Opinions on Rome restaurant choices

[KasieB]

Hi everyone,
I will be in Rome this October with my husband for a very short period of time (Saturday afternoon - Monday morning) and would like some input on the restaurants I'm considering visiting while we are there. We will be staying in the Trastevere area, and I welcome any suggestions for other restaurants in Trastevere. Here's what I'm thinking so far (with a few questions sprinkled in):

Saturday night: dinner at La Gensola

Questions: How expensive is La Gensola? Do I need a reservation? If so, what's a good time to go?

Sunday lunch: either Roma Sparita or L'Asino D'Oro
Questions: Which do you recommend and why? Is there a huge price difference? How out of the way is L'Asino D'Oro, and would it fit in with a day of sightseeing?

Sunday dinner: La Campana
Questions: Is this a super touristy choice? Are reservations a must?

Here are some other places I've considered:
Settimo al Pelligrino
Le Mani in Pasta

Thoughts? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance.

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La Campana
Vicolo della Campana, 18, Roma, IT 00186, IT

Le Mani in Pasta
Via dei Genovesi, 37, Rome, Lazio 00153, IT

La Gensola
Piazza della Gensola, 15, Rome, Lazio 00153, IT

[cristinab]

My favorite restaurants are la gensola, paris & checco even though i have not been @ la gensola in over a year. I do not reccomend Grano not for the quality of the food but for the selective charge it has applied to tourists up to may ( don't know if caught, changed its policy). You can check http://www.parlafood.com/grano-and-th... for more info.

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Grano
Piazza Rondanini, 53, Rome, Lazio 00186, IT

[minchilli]

Just because you're staying in Trastevere doesn't mean all your meals have to be there. Rome isn't that big, so I'd branch out. Have a look at previous threads and you'll find a bunch of places.
But in the meantime:
La Gensola is fantastic. Since it's fish expect to pay at least 45 euros a person. Sometimes more. Yes, reserve ahead.
L'Asino d'Oro is closed on Sundays I believe. Possibly open for lunch...better check first.
Settimio al Pellegrino is one of my favorites. Maybe better for lunch than dinner. Very limited menu, but all very simple and good.
I'm not a huge fan of Le Mani in Pasta. I think the food is ok...but I find the place extremely crowded and noisy.
If you want something fancy in Trastevere then there is Glass, one of the best restaurants in Rome. Not cheap, but excellent. Cucina creativa.
Other places near Campo dei Fiori, so not far from you:
Renato e Luisa (dinner only)
Grappolo d'Oro Zampano
Da Gigetto - in the Ghetto.

______
www.elizabethminchilli.com
La Campanna is a good choice for Sunday dinner. But

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Renato e Luisa
Via dei Barbieri, 25, Rome, Lazio , IT

Le Mani in Pasta
Via dei Genovesi, 37, Rome, Lazio 00153, IT

Settimio al Pellegrino
via del Pellegrino,117, Rome, Lazio , IT

La Gensola
Piazza della Gensola, 15, Rome, Lazio 00153, IT

L'Asino d'Oro
Via del Boschetto 73, Rome, Lazio 00184, IT

[hmast]

What would you recommend at Glass? And by expensive, how much should I plan on paying per person?

[sernoff]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/785318

Hopefully I have succeeded in pasting my Rome dining report above. If not, you may wish to scroll down to the May 18th posting. It includes comments on several places on your list.

[KasieB]

One more thing -- I hear that trippa is the traditional dish for Saturday. Is there a specific restaurant in Trastevere that's a good bet for that? Would that be better than La Gensola? Thanks again!

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La Gensola
Piazza della Gensola, 15, Rome, Lazio 00153, IT

[minchilli]

No tripe at La Gensola! Just fish.

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La Gensola
Piazza della Gensola, 15, Rome, Lazio 00153, IT

[vinoroma]

SomEone reported eating tripe at la gensola a shortwhile ago...

[mbfant]

They do have a page of Roman specialties buried at the end of the menu, but they're so NOT what this restaurant is about. In Trastevere, I'd go to Paris or Checco for trippa. Yummiest trippa is the antipasto at Grano. Checchino is good for the unreconstructed trippa alla romana. OP needs to learn how to get around town. Trastevere is very well connected to the rest of the city and very central.

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Grano
Piazza Rondanini, 53, Rome, Lazio 00186, IT

[vinoroma]

Oh, i didn't want the wrong impression to come up: as i also commented on that thread, trippa at la gensola is the last thing you want. Just wanted to clarify that it does exist.