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the ambience. Tables here are tiny squares covered with white paper on which the
waitstaff will eventually write your bill. Have what they recommend because the
menu is basically for show, and whatever they've got simmering in the back is
freshly made with ingredients direct from the morning market. Most plates are
around €6. The soups here are addictive, and if you eat here early on in your visit
to Rome, you will be tempted to come back “just one more time” for another bite.
Reservations are hard to make because no one ever seems to answer the phone,
but try anyway because it fills up. Lunch is a better option than dinner, though
only because the Piazza Renzi attracts a large crowd at night.
55
(Via dei Genovesi, 31 A/B, Vicolo Dell'Atleta, 13-15;
%
06-5896689; www.spiritodivino.com)
is tourist-friendly, but never touristy. The
name, which translates to “divine spirit” or “spirit of the wine,” is not accidental—
the building sits on the site of Rome's original synagogue. At the end of the meal
the owner gives a guided tour—in English and Italian—of the basement excava-
tions, which now house the restaurant's extensive wine cellar (sculptures that were
found here are now in the Vatican Museums). Mamma is the cook in the kitchen
and polyglot dad takes care of the customers, explaining each item on the menu
in French, German, or Russian, among other languages. Their son Francesco is
the sommelier who keeps one of the most interesting Roman-age wine cellars in
the city, and he is an expert at finding a wine that matches both your budget and
your meal. The menu flits from such imaginative fare as coriander-spiced meat-
balls (€10) to succulent pork in “the style of Matius” (€12), which was a favorite
with Julius Caesar and Augustus. The latter dish follows an ancient recipe, requir-
ing that the pork be marinated for 24 hours in red wine with apple slices. There
is nothing better on the menu and you will be tempted to come back to Rome
just to eat it again.
Spirito Divino
€€
It's difficult to know whether to recommend
Il Duca
(Vicolo del Cinque, 56;
%
06-5817706),
but it is such a favorite for tourists and locals alike that I'd prob-
ably be negligent to leave it out. What's good about the place is very good: The
classic Roman dishes like ravioli and Amatriciana are more than satisfying and
cost just €8, and the waiters are helpful and animated. But in the summer, when
the tables line the streets, the restaurant becomes a magnet for flower vendors and
strolling minstrels. In the winter, things are almost as bad because the restaurant
has its own musicians. Quaint it is—there is no question. But the activity is often
distracting and conversation at the table almost impossible.
€€
€€
A better choice for similar food is
La Tana de'Noantri
(Via della Paglia,
1/2/3;
%
06-5806404),
which is much less quaint, to be sure, but if you sit
inside, rather than in the piazza across the street from the restaurant, you will be
left alone to enjoy the meal. In the winter months, it's the coziest restaurant in all
of Trastevere thanks to the fireplace, but in summer it is very busy and you likely
won't get in without a reservation. Pizza (under €10) is the specialty—try the
Gorgonzola and tomato or the Quattro Stagione.
Another solid choice, though not recommended for vegetarians, is
Da
€€
(Via della Pelliccia, 47-53;
%
06-5896848),
which places a heavy
emphasis on grilled-meat dishes (starting around €12). It's a festive place, always
5
Otello
