sistina - We split a pizza and still couldn't stomach finishing a last piece. Literally the worst meal I have ever had in Italy on any one trip... - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

Great place for dinner. We stayed across the street and were immediately invited in as we exited our hotel :). This was a great place. Food was very good, service hospitable. We had bruschetta with smoked salmon, seafood linguini, and a sliced beef and arugula dish. Paired with house wine, it was just right. read more

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Well, we've been looking for a place to blow our socks off in terms of excellent pasta. We'd already struck out 2 times. This wasn't it either. I had spinach-ricotta Ravioli. It was good but not the best I've had. My spouse got fettuccine in mushroom sauce. The mushroom flavor was incredibly strong. He didn't finish it. We got caprese as an appetizer. It was very good! Service was as expected. Outdoor patio along a side street. Some car exhaust fumes. read more

I often try to dine at restaurants away from the tourist spot such as (Trevi ) etc. overpriced and no Italians in the kitchen. I stumbled across this place on a side street not a fancy place but if you want wholesome good Italian food cooked by an Italian then I highly recommend this place. Dinner cost us $43! And we left satisfied. Buffalo mozzarella and cherry tomato appetizer was simple and tasty, the minestrone soup was homemade and the fettuccine with mushrooms was simple and fantastic. The service was Italian! A little slow but what's the hurry! Staff was friendly. What some of us Americans need to remember is when comparing restaurants to back home 1) our portions are too big! 2) Italian table wine is just that not a bottle of the prisoner where the wine cost more than the meal. Italians drink table wine not snobby expensive wine. I'm amazed at all the reviewer complaining about the wine. Enjoy the food! read more

As a tourist, a friendly restaurant staff can be difficult to come across in Italy... la fontanella Sistina shines as a beacon of hope. Both the food and the experience was by far the best in Rome. I enjoyed the spaghetti con la vongole as a main along with the tiramisu and pistachio ice cream for desert. I am someone who believes a meal is as good as the company and for this reason I will be coming back next time I visit Rome. read more

La Fontanella Sistina - Ravioli di spinach and ricotta - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

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My husband and I are tourists in Roma. As we walked to the Trevi Fount we stumbled across this little gem of a ristorante. The caprese salad was of the highest quality. Perfection! Excellent pizza. Great service reasonable prices read more

We enjoyed our meal here. Excellent and friendly service. The eggplant dish is fantastic.

We were looking around for a place to eat and the owner was standing outside and telling us how good it was and it's his family restaurant so we went in. Service was good and food was very good. Place is clean. We had fried calamari/shrimp, was delicious! A few other dishes and all very tasty. At the end the owner gave us a free round of limoncello and we said it was our "present" lol Very nice atmosphere, good music, decent prices and food was very good. We would definitely go back read more

La Fontanella Sistina - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

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Located nearby the Barberini metro station, I stumbled across La Fontanella Sistina as tired and hungry Roman tourist. Luckily they weren't too busy and had just a few empty tables left. I opted for a spaghetti cabonara that I enjoyed. Most importantly though was their tiramisu at the end! It was by far my favorite tiramisu in Rome during my short stay. It was kind of expensive at 8euros, but most people I saw were sharing it... but I'm glad that I didn't!!! =D read more

La Fontanella Sistina - Spaghetti cabonara - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

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We had just finished a tour that ended at the Piazza Barberini, and we were looking for a dinner spot. We'd had some good food in Rome, but nothing that really was amazing. We are so glad Francesco was there to talk to us about the menu and convinced us to give them a try. Everything we had was delicious! My spouse's lasagna was some of the best, if not the very best, we've ever had. The tonnelli pasta was fabulous, and the sides of spinach with butter and Parmesan as well as the grilled vegetables were flavorful and done just right. When we return to Rome, we will definitely be looking to return for more of the great food here! (Unfortunately this was our last night in Rome, so we can't return for more this trip....) read more

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This place should have more than 3 stars! The food was fantastic, as was the service. We were going to go to another place that was way too crowded so we kept walking and stumbled upon this place. I'm in love. Francisco, one of the waiters/hosts was very helpful in answering all of our questions. (It's his family's restaurant). My food was PERFECT. It was a great ending to a great day of walking around Rome. Please do yourself a favor and come here if you are out in Rome! **They also speak very good English here so it's not intimidating if you don't speak Italian.** read more

Six years since we've been here. It's now being run by the son of the owners. Expanded menu and updated interior, including air conditioning. Food is still great and the son carries on a nice family restaurant. A wonderful dining experience in Rome at a family restaurant and not having to spend a lot. Tip: they're closed on Wednesdays. read more

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The best service and best food we have had in Italy. It was so good, we are going back tomorrow night.

We bumped to this restaurant for a late lunch. It has overdelivered our expectations in all terms. The food (grilled funghi porcini and fettucine with mushrooms) was a delight. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The service is one of the fastest. You should definetly go as it is worth the price (slightly higher than a regular place yet much better vs other "wanna be" places in the area. read more

La Fontanella Sistina - Funghi Porcini - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

Excellent! The service and the food. I had the Spaghetti Carbonara. Perfect balance of cheese, bacon and egg. fantastico!

