Santa Lucia

As everyone said, food is great, setting is intimate, wait is worth it. Carbonara and side…read morecannellini beans were awesome.

We ordered a bruschette smoked salmon and mozzarella to start. We told the waitress that we want to…read morekeep looking at the menu as we weren't ready to get an entree yet and she said we can't only get bruschette because we need to order more. We asked what we need to order and she said more food. That turned us off. We ordered the smoked salmon and mozzarella bruschetta, paid, tipped and left. The food was okay. The service was rude.

Unassuming entrance

One of the special offerings on 19Jun and a Chianti

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Tiramisu and Semifreddo al Pistacchio

Su e Giu Cucina Romana

4.6(235 reviews)

This evening Mary and I had a wonderful dinner at Sue e Gui Cucina Romana in the Prati district of…read moreRome. Daniel, the son of the chef and part owner was gracious and conversational and made great recommendations for our dinner. We started with a crispy sage leaf appetizer made simply with sage leaves lightly battered and fried in olive oil. Yummy! All of the pasta is made fresh and Mary selected Ravioli ricotta e Spinach while I selected Saltimbocca alla romana (Veal slices in Roman style) and both dishes were delicious. After dinner we opted out of dessert, but Daniel brought a treat to the table consisting of two sugar coated cookies and suggested we soaking them in our wine as a final treat. They were Wonderful! So far one of the best meals we have had in Rome. We would both highly recommend this restaurant, both for the family atmosphere and the great food. We hope to return before leaving Rome.

Review # 1200 After…read moresome shopping on the Via cola Di Riemzo, we were ready for lunch. This spot was a Yelp find. We arrived just before they opened at 12:30. We asked for a table outside and the kind lady asked us if we had a reservation (oh oh). We didn't. No problem as we took our pick of one of the tables. Two levels inside with a small Bar in the back. Before we knew it, outside seating was full and inside also filled up-a good sign. We ordered a liter (ended up being too much but when in Rome...) of their house Red and enjoyed it. For starters, we ordered the Fried Artichokes (thick breading and will order the Roman style with garlic/vinegar next time), fried Zucchini and Suppli-Cacio Pepe. The Suppli was delicious and was enjoyed the most. For main, it was Pasta Carbonara (Guanciale )-Proper carbonara and the streak of not having a bad version of this dish in Rome continues. The sliced Beef with mushrooms was also delicious -super tender and thin pieces of beef (medium rare as requested). We asked if the Tiramisu was house-made. Our server answered, "yes, and I am the one who makes it." How could we not order after that?! One of the best Tiramisus we've had. Perfect balance of coffee dipped lady fingers with cream-delicious! Our Server was kind, attentive and full of hustle -she was covering a lot of ground. Don't miss this Gem if you are in the Prati district.

Inside

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Trattoria da Alfredo e Ada

4.6(115 reviews)

0.4 km•Centro Storico

Back in 2018, I visited Alfredo e Ada for the first time, and eight years later, I finally made my…read moreway back and I am so happy that it hasn't changed a single bit. It's intimate, cozy authentic Italian charm. The staff here are wonderfully kind and welcoming, making an already memorable meal feel even more special. Show up right at opening if you want to secure a table immediately, as this local treasure fills up incredibly fast! We started with the artichoke, which was quite possibly the best artichoke I've ever tasted in my life. Ubelievably tender and served bathed in rich olive oil that elevated every single bite. The Amatriciana was my personal favorite dish of the night, featuring a rich red sauce packed with a subtle kick of heat and finished with a generous dusting of fresh Parmesan. The stuffed chicken was remarkably tender, juicy, and wonderfully seasoned with delicate flavors that don't overpower. Lastly, the lasagna was everything a classic lasagna should be: wonderfully cheesy and deeply comforting, yet light enough that it doesn't weigh you down. Easily one of my favorite dining spots in all of Europe. I already can't wait for the day I get to return again!

I cannot say enough good things about this place! First, the menu is always handwritten, with only…read morea few tables inside and outside. We got there early and were able to grab a table outside. It is located on a quieter street which was really perfect for a calm dinner. The staff were really friendly and the house wine was delicious. I got the ravioli with eggplant and tomatoes and my husband got the Amatriciana pasta. We were both really happy with our meals! I highly recommend this restaurant!

