Vineria Il Chianti: Excellent place right next to Fontana di Trevi

The "Vineria Il Chianti" is an excellent place for those who look for a very good yet affordable meal close to one of the main attractions. We went there with a group of seven students. The menu offers the standard dishes (pizza, pasta, meats), with a couple of interesting variants. Our pizzas and pasta dishes were just excellent, and a friend was VERY envious of the steak served at the table next to us. Their specialty is Tuscan cuisine. The wine card offers a huge selection of wines in all price ranges (unfortunately I cannot give a qualified judgement about the quality). For us (due to our budget) the house wine did just fine (€ 9/bottle). The restaurant probably has about 100 seats with a very comfortable and "local" ambience. The whole place is decorated with shelves with wine bottles, the excellent english-speaking staff is very polite. Every single one of us more than just enjoyed his/her meal, it was just excellent and among the best we ate during our stay. [The price given is for the more affordable variant. Of course one can easily reach other categories.]
Price: US$11-20  
Address: Via del Lavatore 81/82a, The street is right off the square that Fontana di Trevi can be found on

Phone: 06 678 75 50

Website: http://www.vineriailchianti.com/

Enoteca Corsi: only for lunch

This is a very old and well known simple place, open only for lunch, located not far the Pantheon. The menu is always the same, but here you can really enjoy local recepies. This is the italian version of a fast food and the service can be occasionally rude if they need your table for someone waiting in line. Very simple decor, no wine list and no table cloth. Closed for dinner and on sunday

This might be a full roman menu: Puntarelle olio, sale, pepe ed acciughe Bucatini all'Amatriciana Saltimbocca alla Romana Tarallucci al vino Caffe espresso Make some practice with your dictionary book to translate it and let me know!!
Price: US$11-20 
Address: Via del Gesu 87 - Between Piazza del Gesu and the Pantheon.

Ai 3 Gradoni Winery

Winery Ai 3 Gradini, located inside the characteristical Rione Monti, is a friendly and charming place where spend some evenings while in Rome. Nice people working in a pleasant place. This could be the motto of the Winery Ai 3 Gradini, perfectly describing the atmpsphere we found during our visits. Barbara and Adriano are the owners, Carolina and Monia the likeable waitress. This winery will be a perfect solution if you'll be looking for a place where have some relax and fun in the evening , breathing the historical atmosphere of Rione Monti, tasting a wide choice of italian and regional wines with a delicious selection of cheeses. If you'd like to discover rare Italian wines then ask to Adriano, who is a real expert sommelier.
Winery Ai 3 Gradini, opened from 6 p.m. to 1.30 a.m., is just few steps far from the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia, close to Roman Forum and Campidoglio Hill.

Opening hours: 18.00 p.m. - 1.30 a.m. Closed on Monday!

Enoteca Trastevere: Attack of the killer wine bar
 

A quaint little cafe with great jazz music and a fantastic wine selection. Great for people watching and escaping the pressures of the day.

We had a bottle of Barco Reale di Carmignano Capezenna 2001 along with a plate of bread, cheese, salami, and olives.

Price: US$11-20 
Address: Via D. Lungaretta 86
Phone: ++39 065885659
Directions: Trastevere area of Rome

Vinamore

From Fodors.com:
The name of this small wine bar tucked behind Piazza Navona means, aptly enough, "wine love," and wine is the main focus here, paired with simple dishes of cured meats, cheeses, and salads. Tasting classes are available, and although the owners have yet to offer them in English, some things need no translation. AE, MC, V. Closed Aug. No lunch Mon.
Address: Via Monte Giordano 63, Rome, Italy
Phone: 06/68300159 Location: Piazza Navona Price range: EUR 7 to EUR 12
Cuisine: Italian

 
Spirito di Vino

From Fodors.com:
At this restaurant on the less-traveled side of Viale Trastevere, the food ranges from inventive (mini meatballs seasoned with coriander) to traditional (spaghetti with cacio cheese and pepper) to historical (braised pork shoulder with apple and leeks, following a recipe dating back to the time of Apicius, ancient Rome's first cookbook author). The dining room is welcoming and refined, with walls in tomato-red and dark wood. The proud owner is happy to explain every dish on the menu and give you the history of his wine cellar, where several ancient sculptures, now in the Vatican and Capitoline museums, were unearthed. AE, MC, V. Closed Sun. and 2 wks in Aug.

