Clubs in Rome

Bars in Rome

Restaurants in Rome

Agata e Romeo Via Carlo Alberto, 45 (06 446 6115) Metro Vittorio Emanuele/bus to Santa Maria Maggiore. Open 1-2.30pm, 8-10.30pm, Mon-Sat. Closed two weeks Aug; two weeks Jan. Average L120,000. Credit AmEx, DC, EC, MC, V. Air-conditioning. Booking essential. The seedy area between Termini and Santa Maria Maggiore is not where you expect to find one of Rome's gourmet treats. Cooking - nouvelle Romana - is overseen by Agata Caraccio, while husband Romeo hovers in the dining room. Roman specialities like pasta e broccoli in brodo d'arzilla (pasta with broccoli and ray broth) mix with international dishes and in-house creations. Desserts are fabulous (try the dream-like millefoglie) - but at L20,000, they should be. For serious foodies, or serious romance. Da Baffetto Via del Governo Vecchio, 114 (06 686 1617) Bus to Corso Vittorio. Open 6.30pm-1am daily. Closed two weeks Aug. Average L20,000. No credit cards. Perhaps Rome's best-known pizzeria, Da Baffetto is an institution on Via del Governo Vecchio in the Centro. It extends over two floors, and has lightning-quick, eat-up-won't-you-there's-a-queue-outside service. The pizza and other dishes are all first-rate, but come early (6.30-8pm) or late (you can order after midnight), or expect a very long wait. Checchino dal 1887 Via di Monte Testaccio, 30 (06 574 6318) Bus to Via Marmorata or Via Galvani. Open 12.30-3pm, 8-11pm, Tue-Sat. Closed Aug, Christmas. Average L90,000. Credit AmEx, DC, EC, MC, V. Air-conditioning. Booking advisable. Tables outdoors. Nestling among the trendy bars and clubs opposite Testaccio's former slaughter house is Rome's leading temple of authentic cucina romana. Specialities include insalata di zampetti (hoof jelly salad), animelle al vino bianco (sweetbreads in white wine) and coratella con i carciofi (veal heart with artichokes). Not content with offering the definitive versions of thos offally dishes that have kept Romans going for over 2,000 years, Checchino also has what is generally considered to be Rome's finest wine cellar, dug out of the ancient amphora tip which constitutes Monte Testaccio. There's also an outstanding selection of cheeses, with recommended wine combinations. Remo Piazza Santa Maria Liberatrice, 44 (06 574 6270) Bus to Via Marmorata or Piazza Santa Maria Liberatrice. Open 6.30pm-12.30am Mon-Sat. Closed Aug. Average L15,000. No credit cards. Tables outdoors. The best place in town for authentic pizza romana, Remo is a Testaccio institution, with a prime location on the district's main piazza. You can sit at wonky tables balanced on the pavement, or in the cavernous interior, overseen by Lazio team photos. The bruschette al pomodoro are the finest in Rome. Il Convivo Vicolo dei Soldati, 31 (06 686 9432) Bus to Corso Rinascimento. Open 1-2.30pm, 8-10.30pm, Mon- Sat. Closed one week Aug. Average L120,000. Credit AmEx, DC, EC, MC, V. Air-conditioning. Booking essential. In this temple of foodie excellence the menu changes with the season and the moods of chef Angelo; maybe pasta strips with wild mushrooms in a quail and pesto sauce, or salt-cod in batter with gooseberry sauce. It ain't strictly Roman, but neither is it out-and-out culinary eclecticism. Add intimately tasteful surroundings, a fine wine list, impeccable service and outstanding desserts to make this one of the best places in Rome for a really special meal. Taverna Angelica Piazza delle Vaschette, 14A (06 687 4514) Bus to Via della Conciliazione or Piazza Risorgimento. Open 7.30pm-midnight Mon; 12.30-2.30pm, 7.30pm-midnight, Tue-Sat. Closed three weeks Aug, Christmas. Average L70,000. Credit AmEx, EC, MC, V. Air-conditioning. Until this stylishly cool restaurant opened in 1994, Borgo - the warren of lanes in front of Saint Peter's - was a gourmet desert. The décor is minimalist-modern, the cuisine creative and fish-based. Dishes like nettle tagliatelle with curry sauce and petto di pollo all'aceto e nero di seppia (vinegared chicken breast with squid ink) establish the joint's nouvelle credentials. Service is attentive, and a well-selected wine list also includes mescita (by-the-glass) options. Trattoria-Pizzeria della Pace Via della Pace, 1 (06 686 4802) Bus to Corso Vittorio. Open Oct-Apr 1-3pm, 8pm-midnight, May-Sept 8pm-midnight only, Tue-Sun. Average L25,000. Credit MC, V. Owner Bartolo also runs the ever-trendy Bar della Pace next door, and the combination of a sharp PR instinct and strategic watch-and-be-watched pavement tables means that it's always packed. Most nights a few paparazzi or a camera crew will be hovering on the off-chance. The food hardly matters: Neapolitan-style pizzas, decent, home-cookin' pasta, one or two more adventurous fishy and meaty mains, and a limited, reasonably priced wine list. It takes orders late (you can sit over your meal until around 2am) and doesn't accept bookings, so come late or early to be sure of a table. La Terrazza dell'Hotel Eden Via Ludovisi, 49 (06 4781 2552) Bus to Via Veneto. Open 12.30-2.30pm daily. Average L150,000. Credit AmEx, DC, EC, MC,V.Air-conditioning. Booking essential. Cook Enrico Derflingher, formerly of Kensington Palace, has imposed his mod-Med approach at this roof-garden hotel restaurant with a truly spectacular view over the city. The service can be overbearing, and the dishes don't always match up to his ambitions, but he uses the freshest ingredients, and is always experimenting: on the right day this can be an unforgettable experience. To limit costs, go for a fixed-price menu: the L90,000 business lunch (Mon-Fri) is decent value and generally very good. In the evenings well-heeled health freaks can opt for a macrobiotic menu at L120,000, and there's even a special childrens' menu. Il Quadrifoglio Via del Boschetto, 19 (06 482 6096) Bus to Via Nazionale. Open 7.30-11pm Mon-Sat. Closed three weeks Aug. Average L70,000. Credit AmEx, MC, V. Air-conditioning. Tasteful, relaxed surroundings and invisibly efficient service make this ideal for an intimate dinner. First courses such as the pasta-and-seafood penne allo scarpariello are in the best Neapolitan tradition - although there's a tendency to overcook the pasta. Cook Annamaria Coppola comes good with main courses, such as totani ripieni (stuffed baby octopus). As usual with southern Italian food, vegetarians find plenty to keep them going. The real treats, though, are its desserts - among Rome's best. Call ahead and they'll keep the kitchen open for you till midnight.