No matter how near or far you are from home, a recommendation for a good restaurant or bar is always nice to have.  EATS is a collection of places that I’ve enjoyed during my travels.

Arancio d’Oro
My most recent visit to Rome was during the month of August when the city was particularly empty with locals trading the city for the beach and significantly less tourists than usual as a result of pandemic-related restrictions.  Many restaurants were also chiusa per ferie, but we were happy to find Arancio d’Oro open.  Tucked away on a quite side street in Rome’s historic center between Via del Corso and the Tiber River, the restaurant was perfect as we were a bit weary after our long drive from Lecce in the south to Rome, we were more than in need of Roman comfort food.  Despite a mix up with our reservation, we received a friendly reception and were seated at one of a handful tables outside on the street between a multi-generational Italian family and a chatty would-be food connoisseur who gushed emotion to the waiter over everything from the wine to the truffles he grated over her pasta.  A sign that we picked a good restaurant, right?

We started with house red wine, an insalata mista and a delicious Roman-style artichoke, soft and tender as opposed to the crispy, deep-fried Jewish-style versions.  There was only one waiter attending to all of the tables so our meal progression was a bit slow but soon enough our pasta dishes arrived – cacao e pepe and fusseli with eggplant, the latter which reminded me of Sicily’s signature Pasta alla Norma.  Both were delicious and surprisingly not filling, a good thing since it was already much later than we would typically eat in Italy.  We ended the meal with a caffé that was delivered to us with a smile and large plate of biscotti, which we happily enjoyed under the street lights.

Arancio d’Oro, Via di Monte d’Oro 17, +39 06 686 5026, aranciodoro.it

Il Chianti
I actually ate here during my first trip to Rome in 2009 as a college student and didn’t realize it until I returned again years later.  This Tuscan-style osteria is like something out of a Fellini film, with a picture-perfect ivy- framed entrance that no doubt attracts a lot of tourists given its location just steps from the Trevi fountain.  Yet it has a surprisingly laid back feel once you step, with heavy wooden furniture, wine bottles and other rustic elements lining the walls.  We ordered house white wine and an insalata mista to share, followed by gnocchi and the restaurant’s namesake Chianti pizza.  The gnocchi was light and flavorful but the pizza with mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and pecorino wasn’t my favorite (I’m sure I would have liked one with a tomato-based sauce better).  What I did love was the Vin Santo dessert wine that was accompanied by a plate of cantucci and offered the right amount of sweetness to end the meal.  Also sweet was our bill, as Il Chianti’s menu is reasonably priced considering its prominent location in the heart of historic Rome.

Il Chianti, Via del Lavatore 82, +39 06 679 2470, chiantiosteriatoscana.it

San Marco
If you can’t decide between pasta or pizza then look no further than San Marco.  This crowd pleaser is located in a more residential feeling neighborhood near Villa Borghese (there’s another location on Via Tacito north of the Castel Sant’Angelo) and offers a broad menu of traditional Roman fare, from fritti and bruschette  to fish, meat, pasta, pizza and more.  The restaurant had a large patio where we sat, and an even larger, stylish interior with multiple dining rooms that were set in anticipation of a dinner crowd that never really materialized on the late August evening.  After a warm welcome we settled into our table and ordered a negroni to start, followed by a carafe of house white wine, a La Classica salad (with lettuce, tomatoes and fennel that was large enough to share) and an arancino with mozzarella and spinach.

Even with San Marco’s extensive menu we couldn’t pass up one more meal of pizza on our last night in Rome.  We ordered one Margherita and one La Sicula with fried eggplant, capers and grated ricotta, which were both delicious and had surprisingly different flavors despite only slight variations in toppings.  The service was friendly and our meal was not super filling thanks to the thin, crispy crust that’s characteristic of Roman-style pizza.  Instead of ending with desert we opted for a caffé and amaro, leaving room for one last gelato as we made our way back to our hotel.

San Marco, Via Sardegna 38/g, +39 06 4282 4893, pizzeriasanmarcoroma.com

Gelato
Speaking of, you can’t talk about Rome without talking about gelato and here are two more places to put on your radar.  Both are located near Piazza di Spagna, so are perfect for a treat during your post-dinner passeggiata.  First, for an extra fancy experience go to Don Dino (Piazza di Spagna, 65), where the beautiful displays of sweets at this gelateria and pasticceria will leave you wide-eyed.  The gelato here is a little pricy but they don’t skimp on the portions nor presentation, as our overflowing cups of gelato were even topped with a macaron for an extra special treat.  Nearby we also recently discovered La Strega Nocciola (Via della Vite, 100) late in the evening when many other gelato shops were already closed for the night.  There was only a handful flavors to choose from, nonetheless unique ones like lavanda (lavender), crema arancia (orange cream, like a Dreamsicle but better) and buontalenti (something amazing with marscapone).  Of course I also had to try the namesake la strega nocciola (hazelnut), which was rich and creamy and full of flavor.  This place was such a great find that we were glad to have stumbled upon, especially since it’s in a more discrete side street location.

Gelato research will never be done so I’ll continue to add more to my ever-growing list, and you can also visit my previous EATS post (link below) for other recommendations.  A general rule, good things come to those who wait and do not settle on the first gelato shop they find.  I’ve walked in and out of many shops because of artificial colors that you wouldn’t find in nature (like bright green mint) and flavors (like Snickers).   Quality gelato is worth the extra effort.

Various locations

For more Rome EATS click here and here.