David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15756
 | | 01/15/2007 3:20 PM |
| We're going to be in Rome arriving 5/22 departing 5/24.
I need suggestions on where to stay that is nice and won't break the bank.
Also suggestions on places to eat.
TIA | | | |
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JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5112
| | 01/15/2007 10:57 PM |
| My favorite meals last year were at:
Matricianella
Via del Leone, 4, Rome, Italy
06.6832100
No website, but here is an independentreview.
and
Ditirambo
Neither are what you would call Michelin 3 star dining. Instead, they both serve excellent, honest Italian meals, and both places have very lengthy wine lists covering the entire country. I have found that going to Rome and trying to dine as if you are on a gourmet adventure in Paris is a waste of time and money. Stick to highly recommended places where "real Roman" eat and you will do much better. Terrific food at very acceptable prices. And wine is not an afterthought at either place.
As for a place to stay, I can't help you there. We used a family connection and got a ridiculous rate at the Excelsior. No way would I have been able to afford that if I had been paying full fare. | |
Beta testing a new signature. | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10801
| | 01/15/2007 11:25 PM |
| Landshark recommended Tullio and we thought it was a good restaurant. Search by "Tullio" for further comments.
We stayed at the Exedra, a very nice hotel within walking distance (even with luggage) to the main train station. You can take the Leonardo da Vinci Express train from the airport to this train station. $$$ Rome is rather expensive for hotels. | | | |
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Serge Dracula Slayer
South Florida
Grape Fermenter
Posts:663
| | 01/16/2007 11:45 AM |
| Can't help with the hotel, we stay in the apartments.
Restaurants:
Orso 80
Near Piazza Navona. Specialty of the house:
the antipasta course, don't order 2 courses for 2 people, one will do. They bring 10-15 small dishes, cold, warm, hot appetizers, and we had to skip pasta and main course, it was that much. We made mistake by ordering 2.
If I remember right, the price back in 2003 was 11 Euros each. Dirt cheap.
Their website http://www.orso80.it/index.htm
Piccola Roma
Near Pantheon. One of my favorites, with high ratio of Locals/tourists despite the very central location.
One of the best Scottadito
I ever had in my life. Save some room for the end, the waiter will bring you the bottle of liquor of your choice at the end of the dinner ( Averna, Strega, Sambucca)
If you like gnocci, they are only served on Thursday in Rome. Very ols tradition.
from review:
PICCOLA ROMA situated on Via Uffici del Vicario, 36. (Tel. 066798606) For lunch and dinner. Following the Roman cuisine, they offer many meat dishes, but also good first courses, and have also a good wine list. The average price for a meal (consisting of four courses including wine, bread and a service charge) is app. 24 US$ or 26 Euros.
Next to it is the ice cream place "Giolitti", an institution in Rome, and you could not think of a better place after the meal.
http://www.romanhomes.com/why_rome/restaurant_guide3.htm | |
http://NothingControversial.com | |
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juggernt
Tampa, FL, USA
Wine Bottler
Posts:3421
| | 01/16/2007 4:19 PM |
| I'll echo (ecco?  Serge's Orso 80. | |
Visit The Butcher Block at http://www.butcherblocktampa.com/ | |
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Serge Dracula Slayer
South Florida
Grape Fermenter
Posts:663
| | 01/16/2007 5:25 PM |
| I dare to say that in Rome finding the BAD food is much harder than find the good one...as long as you stay away from the places catering for tourists. Their give away is a sign on the sidewalk with pre-fix menu.
No locals eat there. | |
http://NothingControversial.com | |
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Edward Bowers
Palm Beach Gardens
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2072
| | 01/17/2007 8:26 PM |
| just returned
Stayed at Hotel Eden
Ate at Hassler
Also: Barca on 38-39 Via Plauto 39.06.68307062 best sea food arond, decent prices. Cheap
Cafe De Paris
Found that many restuarnts are good. Would eat at most on Via Veneto. Contray to Segio opinion, best value is at the side walk cafes. Nevr had a bad meal and wines and list were good. Spent 12 days there, Florence and Venice | | | |
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Zeke Boston
Grape Sorter
Posts:341
| | 01/20/2007 12:34 AM |
| To eat I liked(as did others)Gusto and Enoteca Ferraro for their food and wine lisst. Both are more bistro like. I got a decent rate at Hotel Russie in the past. You may find a good auction package at www.luxurylink.com and check out prices and other's reviews at www.tripadvisor.com Good luck.