Classic Lasagna

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Oxtail Stew

Taverna Varonne

4.8(15 reviews)

1.2 km•Prati

Food was so good;I literally ate there everyday atleast once and sometimes twice a day!the welcomed…read moreme with open arms and even had a beer and wine with as well.the owners are actually cooking in the back as the chefs so they actually care about the food they serve.it was only a few blocks from the vatican and very easy to order as they have someone waiting for you as soon as you order.they also provided me with food when I arrived a day early and my hotel was closed and it was amazing and the video is the link. They make you feel like a king and they are very knowledgeable about rome as well if you have questions on where to start https://www.instagram.com/reel/DU5Bt7gCEzX/?igsh=MXcyeHN4NXk2NXhvdA==

Food was amazing!! We're visiting for study abroad and this is definitely a spot we will return…read more Motto bene !

Shrimp with dipping sauce on it so you don't have to dip

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Carbaonara I think

Osteria della Ricciotta

4.9(7 reviews)

0.6 km•Prati

From the greeting, we got coming in to the warm service we received to the fresh amazing food that…read morethey served us, they exceeded all expectations and provided my family and I a memorable evening.

Great service and delicious food. The ravioli is highly recommended. Traditional decor.read more

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Great atmosphere. Mostly locals.

Egg

4.8(66 reviews)

1.1 km•Prati

We've only been in Rome a few days and we've had some great pasta but this was by far the best…read morewe've had so far. I had the special which was the truffle pasta and my husband had the Cacio e Pepe. Both were phenomenal! The portion size is perfect and the price was very very reasonable. Service was quick and friendly. We plan on going again before we leave Rome and we highly recommend this restaurant. Go, you won't be disappointed.

We had spent hours at the Vatican Museum and were starving and stumbled upon this little place. The…read morefood was incredible. The pasta was so fresh and the flavors were so delicious. I have a friend going to Rome in a couple weeks and have told her she has to check out Egg!! Nothing fancy, just delicious homemade pasta!

Entrance

Amatriciana, yum!

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Bolognese

Borghiciana Pastificio Artigianale

4.7(61 reviews)

Yes, it's worth the wait if you go there early. We stood in line at 12:30 on a weekday, as in,…read morelunchtime. We were 2nd in line and waited about 30 minutes. I would wait longer. I had possibly the most amazing chick food pasta a girl could imagine. Girls know what girl food is. The pasta in Italy is just better -obviously. But then put all sorts of girl flavors on it like Lemon and Orange, just lightly enough, zest with a small hint of cheese-..... omgosh. Yes, yes, and yes. Need my hubs to replicate at home. He is going to be busy trying to perfect this. Tagliatelle with orange and lemon parmesan. This was it. It was the best. Everything else we ordered was amazing as well. Wait outside. They don't have a sign telling you to wait, no server telling you to wait. You wait out there, wondering if you're in the right place, but then people stand behind you and you're like - oh! I'm here. This is the place. There are possibly 4 tables inside. It's small. I read about them being rude- we did not have that problem. In fact, they made a mistake and we kindly let them know we ordered something else- they corrected it and were nice about it.

Pasta Heaven. Very small spot not too far from the Vatican and even closer to the Castel…read moreSant'Angelo. We were super lucky that we didn't have to wait too long to get a table and we were sat instantly. They can only seat about 18 total. Both pastas were just absolutely amazing. The wine recommendation to match was equally great. Very reasonable priced. Really nice staff. Very much a self sufficient spot. Loved it and would recommend. The tiramisu had me in love all over again

Amazing pistachio tiramisu

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Da Romolo Alla Mole Adriana

4.7(99 reviews)

Our Vatican tour guide recommended this spot to us so Lisa and I were on the hunt. Upon arrival we…read morewere graciously greeted and taken to our seats right away. Our kind waiter bright over water, bread and breadsticks. No olive oil, no butter just dry. For our lunch I decided on the cacio e Pepe and Lisa opted for the ragú. Both were delicious. For dessert we were told the owners mom made lemon cake so that was a no brainer. It was fabulous and paired well with espresso. Our waiter also brought us Amaro. It's a licorice like liqueur enjoyed as a digestif. Definitely an acquired taste that reminded me of Aguardiente. Overall the service and staff were exceptional and I would return if ever in a Vatican City again.

Amazing! Hidden gem just outside of Vatican City. Our waiter is also very knowledgeable and superb!…read moreFood recommendations are very good. The place has plenty of tables and they welcome walk ins.

Fillet Steak grilled medium

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At the bar

Cantina e Cucina

4.5(796 reviews)

0.2 km•Centro Storico

The food was outstanding, as was the service. A cozy little…read moreplace tucked down a narrow street, you could call it a hole in the wall, but it actually is quite spacious. The waitstaff kindly advised us to wait so we had more space, and had very good suggestions for our meal. The food itself was delicious, and came in surprisingly large portions. I wasn't able to finish. A true gem tucked away in Rome.

