Papa Rex was a highlight of my first visit to Rome. Thanks to Stefano, the waiter and chef Schiami, I returned home with a taste of Italy "Bella"! read more

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We got into Rome late on our first night, so we stopped at Papa Rex since it was down the street from our rental. At first we thought service was going to be bad since we felt a little rushed to order with such a large menu to choose from, but once we started to ask questions about the menu and the specials, our server, Stefan, opened up and was really great. Two of us ordered the ravioli and the other ordered a crepe they had on special. Everything was delicious! The crepe was probably the best thing we ordered as it was cooked to perfection. We also split tiramisu and some other dessert, and both were good, but nothing spectacular. We also had lunch here one other time during our trip. Stefan was our waiter again and greeted us with three free glasses of champagne, which was super nice of him. This time I ordered pizza, my Mom had some pasta (I can't remember what it was), and my aunt had the arrabiata. My aunt's pasta was really great and was the perfect amount of spicy. I unfortunately didn't love the pizza. I ordered the caprese, and while it had all the caprese fixings, the cheese was cold mozzarella on top that was added after it was removed from the oven. It just gave it a weird texture. I ended up taking it home to microwave, and then it was a lot better. I would have given Papa Rex 5 stars (or 4.5 if I could!) if it wasn't for one issue we had. When we dined for lunch, the pasta dishes came out well before my pizza did. My Mom and aunt were over halfway done with their food before I received mine. It was too long for me to sit there without food and without anyone acknowledging that I was waiting. I wouldn't have knocked a star off if it wasn't for the fact that when we had dinner the first time, the table next to us had the same issue. Three of the four people had food in front of them and were waiting for the fourth person to receive their food before they would all eat. They waited quite some time before the last person's dish arrived, so it seems like it could be a common occurrence. I still think it's worth a visit as all of the pasta dishes we had were fantastic, and we had really great service. read more

Meh... The food was OK but the service was a bit lacking orders was forgotten and mixed up. read more

Beautiful ambience on a sunny day...staff so accommodating, ask for Stefano! They aim to please and inexpensive!!! read more

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Food was bussin service BUSSIN Roman "ambiance" not that important cause it's all bussin

Came in for lunch and ordered the 500g steak with side of rosemary potatoes (delicious)! Restaurant was recommended by accommodation close by. Excellent service from Gennaro. Thank you! read more

Papa Rex - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

We ate here on our last night in Rome because it was close to the apartment we were renting and didn't want to travel far because of our flight early tomorrow morning. This is a tourist trap. If you are from the United States and want to have Olive Garden recreated and walk right in and speak English without attempting any Italian this is the place for you. The portions are ridiculously large unlike all the other places we ate in Rome. So those used to commercial chains in the states can strap on their feeding bags. The portions are so big you don't even need to order pasta and a main dish, let alone dessert. And, we just inquired about a side and it was added right onto our order. Lastly, we ordered steak Florentine which we were told would be approx 500 grams (more than one pound). Then the waiter explained that it might be 500-600 gr. When we got our bill, the one they cut was 700 gr - almost 1 1/2 pounds!! Our bill could have covered 3 dinners on other nights in Rome - and while the food was decent, it was something that could have been recreated back at home. Head to the Jewish Ghetto or Trastevere or Testaccio and run far from eating at this restaurant or anywhere near this neighborhood! read more

This place was really good for our last night in Rome! We had 5 people and ordered their 2 person fish special, spaghetti with clams, two steaks (t-bone and ribeye), and fried calamari. Everything was delicious, even the potatoes on the fish :) Very please with the taste as some restaurants were not so good. Price was also reasonable range for the amount of food we ordered. read more

We recommend Papa Rex! It was Christmas Eve, we did not have a reservation, and clearly whole families were there celebrating Christmas; however, the staff generously seated the two of us. The meal was fabulous! Stefan our waiter was patient with our lack of italian, polite, quick with a smile, and very entertaining. We loved it here!! read more

On one of our final days in Italy as part of a tour group we all had dinner at this fun place near St. Peter's Square. There were opera singes making the night pretty interesting for everyone and the food was quite good. The staff was pleasant and we had a great time. I'd recommend this place if you're in the area. read more

We ate here after going to the Vatican to hear Pope Francis. Our meal was scrumptious lasagne, salad, veal and potatoes with bread then served desert and included a glass of wine. The service was excellent. The owner tracked us down when we thought it was closed for a group. We're so glad he did. Loved the atmosphere, food and great service. All of this and it was less than 20 euros each. read more

Gennaro was wonderful and food was great! Excellent value for portions. Very friendly to us on our first visit from USA.

