Wish I'd seen this sooner. There is a nice place that I really like, right on the piazza in front of the Pantheon, called della Rotunda. Very pleasant lunch outside on the piazza.

While trying to find the name of the French restaurant run by nuns, I ran across this web site...lots of Italy restaurant advice...http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/graffiti36.html

However a link that describe the restaurant I recommend is at http://travel2.nytimes.com/top/featu...=1083919798438


L'Eau Vive
.Via Monterone 85, Rome, Italy
Phone: 06-68801095 - Piazza Navona
- French
- EUR 7 to EUR 12 lunch
- EUR 12 to EUR 17 dinner

Although the food is good, just the mention of being served by nuns was another highlight of Mrs. Outoftown and my trip to Rome. Restaurant profits go to charity.

Outoftown

And the nuns come into the dining room about 9:30 or so (IIRC) and sing Ave Maria. It's very sweet--and I mean "sweet" in the old-fashioned sense. :)

About 4 years ago I had an amazing meal at Il Confalone, which is located on viccolo del Confalone, off Via Giulia. It's a very tiny seafood restaurant--a romantic setting that's perfect for a couple or a small group.

We put ourselves in our waiters hands and had a pasta course that included a fettuccini with half of a crab (which more than filled me up) and a fish course. There may have been an appetizer and dessert, but I can hardly remember. But it was all delicious.

Throughout our stay in Rome, we discovered that waiters brought us what we see in the US described as "Italian bread" while the Romans were all eating this delicious looking flat bread. We finally asked the waiter at Il Confalone for the bread that the rest of the tables had--it's Roman focaccia (looks more like a pita than what we think of in the US as focaccia...the ingredients are similar to what you'd find in a very short, buttery Chicago-style pizza crust, then it's brushed with olive oil, and sprinkled with salt and pepper before baking...I dream of this focaccia).

By the end of our meal, we struck up a conversation with the two Roman men at the table adjacent to us. They were friends of the owner and one of the kept his private stash at the restaurant, so they offered my boyfriend and I shots of their grappa. (I stuck to the limoncella...grappa is just a little too strong for me :) ) Il Confalone is located between the Tiber and Campo di Fiori, and we'd rented an apartment on the opposite side of Campo di Fiori. I can still picture us walking back "home" down the Roman cobblestone streets after that delicious dinner. (And I still marvel to this day that we managed to find our way back to the apartment...it's a good thing we ate at Il Confalone after we'd been in Rome for a few days.)

By the pantheon, there is another decent gelateria, Della Palma. Used to be most excellent and challenging because they didn't actually have signs for the flavors, you had to guess based on the candy, fruit etc. on top. Its quite touristy now, but still darn yummy. TH loves the ciocolatta arancia the best.

I love Giolitti too.

By Via Arenula, next to the small square there is located Alberto Pica, which makes the best riso I have ever had in my life. I love it.

As for food, I like La Carbonara for antipasti, , Evangelista for everything, Marios in Trastervere for the price, Antica Trattoria Trilussa for their hominess and a really great place whose name escapes me in the ghetto (near piazza cenci?).

I am sad to say that I can not recommend grappolo d'oro anymore. I used to love that place.

We're in Rome for 3.5 days in December and I'm definitely going to check out
Orso 80 as we may end up at the Portughesi if we can't find an apartment for short term rent.

The best thing however, is to eat at home. :)

Here´s another recommendation:

Anni Cinquanta
Via Flavia (just off Via 20 Settembre)
Tel.: +39/06/42010460

As the name suggests, this Pizzeria is designed in a 50s style, but that´s about all there is to the name... It is bright, pretty new and very clean.
However, this Pizzeria is frequented mostly by younger Romans (never spotted tourists there) and they serve a delicious range of Pizze for a very reasonable price. You can also get great (!) Panzerotti there - these are deep fried Pizze made of a special dough. They are not to be missed on a trip to Italy, but not typical for Rome, so a little hard to find...

Franco ar Vicoletto
 

I really love this joint, although it's been 3 years since
I've been there. It's close to the Largo degli Osci. I think
it's about $25 a head, counting all the wine you can drink.

http://travel2.nytimes.com/top/featu...=1083919795519

We enjoyed-
Otello Alla Concordi-off the Corso
La Cornacchie Osteria-near the Pantheon

Ms. jmd001 & I spent 12 nights in Italy last month. Every meal was VERY GOOD or better.

One of the "much better's" was Ristorante Tullio (Via San Nicola da Tolentino 26), about a half block off Piazza Barbarini.

It was recommended by our driver from a tour ... then that night one of our daughter's college roommates emailed us that the one restaurant in Rome that we HAD to go to was Tullio's. Out of all the restaurants in Rome, having two people independently recommending the same place! What are the odds? So we went. It was GREAT! (About 100 Euros with a reasonable bottle of wine.)

I ate dinner in the Trastavere district after being warned this was the"bad" end of town and witnessed a beating at our outdoor restaurant. The waiters did nothing until a concerned patron yelled at them to call the police. The food was good from what I recall...

For seafood:
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/rome/D33590.html
Last time we were in Rome, a few years ago, we thought that La Rosetta was great.

Toto Alle Carrozze
 

My daughter and I were in Rome last month, and really enjoyed this little restaurant. The owner, Massimo, is a delight, and we ate their three times for lunch because it was such good food.

The weather was perfection when we were there, and we ate at tables outside and drank prosecco. They had the best buffalo mozzarella I have ever eaten, and a chocolate cake that was sublime.

Toto Alle Carrozze
Via delle Carrozze, 10
335.62.24.356
Owner: Massimo
[email protected]

Near the Vatican.....Dino & Tony's at via Leone IV 60. Make sure you have a reservation for dinner. Incredible food (and lots of it), incredible value. Forget the menu and let Dino & Tony tell you what you will have for dinner. Suggest sharing pasta dishes as they are huge.

From my recent trip:

Cuccagna - 14 via della Cucagna
family owned place near Pza. Navona -
more local than tourist - family owned - nice for lunch, and would be a great place for a romantic dinner

I can reiterate the many rec's for Giolotti (via Uffici del Vicario 40)

For pizza I preferred Ristorante da Francesco over Baffetto -

For a youngster place try GUSTO in Piazzetta Romolo Imperatore, just next to Via del corso. Great Pizza italian style and lot more...