The food was great. Great service and ambiance for our first time ever to Rome, Italy.read more

Indoor dining

Tiramisu

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Roasted lamb

Sorpasso

4.4(194 reviews)

1.1 km•Prati

Came back to Sorpasso after eating there 7 years earlier, and did not disappoint. Was the place to…read morebe both inside and out! Was happy they found us a table for two without a reservation.

We dined at Sorpasso for our first lunch in Rome as it was next to our hotel. We sat outside, which…read morewas very nice. My husband enjoyed the Italian Hams, while I went for the chicken salad. The chicken had zero flavor, making it hard to eat. The service was good.

Cozy bar seating

Half portion of the pasta

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Inside seating area with decent air conditioning.

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Francesca R.

11 years ago

Ristorante Santa Lucia e' secondo me uno dei migliori nella zona di Piazza Navona. In posizione tranquilla alle spalle della piazza, esattamente in Largo Febo, e' un classico ristorante di buona cucina italiana e romana, non turistico come quelli situati in Piazza Navona stessa. Buono il Filetto e le qualita' dei vini. I prezzi sono un po' superiori alla media, pero' ci torno sempre volentieri per l'atmosfera e la qualita'! read more

Chef Peter C.

446

4 years ago

Ah-May-Zing! was perfect in every way!

Simons C.

14 years ago

Great food, no tourists.

Santa Lucia - italian - Updated September 2026

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Osteria La Quercia

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(36 reviews)

During my trip to Italy, I only had a short time in Rome - about 36 hours. So, we squeezed in as…read moremuch as we could during the short time including a golf cart tour so we could hit all the hotspots. At the end of the tour, our guide dropped us off for lunch and provided this spot as a suggestion. (The one tip we heard repeatedly from locals while in Italy - avoid any restaurant that had pictures outside of their food or had alfredo, spaghetti and meatballs or chicken parmigiana on the menu.) So, she kindly dropped us off here - at this little spot just off the beaten path. We arrived at lunch time, but were lucky to secure a table outside (dining al fresco in Italy is just a must whenever possible). That said - we just had a light lunch as we had big dinner plans that evening. So, I had only a glass of rose wine and one dish - cacio e pepe. But, here's the thing - I am still thinking about that one bowl of pasta now - more than a month later. It was that good. It's such a simple dish - pasta, cheese, pepper. And yet - so much deliciousness. I've tried to recreate at home, but to no success. I will keep trying. But, the long story short, if you are in Rome, stray off the beaten path - go here and have the cacio e pepe. Honestly - I bet all their dishes are amazing. If I get back to Rome - I will seek this place out to test my theory!

Hard to decide which was worse. The food or service. All the pasta was dramatically undercooked…read more The server tried to tell us the pasta was supposed to be crunchy. Better options on every corner.

Casa Bleve

4.4

(42 reviews)

A very classy and rewarding dining experience! The ambience is lovely: white tablecloths, tables…read morespaced very comfortably apart to allow for intimate conversation without feeling totally isolated; wait staff discreet and very attentive; and the food is fabulous! Wine selections are very deep, almost all Italian (Sangiovese we had was superb). My 3rd time here (3rd time in Rome), and if I lived in Rome I would be a frequent and regular patron. Signora Tina presides with warmth, and obviously demands--and gets--5 star performances from the entire staff. A "MUST" experience!

This place is really good. It is upper scale than most places we have been to on the tour, great…read moreambiance, excellent food. The server recommended us wine that we fell in love with, every dish we tried was amazing. All staff were helpful and friendly. I would definitely go back.

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(48 reviews)

The food here is phenomenal, probably the best restaurant in this very central area of Rome. We had…read moredifferent pastas, the amatriciana and the carbonara. Both were absolutely amazing, freshly made pasta with phenomenal, tomato sauce, and really fresh, balanced ingredients. We also had thethe Fried zucchini flour appetizer, which was amazing, and a pear salad, which was fantastic. The wine list is to die for, and the waiter recommended a wonderful Wine, a nebbiolo that is not so known. I deducted two stars, however, for what I can only describe as racism by the management. They turned away a Chinese family when they were clearly multiple tables available outside. And then immediately afterwards, give them to White families who had no reservations. It was really unbelievable. And reading other reviews, I can see that this is a pattern. They need to fix this.