We were at Papa Rex today night (our last night in Rome). The food was really delicious, the staff was awesome. Steven was really friendly with us. The price is great, everything was fine. Best place where we ate during our Rome trip. Highly recommended! read more

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We went to this restaurant on our first night in Rome and really enjoyed our first taste of Rome. We were surprised by a complimentary order of focaccia bread. Our group of four ordered pizza, sea food pasta, pork and veal. Great food and service. We went again last night and had a great experience too. read more

My family and I have been touring Europe for a couple of weeks now, and Papa Rex Ristorante is by far the best restaurant we have dined at yet. The food was amazing! Definitely would recommend the steak, but everything was good, right down to the the pizza margherita. Additionally, the atmosphere provided a true Italian experience, unlike the typical touristy cafes near the Vatican and all throughout the rest of Rome. We went here to celebrate our son's birthday and it will truly be a night he won't forget. Our waiter, Gennaro was the kindest and funniest person we have ever met. He was the first person to embrace our American nationality and partake in it, while also sharing his Italian culture with us. We felt more at home in this restaurant than we have at most American restaurants. read more

The staff was very friendly. The cannelloni was awesome! I would go back here - the next time we are in Rome

I went here based on recent reviews. This was the last night in Rome. We had visited four other restaurants for dinner and this one ranked last. The food was good, not great. We had the cannelloni and cacio e pepe. Both were flavorful but didn't stand out. I would give them four stars except there is something shady about the place. When the table next to us got their bill it was 10€ short. The waiter asked for cash since the card had been run already. I didn't think anything of it until the same exact thing happened with my bill. As soon as my card went through he realized that the appetizer was left off the bill. He asked for 10€ cash. One other thing that happened was a family of 4 sat down next to us and ordered a steak that the dad and kids were going to share (it was definitely big enough for 3 and they had ordered plenty of other food for the table). The waiter brought out a steak for each of them. The family didn't say anything to the waiter but commented amongst themselves how they really wanted just one. If you go here.....be clear on what you are ordering and check you bill carefully before paying. read more

The food was alright, nothing spectacular, but this is a business with rather unscrupulous practices. I came here for lunch and split the bill with my friends. Our original bill came out to 51.50 euros, this was not what was charged onto our credit cards though. We were charged 58.50 euros. When we pointed out that the number we were charged exceeded our actual bill, feigned confusion on their part ensued and refusal to correct the charge. Addition is universal. Math is an international language. Skip this one. There's better food to be had and certainly better businesses to support. read more

We loved the food here so much we went twice during our trip. We were lucky to have Stefano as our waiter both visits. He was attentive and made great recommendations for food and drink. The steak Florentine was absolutely amazing. Our daughter loved the pizza. Thanks for making our trip memorable. read more

Avoid at all cost! A real tourist trap if there ever was one. Staff is this old-fashioned grumpy Italian waiters whose only delight is to spoil your day. Food not up to standard. Also orders come in bits and pieces and we all were sitting there for 10 minutes waiting until finally the last order arrived so we could eat together. So many other places to choose from so make yourself a favour and don't step in ;) read more

Me and my girlfriends came to Rome for the weekend and we stopped here for dinner. The food was amazing and the staff was very attentive and helpful! I got the Carbanera and a chocolate cake. It was amazing to say the least! They speak English and also enjoyed helping me butcher my Italian words! Our waiter was very kind to us, and to be honest the first Italian here in Rome to be nice to us as American tourists! Grazie read more

Papa Rex - Spaghetti alla Carbanera - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

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Ate here twice while in Rome. Papa Rex was recommended by the concierge. Great service and great food. & no cover charge for table seating! The restaurant is huge-a lot of seating with 3 floor levels. Bathrooms were also clean. Free WiFi! I had the lamb ribs and spaghetti with seafood. Both were equally good. We were in Rome for 6 days. This place had the best food out of all the restaurants we tried. I would skip the dessert though. The chocolate cake we had tasted stale. read more

First dinner in Rome and it could not have been better! Had the fish special for two and it was delicious! The waiter was attentive but not hovering! Wine was my favorite Pinot Grigio! All in all a wonderful experience! A very special thank you to Gennardo who took very good care of us!!! read more

Nice ambiance and full of tourists--bus loads of tourists! Really wanted to enjoy this place but the moderately expensive food was average at best and the service was painfully slow. Staff was inadequate and inept. read more

The food was excellent. One of the best meals I had while I was in Rome. And the service was excellent! You won't be disappointed.

Great food & service. Enjoyed the caprese salad & the flounder special. Came back for second dinner. Tony our waiter was really nice, too. read more

Papa Rex - We had a wonderful dinner & Tony was our waiter. Enjoyed the caprese salad & the amazing flounder special. - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

Ordered 5 meals for 5 people, every dish came a different time! Also forgot to bring the wine. Very uncoordinated service. Food was not bad nonetheless, but for the pricing not acceptable service. Go to "GOOSE" pizzeria next door. Not as "fancy" but better service, food and prices. And all dishes come at the same time... read more

The food was awful! It was the worst food we have ever received. We waited for the check for almost an hour before someone finally brought it to us. Many others got their checks before us; however, they came in after us and left before us. Our waiter went missing and did not appear again that evening. It is one of those ripoff tourist attractions. I would not recommend going to this restaurant. Overall, it was terrible food, awful service, and unfair cost! Do not go here!! read more

We arrived in Rome at 7pm after a long train ride and decided to eat at Papa Rex without reading any reviews. We were brought to our table for 3. The waiter brought us over and kicked a man out of the table he wanted us to sit at while he was still eating dessert. The table was dirty and right next to the toilet. The restaurant was empty and so we couldn't see a reason to kick someone out of a table for our small group. We ordered a glass of wine and the waiter brought out an open wine bottle worth 30 USD. The food was bad and the dessert felt previously frozen. Dinner cost 115$ USD for the worst food we had in Rome. Do not eat here, eat in Trastevere instead of this tourist trap! read more