Lunch in Rome on Sunday and Monday

[ekc]

Ciao fellow Chowhounders! 5 of us will be in Rome for 1.5 days after being in Positano for a week. I would call myself a foodie but not so much for the rest of the bunch and we are on somewhat of a budget. We will be arriving in Rome around noon-ish on Saturday, staying within walking distance of the Pantheon. So I am looking for a place to have a relaxed lunch near the Pantheon on Saturday, ideally with air-conditioning (a couple of the ladies are heat sensitive). Upon my insistence, we are having dinner at Roscioli Saturday night, after starting with aperitivo at Il Goccetto (I can't go to Rome without a stop at Roscioli).

Sunday is really my problem. We are starting early with a guided tour of the Forum/Colisseum (thanks Katie Parla!), so I need a rec for a relaxing lunch near that area. Hopefully with A/C and not too expensive (heaven only knows how much $$ we'll have left by then). Then some place for dinner that night. Nearly all of the places on my list are closed Sunday. Location not really an issue because we can take a taxi.

Since I am the only one who has been to Italy before, and we have a limited time in Rome, I am trying to make this as memorable as possible for the rest of the group (3 girlfriends from law school and my mother).

Thanks in advance and I promise to post upon my return. And yes, I am still working on my trip report to FVG/Veneto from last fall - promise!

[lisaonthecape]

I would think about Trattoria Monti for Sunday lunch. I'm not sure if they have A/C (I was there on a cold, rainy night in April) but it is not far from Forum/Colisseum area. Had a very good dinner there with Farmer's Daughter (we're also lawyers--seems to be a well-represented group on this board).

Pizza or an enoteca would be my recommendation for Sunday night.

[ekc]

Thanks Lisa!

[katieparla]

hi ekc! be sure to make reservations several days in advance for sunday lunch at trattoria monti!! they have AC

for saturday, head to Trattoria Cavalier da Gino, which is a casual trattoria with food that will satisfy the foodies and non-foodies in the group. it is a 5-min walk from the pantheon. be sure to reserve in advance. enjoy it and i look forward to hearing about the meal!

__________

www.parlafood.com

[ekc]

Awesome - thanks Katie. I was hoping you would catch my thread! I will have Guido call and make reservations at both places. Now that the food is figured out, I just need to figure out what to pack!! Grazie mille!!

[katieparla]

happy to help and i know you have Rome for Foodies so be sure to pack your iphone:)

[ekc]

Yes I do - in fact it was the first app I purchased! :-)

[jessicablock]

Hi Katie - do u know if Trattoria Cavalier da Gino is open on Sunday? I was thinking we would go to Settimio Al Pellegrino for lunch on sunday but was curious if Cavalier da Gino was open as well..

[katieparla]

closed sunday

[jessicablock]

thought so.. have been to le tre zucche?

[katieparla]

yeah it's not all that.

[jessicablock]

Hi Katie- thx for your honest feedback. Happy to say I think I finally got this food itinerary sorted. For the last 2 days in Rome.....I'm thinking dinner sat night at l'arcangelo...Sunday lunch at settimio al pellegrino and then dinner at La Gatta Mangiona since Monteverde isn't that far. Was going to do settimio for dinner but la Gatta isn't open for lunch so I just flipped it. Thoughts?

[mbfant]

Tre Zucche is another I went to on the strength of recommendations here but thought it was a real waste of a schlepp. It's good value until you factor in the distance. Food is mid-level.

[minchilli]

I do think Tre Zucche is very good, but if you're only in town for a day and a half, maybe not worth the trek. For Sunday lunch, if you want to be near the Forum, Taverna dei Fori Imperiali is a good choice. My Sunday choice is usually Perilli, in Testaccio. A real sunday kind of place. I'm not sure they have a/c, but it is never hot.
A similar, but cooler room, is Flavio Velavevodetto. Roman classics in Testaccio, made well. Their inside rooms are built into the Testaccio Hill , so nice and cool.

www.elizabethminchilliinrome.com

[jessicablock]

Hey Elizabeth - thanks for chiming in. Testaccio is chock full of great restaurants, you don't think it's too much to go twice? (1x on the first half of the trip and then 1x on the second half?) Flavio is a nice choice for sunday lunch.. for dinner, would gatta mangiona or sforno be considered a shlep if one is only in town 1.5 days?

[mbfant]

I am a big fan of Testaccio, but I wouldn't go there twice on a short trip unless once was in the morning for the market and once for a dinner. Gatta (two Ts) Mangiona (which I didn't care for the one time I went) and Sforno (where I've never been) are quite distant from the center but both are well connected by public transport, the 8 tram from Largo Argentina for Gatta Mangiona and the Metro A line for Sforno. Passions run high when it comes to pizza. Personally, I wouldn't bother on a short trip, but that's just me.

[jessicablock]

that is what i was apprehensive about.. but Testaccio has so many good restaurants! Esp how everyone on this forum seems to be passionate about perilli and flavio for "sunday for lunch". I suppose instead of going far from the city (Monteverde) we could try something like Settimio Al Pellegrino or L'Arcangelo..... and then I'm sure we'll find good pizza closeby.

[mbfant]

It has many restaurants. I don't know how many are actually good. I don't like either Flavio (went only once but I thought it mediocre and my husband hated it) or Perilli. I like Felice and Checchino, which is closed on Sunday. I don't see much to be gained going to Testaccio for Sunday lunch unless you're going to church on the Aventino. L'Arcangelo is closed. Don't know about Settimio.

[jessicablock]

were going to checchino in the first half of the trip. Settimio is open for lunch and dinner on Sunday so we'll go for dinner probably.. just need to figure out where to go at lunch. I was going to do L'Arcangelo possibly on a saturday night.. or Gatta Mangiona

[jessicablock]

oh i should note that its more like 2 short trips - 2 days before Sicily and 2 days after Sicily.

[jessicablock]

Is it that much further than going to la gatta mangiona or sforno? Aren't those also about 25 mins from the center? Not going to tre zucche but was just curious of what's considered a real shlep.

[lamaba]

Close to the forum and Colosseum is Pizzeria Li Rione, Via dei ss. quattro, 24. In 2010 we enjoyed several dinners here (mostly pizza and salad) in the large and pleasant indoor dining room (decorated as if you're siting in a piazza). Very reasonably priced. Can't speak for current opening hours, but MAY be open for lunch as well as dinner every day but Tuesday.

[mbfant]

not open for lunch. The classic pizzerias open in the evening.