Recommended by the hotel, which happened to be nearby. They told me this is not only by tourists…read morebut also locals' favorite. Reservation is necessary. We went there for a lunch after checking in the hotel. No table available,, but told the manager that we would wait. It took half hour wait time but we came back. I read it somewhere that good carnabora can be determined by how they cook pancetta. Should be crispy. Also the sauce was not watery. It was a great meal. So glad to have had a great meal. Service is great! We actually had carbonara at a different, also highly rated rea today but theirs carbonara was not as great as this place.

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3.8

(54 reviews)

This nice Italian restaurant has good,refined service and a helpful staff. The restaurant interior…read moreis warm, elegant and welcoming. It's a very clean restaurant. They offer indoor and patio seating. Their appetizers like fresh cut prosciutto were delicious. We enjoyed our pasta dishes very much. Carbonara was good over rigatoni. The shrimp scampi risotto was the best we ever tasted. The service staff forgot the artichoke appetizer we ordered so it never arrived but the waiter was apologetic and very understanding once we inquired about it. Overall, this is a very good place to eat. Some dishes like the shrimp scampi risotto were world class dishes. I highly recommend this restaurant.

First day in Rome and we stumbled upon this restaurant. We picked it because all the tables outside…read morewere full and it was a busy place inside. It was about a 10 minute wait for a table. The staff was friendly with limited English but we were able to order and have a little bit of conversation with our server. Complimentary olives (with the pits) are served. What we ordered: - Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe - great flavor was not heavily seasoned with pepper and noodles were al dente - Rigatoni alla carbonara - this is not like the American style but still had great flavor mostly from the guanciale, noodles also cooked al dente - Spaghetti con vongole veraci e carciofi Thin slices of artichoke with clams over spaghetti, really didn't have much flavor With so many restaurants in Rome to try, I probably would not return but it was a nice place to stumble upon

Taverna Urbana

4.5

(41 reviews)

In the Monti neighborhood, a charming walk from our hotel brought us to Taverna Urbana…read more The food in Rome is all pretty fantastic, and Taverna Urbana is right up there. It's a small place on a neighborhood street. Not a lot of traffic. We ate outside. At first there were water misters going to cool folks off. Then when it got later , they turned off not sure why. Servers were all nice & helpful. Spoke English. Bread was served in a small paper bag. My husband had the ravioli with tomatoes which was very good. I had cacio e Pepe but opted not to have the table side creation (4 euro more) , though we did see someone else having that. Dessert - best dessert ever! Torta Della Nonna - flaky shortbread crust, lemon curd, almonds/hazelnuts. Raspberry sauce.

For whatever reason I'm thinking of Anton Ego's monologue from "Ratatouille" and his review of…read moreeating Remy's dish. The review reflects on the nature of criticism: Ego muses that the harshest criticism can be entertaining, but ultimately worthless compared to the act of creation itself. This applies to the meal I just finished. I seem to have eaten endless versions of typical Roman trattoria, osteria etc. whilst in Rome but nothing like the meal I had at Taverna Urbana. The Caccio e pepe is prepared at table side and was excellent. Overall the service was excellent and the price reasonable.

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This is a charming gem of a restaurant! You know the food is going to be authentic and amazing…read morewhen a chalkboard with the menu written in Italian is brought to your table. Delicious and unique food options, great, attentive service, indoor and outdoor seating. I had the orecchiette with tomato, onion, basil, eggplant, and ricotta. It was so flavorful and delicious! Highly recommend!

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Fantastic experience, one of the best meals we had in Rome…read more First, you cannot beat the house wine, which is only 10 euro for a giant pitcher. And it only goes up from here... Each pasta we got was incredible. I especially loved the seafood pasta, but you really cannot go wrong with what you get here. Fantastic food. For dessert I became obsessed with the Torta della Nonna - a pine nut pastry that's filled with a little bit of cream. If I have to be critical, which I hate to be since Enoteca Corsi is fantastic, we did not care for the Panna Cotta. It had way too much syrup on top. But overall, a very memorable experience. The employees were also very kind.

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La Cabana is a restaurant in the touristy area of Rome, Italy. When we first arrived in the city,…read morewe were super hungry and had checked in to our hotel (Corso 281). Our hotel recommended that we go to La Cabana and tell them that we were sent there from "Corso 281" specifically. The restaurant is a bit hidden in an alley, and when we walked in, it was extremely busy. They said they didn't have a table, but as soon as I said our hotel sent us, we were seated instantly! [PASTA] +Cacio e Pepe for €16 - 4/5 +Off the menu item (linguini, tomato, and seafood) for €16 - 4/5 Overall, everything was good at La Cabana. If you're hungry for a quick bite and are in the area, this place is a safe bet.

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