Image by Fabio Fontanella

When I first moved to Garbatella, my curiosity was piqued by the restaurant named Le Bistro close to my house.

All any passer-by can see from the street is a green door, which doesn’t reveal anything about the interior. There is no menu posted outside and rarely does one see people come and go from this place. It was becoming one of those enigmas, those queries one has about some places, until one day, I decide to go there with a friend.

Unlike other restaurants where you simply have to push the door to go in, here you have to ring a bell. After seconds, a smiling face opens the door to an interesting underworld -the restaurant is below street level- composed of a only a few tables, seating about 30 people. The décor is a mixture of a 50′s style and baroque. The ambiance is soft.

The menu is composed of a long list of highly enticing, unusual, mostly vegetarian dishes: balls of spiced chickpeas, avocado in vinaigrette, polenta slices with nut sauce, balls of ricotta and sage, onion soup, chestnut crepes with fresh cheese, grilled pecorino with honey, lettuce rolls with potato cream and blue cheese.

The dishes we select are kindly served by Daniela or Barbara, two sisters who, we find out, are the owners, waitresses, and sommeliers of the place. Their mom and dad are the cooks in the kitchen and concoct dishes according to what the season has to offer. Great evening, great experience.

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Le Bistro | Restaurants (Vegetarian) | Meal € 35.00
Via delle Sette Chiese 170 | Testaccio & Ostiense | +39065128991
Mon – Sat 12:20 – 14:30,& 20:00 – 23:30

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rome

Image by Annalaura D'Errico

The sound of my Mac’s keyboard. The sound of a Harley engine. Some sounds are just clearly distinctive and should be protected by copyright laws. This could apply to the sound of the tossing of tonnarelli Cacio & Pepe at Felice’s. Indeed, when the waiter brings you your Cacio & Pepe pasta, he will toss it with the cheese over and over until everything is melted together.

Now, that sound, the sound of the spoons tossing over and over the pasta until everything is “organic” – that just simply is sublime! At least for me, since I know what pleasure will ensue when eating the dish. Once familiar with it, there will be no difference between you and Pavlov’s dog. Just the sound will do. So, here’s one reason to visit this great little restaurant.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Da Felice a Testaccio | Restaurants (Italian/Roman) | Dinner from € 30
Via Mastro Giorgio 29 | Testaccio & Ostiense | +39065746800
Mon – Sat 12:30 – 15:00 & 20:00 – 23:30, Sun 12:30 – 15:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rome

Image by Annalaura D'Errico

Tucked away below street level, hidden by the flashy light of a kebab store on via Massaia, Il Melograno is Garbatella’s only “enoteca”. ‘Enoteca’ is an odd term in Italian because it means both a wine retail shop and a place where you can sit down and drink some quality wine rightly combined with the appropriate foods. Il Melograno is mainly this second type of enoteca.

It is run by two brothers whose kind manners, together with the excellent wine they serve, will gently ease you into a relaxed mood for the evening. Both brothers have a degree from AIS (Italian Association of Sommelier) which would normally means that you are a stuck-up ?$%&$ who looks down on people who don’t know anything about wine. This is absolutely not the case with them. They will gladly suggest the best wines and explain subtle differences while never being condescending and while communicating their love for the subject matter.

You can opt to have dinner there or simply go after hours for a drink. Every day, there is a €20 special dinner menu. Otherwise, you can choose your dishes à la carte. Last time I went, I had bruschettine with mozzarella and bottarga, crostini ai pesti vegetali, and beef tartare. All this while enjoying an excellent glass of Vieris Sauvignon Vie de Romans. To close off, I had cantuccini with a Muffato Castello della Sala Antinori.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Il Melograno | Bars, Restaurants (Italian) | Main Meal € 30.00
Via Guglielmo Massaia 9 | Testaccio & Ostiense | +39065115609
Mon – Fri 10:30 – 15:30 & 19:00 – 00:00, Sat 19:00 – 00:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rome

Image by Annalaura D'Errico

Rome is definitely full of good pizzerias. Or rather, it is quite difficult to find a place where one doesn’t manage to eat at least reasonably.

The city is also full of peculiar places, where you can try all sorts of interesting, unusual dishes or dine while enjoying wonderful views. Why then go to eat at Panonto? My answer is simply for its absolute normality, a too often neglected quality lately.

First of all the name. It should be easy for a Roman to figure this out, but I took 6 months to decipher its etymology: “Pan-onto”, or “pane-unto” -oily bread or the classical bruschetta with oil, garlic and salt. One might be led into thinking that this is the place’s specialty, but since this is an absolutely normal place, it is free from the constraining concept of “specialty”.

Second benefit: no reservations. Even if you wanted, they don’t take reservations. It is obvious that a restaurant should democratically feed anyone who shows up, included those who have not made reservations ahead of time.

Third, there is an open-air terrace -not an exotic garden, not an archaeological park, but a simple and pleasant terrace which can contain the numerous people seeking respite from the summer heat. Fourth, the food is good and cheap.

Last, it is located in a pleasant neighbourhood, Garbatella, in which you can take a walk before or after having eaten. So now the question one could ask oneself is: why NOT go eat at Panonto?

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Panonto | Restaurants (Pizza) | Pizza € 15.00
Via Cravero 4 | Testaccio & Ostiense | +39065135022
Thu – Tue 19:30 – 23:30

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rome