Address: Via dei Genovesi 31 A/B, Rome, Italy
Phone: 06/5896689 Location: Trastevere Price range: EUR 12 to EUR 22
Cuisine: Italian
 

Birreria Peroni

Address: Via di San Marcello 19, Rome, Italy
Phone: 06/6795310.

Others ENOTECHE - WINE BARS:

Antica Enoteca di Via della Croce: Ideal place to stop for lunch or an afternoon drink while shopping near Piazza di Spagna. Sit at the bar and sample delicious, freshly prepared appetizers and drink the Fragolino—a sparkling, berry-flavored wine. Many wines to choose from. Open daily 10 am-1 am. Reservations suggested for Sundays. $$. Most major credit cards. Via della Croce 166 (one block from the northwest corner of Piazza di Spagna), phone 06-679-0896.

Trimani: Very sleek interior with art-deco mirrors and attractive cherry-and-marble bar. Waiters are knowledgeable about the extensive wine options. Italian and French cheeses, salads and mixed salumi (cured meats) make a light meal possible. Noon-3 pm and 6 pm-12:30 am. Closed Sunday. Most major credit cards. $$ (though prices vary according to wine selected). Via Cernaia 37-B, phone 06-446-9630.

OTHER DINING EXPERIENCES:

Nino's: While shopping around the Spanish Steps, you might want to stop in at Nino's for lunch. It's famous for beans alla Fiorentina and mushroom dishes. Good millefoglie (thick, cream-filled multilayered puff pastry). Monday-Saturday 12:30-3 pm and 7:30-11 pm. Reservations accepted. $$$. Most major credit cards. Via Borgognona 11, phone 06-679-5676.

Hostaria Antica Roma: Here's dining on the Appian Way within ancient Roman ruins, an ideal choice if you're visiting the Catacombs of San Calisto. Fresh seafood, potato dumplings with fresh clams, crepes with walnuts—just a few of Massimo's specialties served hot and with a smile. Reservations imperative. Tuesday-Sunday 1-3 pm and 7:30-11 pm. $$$. Most major credit cards. Via Appia Antica 87, phone 06-513-2888.

Romolo nel Giardino della Fornarina: Located in charming Trastevere, in a building where Raffaello Sanzio, the Renaissance painter, lived with his favorite model (Fornarina, the baker's daughter). Expect to see such Roman specialties as bocconcini di mozzarella dorati e fritti (fried morsels of mozzarella), bombolotti ai carciofi (pasta in artichoke sauce) and saltimbocca alla romana (Roman-style cordon bleu). Enjoy summer dining in the inner courtyard. Tuesday-Sunday 1-3 pm and 8 pm-midnight. Reservations suggested. $$. Most major credit cards. Via di Porta Settimiana 8, phone 06-581-8284.

Giovanni: A pleasant, comfortable restaurant owned and managed by a kind and efficient family from the Marche region. The cuisine is delicate and simple. Ask for the traditional tagliolini al sugo di carne (homemade pasta with red meat sauce) or the lentil soup. For dessert, we recommend the millefoglie (thick, cream-filled multilayered puff pastry). Sunday-Thursday 12:30-3 pm and 7:30-11 pm, Friday 7:30-11 pm. Reservations recommended. $$$$. Most major credit cards. Near the U.S. Embassy at Via Marche 19, phone 06-482-1834.

