8 weeks in France/Italy: "last meal"

[DexterDog]

We finish an 8 week trip to France & Italy in Rome on 4 November 2007 and want to make dinner on Saturday, 3 November a night to remember.

We’ve made many restaurant reservations for this trip with the help of ChowHounders’ advice and will report back when we when we get back to sunny Sydney (if not before).

At the moment, the choice seems to be between Il Convivio and Quinzi & Gabrileli – though we’re very much open to suggestions.

We’d prefer not to go the “hotel restaurant” route – while we’re trying The Met in Venice, our experience of Michelin * hotel restaurants has been mixed. In April/May 2006, for example, we thought the Hotel George V's Le Cinq was good – but no where near worth the circa €750 price tag for two.

We’d also appreciate guidance on prices for any recommendations – many of the restaurants with web presences don’t list prices and our fun coupons are likely to be running low by that time.

Look forward to hearing from you – departure date is 7 September.

[jen kalb]

I gues my question would be what aspects are most important to you - "a night to remember" could mean an extremely elegant ambiance (like a ***) or a really distinctly delicious or convivial meal of a sort you couldnt have had anywhere else but in Rome or at that place.

[DexterDog]

Good question Jen - and it's the latter option. The most important thing is that the food is great and everything about the place tells us we're in Rome....

[dlgc]

My vote goes to Quincy and Gabrileli. We were there in July and the dinner and service was first class. It has always been great every time we have been there. We do try and have at least one meal there every summer. Try the lobster catalan style and their signature dish for an app. pasta with lobster. Don't over look desert, they are fabulous. If the weather is nice, try and sit on the patio, its lovely. This would by our first choice for a lasting memory of a great dinner in Rome.

[DexterDog]

Thanks dlqc. This has been posted before, but do you mind giving an indication of the damage (in Euros)?

[dlgc]

Our dinner was 150 euros. I had a glass of wine, we shared the pasta with lobster, and we shared the lobster catalan style, and we each ordered a desert. This was more than enough for us to eat. Dinner was fantastic!

[jen kalb]

For some reason this thread hasn't attracted our posters with the most upscale, insider knowledge in Rome as of yet. You might if you have not already want to read some of the other upscale dining threads for ideas. for me, Id head for Da Checchino in Testaccio, which specializes in the Roman meat dishes.

[mbfant]

Right, Jen. The same material has been gone over recently in numerous threads. If I write one more time that I love Convivio and dislike Quinzi, people will think I have some kind of agenda.

And I love Checchino. It's the least fancy of the upper tier in Rome, and the menu is very down home, no creative refinements whatsoever. But the wines and cheeses are pretty much unsurpassed, so it's something of a hybrid.

[DexterDog]

Probably posed my question the wrong way - lll Convivio and Quinzi & Gabrileli get good guide book write ups and seemed interesting, but I guess what I really wanted to know about was great places that (for some reason) don't get the same kind of press.

Thanks for the tip - I'll chase it down.