The Best in Rome
Rome Restaurants: PRATI, PARIOLI & THE NORTHSIDE
Al Ceppo
The elegant yet cozy atmosphere of this popular Rome restaurant in the upscale
Parioli district is created by traditional furnishings, abundant flower
arrangements and an open, wood-stoked fireplace where fish, meats and
vegetables are roasted. Chef Mirko Moglioni’s excellent cuisine
is inspired by the traditional dishes of the Marche region. Start with
the schiacciatina di bianchetti all’arancia ed erba cipollina (ground fish grilled and served with an orange-chive sauce), then move
on to one of the home-made pasta dishes such as the ravioli filled with
artichokes and a delicate seafood blend, followed by grilled chops or
herb-encrusted fish. Service is gracious and the owners, sisters Marisa
and Cristina Milosa move through the rooms greeting their guests. (Cristina’s
daughter is the talented sommelier.) €€
Via Panama 2 tel. 06.841 9696 Closed Mondays.
Da Benito e
Gilberto al Falco
Theirs is the only lit doorway on this quiet residential street in Borgo
Pio, moments away from the Vatican. You’ll be surprised when you
enter the one-room Rome restaurant to find that the world has eaten here
in the more than 25 years it’s been open. Photos of Pope Giovanni
Paolo II, Marcello Mastroianni, Federico Fellini and may other celebrities
cover the walls. It’s strictly a restaurant for seafood lovers,
beginning with the vast selection of antipasti; bruschetta with pomodori
e vongole, raw fish carpaccio, three or four choices of oysters,
octopus, shrimps. Some entrèes pay homage to tradition. You know
when you see a favorite pasta dish on the menu, such as fagioli con
frutta di mare (beans with various seafoods), that it comes directly
from a grandmother’s kitchen. The fish is always perfectly fresh,
the calmari and octupus tender and flavorful. We recommend lemon sorbet
after a fish meal. Or splurge on the panna cotta al ciccolata.
€€€
Open dinner only and lunch by special request.
Via del Falco, 19 tel. 06 686 7769 Dinner only. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Jeff Blynn
When you can’t look at another plate of pasta and could kill for
a cheeseburger, chiliburger or steak, this is your place. We can’t
name another restaurant in Rome with such a wide-ranging menu: from barbeque
to sushi to Italian favorites such as salt-crusted spigola (white
fish). Desserts remain true to the red, white and blue: warm apple pie
with ice cream, chocolate cake and cheesecake. Although much of the menu
is down-home, the decor is elegant and sophisticated, and the location
is appropriately near the American ambassador’s residence and Villa
Gloria. €€€
Viale Parioli, 103c tel. 06.807 0444 Closed Monday.
Duke’s
If you’re looking for a young crowd, you’ll feel at home in
this Rome restaurant where modern decor combines with friendly service. Named
after surfing legend, Duke Kahanamoku, it’s a corner of California
in the midst of Italy. Try the grilled tuna steak with sesame seed crust
and and chose a bottle from the best selection of California wines in
Europe. Later in the evening the bar gets hopping. €€
Viale Parioli, 200 tel. 06.806 62455
Open 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.Closed Sunday
Rossopomodoro
There’s lots of space, light and movement in this Neapolitan
pizzeria with two large dining rooms on two floors, and an accomodating
terrace that has just enough greenery to feel comfortably out of doors.
Just off the main dining room, perfectly cut logs are stacked into an
open wall space ready for the classic wood burning-oven. In addition to
the pizza selection, there are antipasti of bruschette, focaccie and mozzarella as well as an ample selection of entrees including
pastas and carne alla brace (skewered meat). €€
Via Flaminia, 523 (corner of Corso Francia) tel. 06.454 33423 Open daily
til midnight A second restaurant has just opened in Largo Argentina.
Ristorante Cafe Cassamortaro
Affectionately dubbed cassamortaro for the coffin builder neighbors
who once resided next door, this is one of the best pizzerie in the area.
Favorite appetizers include tempura vegetables and shoe string potatoes.
Classic pasta dishes are also on the menu. Reservations necessary especially
if you prefer outdoor seating on the patio/terrace. The charming interior
is uncomfortably warm in summer, but perfect during cooler months. €€
Via Flaminia Vecchia, 515 tel. 06.333 2528 Open daily til midnight

ReD
The lounge and restaurant at the Parco della Musica complex is a “happening
within a happening.” Open from morning coffee through lunch, tea,
cocktails, dinner, and post-concert entertainment. Before and after an
auditorium event the nocturnal crowd makes itself comfortable in the dining
area with its wicker seating and tables arranged under an arcaded corridor.
Try the pre-show supper buffet or stop in for an afternoon apertivo. €€
Viale Piazza De Coubertin, 30 tel. 06 806 91630 Open daily until 3:00
a.m.
T-Bone Station
Frequented by a mostly young crowd, and those combining business appointments
with dining, this American-style steakhouse is a bit gimmicky, with suspended
video monitors, and railroad tracks encased in crystal. Steak in all its
varieties rules here: T-bones, New York strip steaks, Chicago filets and
king cuts. Appetizers include Mexican specials like crunchy corn tortillas,
chili nachos, quesadillas and fajitas. Chicken lovers should try the honey
chicken or chicken wings, dishes you’re unlikely find elsewhere
in town.
Hamburgers, baconburgers, and cheeseburgers complete the menu. Desserts
include such Amercan favorites as brownies, apple crunch, New York cheesecake
and lime pie. €
Via Flaminia Vecchia, 525/527 tel. 06.3333 297 Closed Monday. Open til
midnight.
Also at Via Francesco Crispi, 29/31 tel. 06.678 7650 (Piazza Barberini)
and at Via Santa Doratea 21, tel 06 588 2079 (Trastevere)
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In Rome Now Travel Guide: Restaurants Rome, Italy Prati and Northside
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