Pierluigi: Tucked away in a corner near Piazza Farnese is a trendy source for centuries-old Roman recipes: Begin, for example, with one of their specialties, pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans) or minestra broccoli (broccoli soup). Follow up with spaghetti con frutti di mare (spaghetti and seafood sauce), then proceed to pesce al sale (fish baked in a salt shell) or calamari e gamberi fritti (fried squid and shrimp). Enjoy this repast in either their garden or their air-conditioned dining room. Tuesday-Sunday 1-3 pm and 8 pm-midnight. Reservations suggested. $$. Most major credit cards. Piazza de' Ricci 144, phone 06-686-1302.

Fantasia di Trastevere: Carved from the ancient Theater of Tiberius and remodeled by Queen Christina of Sweden in the 1500s, this site provides a folkloric floor show to accompany your marinated salmon, mezze maniche con straccetti di manzo e zucca gialla (rigatoni with shredded beef and yellow squash) or filetto di rombo (turbot with pine nuts and raisin sauce). Evenings only, 8 pm-midnight. Reservations advised. $$. Most major credit cards. Via San Dorotea 6 (heart of Trastevere), phone 06-588-1671.

Wine Bar Ferrazza

by Christian Horlick

Only a year ago this space, in the heart of San Lorenzo, used to be a shabby wine store run by a moody man and his son. They closed it for a few months this past summer, and now it is the trendy enoteca Ferrazza still run by the same moody man and his son, and they have hired some misplaced people to serve as the wait staff.



Ferrazza is quite large with nice décor. There are sculpted sconces on brick columns and shelves built into the walls that hold the wine behind pull-down screens. Back in the day, when this place was a wine store, I bought a particular kind of vermouth here, so I thought I could continue to do so. When I approached the bottles of wine on the shelves, the owner’s son ran toward me and directed me away. I asked for the vermouth and the boy looked to his father. The father shook his head “no” to his son who then looked at me and shook his head, “no.” One can no longer purchase bottles of vermouth here.



I sat down at a table and in the fifteen minutes it took to receive a menu, the bar filled up with people. There is a large menu of regional wines by the bottle ranging from €15 on up and a small menu of wines by the glass, which cost €5 - €8. There is also a large assortment of expensive meat, cheese and fish dishes, as well as bruschette and sandwiches, to eat.



As far as wine bars go, Ferrazza does not particularly have a relaxing atmosphere. After receiving the menu, it took another ten minutes or so to order a glass of Nebbiolo D’Alba, and another ten minutes after that to get it. The waitresses randomly brought glasses of wine to the tables asking if this is what was ordered. Eventually the proper drink did arrive. I noticed, however, that the table next to mine had ordered a bottle of wine and it was brought promptly out, served with a faux flourish and placed onto a paper napkin.



Modern jazz played on the music system and when the disc began to skip, no one seemed to notice. Granted, there were a lot of customers in the bar and the four or five waitresses were busy balancing glasses of wine on their noses, but even if an angelic choir had descended from Heaven and began stuttering, it would be no less irritating.



Nonetheless, in front, on the bar, was a wonderful free buffet with many appetizers: homemade potato crisps, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, crostini, radicchio, boiled meat in a sauce, hot soup and a few others. All the food here was nicely presented and tasted quite good which made up for what was lacking in other areas.

Ferrazza is closed on Sundays. During the week it doesn’t seem to get too busy, but on weekends it is best to arrive before eight o’clock to ensure a table.

Ferrazza
Via dei Volsci, 59
tel 06 490506
 

Red wine - Through some local red wine is made , most of the bottled red wine in Rome comes from other parts of Italy. Regions like Tuscany and Piedmonte produce very good everyday drinking as well as top-class wines like Barolo. Price should reflect quality - try Dolcetto, Rosso di Montalcino or Montepulcino for good value reds.

White Wine - Vines thrive in the warm climate of Lazio, the region around Rome, producing abundant supplies of inexpensive dry white wine for the city's cafés and Restaurants. It is usually sold by the carafe. Of local bottled wines, Frascati is the best known, but Castelli Romani, Marino, Colli Albani and Velletri are very similar in style.

Wine type, good vintages and producers

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