We stumbled upon this gem looking for a dinner spot in Rome and we are so happy that Francisco pulled us into the restaurant. First of all everyone that works here is incredibly warm and welcoming. The restaurant is cute and quaint. Service was quick. Everyone speaks really well so there isn't a language barrier but it's also very authentic Italian food. The prices are great. AND THE FOOD IS FANTASTIC. I ordered the lasagna and was very impressed and satisfied after. My friends got the spaghetti carbonara and fettuccine with salmon and were very happy with their choice. Honestly I have no idea why this place only has 3 stars as it was a fantastic find for us. If you are in Rome and want to get away from the bustle for dinner, come here! read more

I had salmon fettuccine and my wife had cheese spinach ravioli. The fettuccine sauce mixed with the salmon was scrumptious

I would give this restaurant 0 star if I could. Just absolutely hopeless food and the waiter asked us if we wanted a side dish without telling us it would be extra plus asked us if we wanted a salad as well. Anyway please BEWARE of their horrible food and horrible service as well. And the owner will pretend like their Credit machine is NOT working to get cash from you. I had go out looking for an ATM machine to get cash. Oh!!!! It was a terrible experience. read more

Horrible experience of being gouged for being a tourist. One family of five stopped in for a light dinner (it was like 100 degrees and so none of us were very hungry. First we ordered a tomato and mozzarella appetizer which was listed at 10 euro, the waiter was very pushy and said that would not be enough for 5 and suggested a larger size, and we were like, fine. When the check came we were horrified that he charged us 40 euro for just that plate....it was ridiculous! He also pressured us to get three pizzas when we only ordered two, ended up with more food than we wanted. We ordered 0.5 liter of the house wine and it was disgusting...clearly had been open for a week. Generally we felt totally taken advantage of and left with the evening ruined. read more

We just finished our second dinner in 3 days at this restaurant. We love it! Food and service is amazing and recommendations from the staff were spot on We cant wait to go back again! read more

We stopped into this wonderful restaurant and the service was impeccable. Don Pipi and his staff made us feel like family and at the end our our trip, our entire group of 8 agreed unanimously that this was the best Italian food we had in Roma. The food is fresh, homemade, and they cater to your liking! This is a must do when you visit! read more

I recently visited Rome. I had been there before. This time, it seemed there were fewer family owned and operated restaurants to choose from. It turned out the La Fontanella Sistina was across the street from my hotel. I was approached by the owner, Francesco, who told me that his family has owned and operated this restaurant as well as another in Rome for 50 years. He explained that the pasta was homemade on the premises daily. I decided to give it a try. Well, I was amazed. I had the papardelle Bolognese and it was delicious, even for a person who is of Italian descent and makes her own pasta and sauce. We asked for veal piccata, which was not on the menu. Francesco asked how we wanted it prepared and he had the chef make it for us. It was the best veal piccata I have ever had! The quality of the meat was superb and the sauce was flavorful and light, not filled with butter. BRAVO Francesco and family! I look forward to returning to you restaurants when I return to Rome. Until then, keep up the great work! Arrivederci! read more

Ate there today. I ate alone and was charged 2.50. I heard them numerous times mention I was alone. I've since read articles that it's not common for women to dine alone. The homemade ravioli with spinach and white sauce was good. The cannoli dessert cost as much as my meal (which I was not happy about) My meal did have bread but no salad. I ordered soup "to go" for my traveling companion who was sick and in the room. The vegetable soup was delicious and not what I expected. When I ordered "to go" they did not understand. I later learned the word "take away" is understood. They did not have a take out dish for the soup so they let me borrow a glass container if I would bring it back. Which I did and they seemed surprised and happy that I did. The meal was bland compared to what I expected. However in all fairness I only have American Italian to compare it to which doesn't seem quite fair until I try more food here. 8.00 raviolis, 8.00 vegetable soup, 8.00 for 1 cannoli, 2.50 coke and 2.50 surcharge for being solo. I have found a fe other restaurants near here that are more affordable. read more

Rude behavior changed gradually to better. No wifi, no credit cards and tasteless food leaves nothing to recommend for it.

Terrible experience at this place. The gnocchi ala sorentino was crunchy and extremely salty. The service was nice but very pushy at first, but when several people in my party sent their food back because it tasted terrible/uncooked, a manager came to the table and argued with us about it. She told us that we just don't know what to order, and that the food was supposed to be that way. When the bill came, they charged us many hidden fees in addition to the food we didn't eat. read more

We stumbled here when we were in Rome. It seemed like a nice family restaurant. The staff was extremely friendly. My family of 5 each ordered an entree. The server (who looked like the owner) was extremely warm. He then asked us if we wanted some prosciutto and salad for the table. We thought sure why not. He charged us $20 per person for salad and prosciutto. We each got 2 pieces and shared the salad. We got charged an additional $100 for a family restaurant. The food there was horrible too. The soup was tasteless and the pizza had horrible sauce. The man that runned the place tried to sooth us over by telling us "what a beautiful family" we had. I have never felt so taken advantage of in a restaurant. Shame on him! I don't like writing negative reviews about restaurants but what he did was awful. I hope he reads this and thinks twice about taking advantage of tourists that eat at his restaurant. read more