Feedback on Feb Rome itinerary, please!

[EBT]

Hi all,

NYC hound headed to Rome in a few weeks with a good friend. I've been lurking on this board for several months and would love some feedback on our itinerary. It's really aggressive (not listed are the wine bars we'll be frequenting in between meals) but we can handle it.

I want to be sure we get a leisurely lunch in and a high-end tasting menu for dinner. We're open on classic Roman vs. modern, and price isn't an object.

Thursday: arrive hopefully in time for a late lunch. Staying near the Trevi Fountain.
Taverna dei fori imperiali?
Trattoria Cavalier Gino?

For dinner, making a meal out of various wine bars: Le Barrique, Palatium, Enoteca Cavour, etc.

Friday:
L’Asino D’Oro set lunch (will hopefully be able to make a resy)

For dinner: Metamorfosi?
Pipero al Rex?
Perilli?

Saturday:
Long leisurely lunch - ? Would love to set out for lunch not in the neighborhood and then be able to meander back. Thoughts?

Dinner: Trattoria Monti

Sunday:
Can't remember when we leave, but am thinking there will only really be time for a leisurely breakfast. Will possibly check out Babington's.

Thanks!

[jen kalb]

I think I have read that some people dont care for the food served on Fridays at Asino d'Oro - comments please??

I agree with a Sat lunch in Testaccio - say Perilli or Flavio - if you want to see things (going into churches, visiting markets, etc) a pre-lunch meander makes more sense because of the afternoon closing. On our most recent visit to the Aventine, there seemed to be more homeless folks than families in the orange grove next to Santa Sabina, but I agree the walk up there and then around to the Capitoline is wonderful. If you want to stay in the Centro for your Sat lunch, we have had good relaxed Sat (and weekday) lunches at Armando al Pantheon on several occasions

[EBT]

Ah, it looks like we don't arrive until 2pm on Thursday anyway, so we'll scrap lunch and hit Le Barrique instead.

Thanks all for the recs! And thanks, Jen, for the note about L'Asino on Fridays. I had seen that elsewhere too. I'll have a back-up plan in case we need a second lunch somewhere else.

[lisaonthecape]

I think it was the seafood choices on Fridays (haven't gone back to verify, but that's what I remember).

[shakti2]

You should be able to find a nice walking route back to Trevi through Aventine hill after lunch at Perilli on Saturday. The orange garden on the hill is nice on weekends, local families, good views of the city.

[vinoroma]

How nice you are taking so much time for meals!
How late is arrival? It might be too late for Gino, which would be my rec.
Bar-hopping: barrique is the best. You can start with palatium (turns into a proper restaurant later, so just hopping in for a wine will be less possible later in the evening) tasting a local wine, then walk over to monti, maybe have a one glass stop at al vino al vino and taste their caponata (skip the cold platters) and go over to la barrique to have more interesting wines and really good kitchen. You could also squeeze in il goccetto, either after palatium, or as the very last one.
Keeping lunch next day light is a good idea and definitely go to metamorfosi for dinner. Best for a high end tasting menu and corresponding wines.
Saturday lunch sounds like something in testaccio, like perilli from your list, or flavio; or something further away, like cesare (wines!). Trattoria monti is great but after such a lunch?