Rome
Previous restaurant recs. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15756
| | 02/08/2007 1:52 AM |
| I used a couple hundred thousand AmEx points and got a room at the Majestic Hotel. I have no idea what this hotel is like other than it is a 5-star AmEx hotel on the Via Veneto. The "deal" was on a Junior Suite.
I like using AmEx for making hotel reservations. They seem to have pretty good deals. | | | |
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Edward Bowers
Palm Beach Gardens
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2072
| | 02/08/2007 2:28 PM |
| Fantastic to say the least. It is near the American Embassy, short hop to Excelsior, Palace, Hotel Eden, and the HAssler. All within a few blocks. Keep your credit cards handy as you as very close to the Spanish Steps and Via Condotti. $$$$$$$ Ladies favorite place to shop.
Just a short walk down the hill is Plaza Barberini. Nice wine bar on the corner, with a great view. Across the plaza is the Bristol, another Grand hotel. A couple nice places for lunch is Ciao Bella, and Conte Di Galluccio [hope I got that right.
Enjoy | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10801
| | 02/08/2007 4:43 PM |
| Davidn - that's a good hotel in a great location.
Quote:
I like using AmEx for making hotel reservations. They seem to have pretty good deals.
Yup. I'm using them for our Milan reservs in May. The difference is usually the amenities. In Europe including a breakfast or lunch at the hotel can save ~$100 ( a meal (!)) | | | |
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Edward Bowers
Palm Beach Gardens
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2072
| | 02/08/2007 6:14 PM |
| Hotel Eden; Rome
Upgrade to a suite
one bottle of decent wine
free breakfast daily menu price 45 Euros @
Also misc chocolates
Medici: Florence
free breakfast not sure of the price on ths
upgrade to penthouse with balcony / patio
TWO free dinners value 90 Euros total
Wine
fruit baskets
4 p.m. check outs
Danielli - Venice
Canel view - Suite
free corkage
wine
brandy
candy
free breakfast multo course buffet [list price 52 Euros] @
flowers
4:00 p.m check out
Caution - Most of time you will need a Platnum card, reserve VIA AMEX TRAVEL with it & pay with it
Next week in Atlanta:
Ritz:
upgrades
concierge level
2 free lunches unknown value now. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15756
| | 02/08/2007 10:33 PM |
| Quote:
Fantastic to say the least. It is near the American Embassy, short hop to Excelsior, Palace, Hotel Eden, and the HAssler. All within a few blocks. Keep your credit cards handy as you as very close to the Spanish Steps and Via Condotti. $$$$$$$ Ladies favorite place to shop.
Hmmm. I didn't know it was THAT good a location. Maybe I need to change my reservation to something a little further out in the country (like maybe the Hilton).
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15756
| | 02/08/2007 10:37 PM |
| Quote:
Hotel Eden; Rome
Upgrade to a suite
one bottle of decent wine
free breakfast daily menu price 45 Euros @
Also misc chocolates
Danielli - Venice
Canel view - Suite
free corkage
wine
brandy
candy
free breakfast multo course buffet [list price 52 Euros] @
flowers
4:00 p.m check out
Caution - Most of time you will need a Platnum card, reserve VIA AMEX TRAVEL with it & pay with it
I call the Platinum Card "Concierge".
That's the same deal I have at the Danielli (except I didn't know about the corkage).
I had my choice of the Manchester or Eden in Rome. I flipped a coin. Poor kid on the Concierge desk didn't exactly know what I meant when I said, "Heads or tails?". | | | |
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on the wine
Grape Truck Driver
Posts:46
| | 03/06/2007 10:36 PM |
| I want to ditto JimmyV's recommendation of Matricianella. Last time I ate there, I ordered a bottle of 2001 Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova for 46 Euros. I'll be there again next week and will check out to see if they have any of this wine left.
Another favourite restaurant of mine is Buvette on Via Vittoria - just a couple of blocks closer to the Spanish Steps from Matricianella.
I've also eaten many times at L'Orso 80 (Serge's recommendation). Compared with the above, I'd say L'Orso has simpler, humbler food. It's a place I would go to for lunch rather than dinner. | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10801
| | 03/06/2007 11:24 PM |
| | Tullio just received a big write-up in the AMEX Departures magazine. Kind of funny and they rave about the mozzarella. | | | |
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Marc A
Grape Sorter
Posts:259
| | 03/09/2007 11:45 PM |
| | This is great info....I will be there April 28th - May 3rd and have been asking friends for weeks. But this is great info. | | | |
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