Looking for ideas for our first night's dinner. Since it will be a Saturday (next saturday!) I'd like to make reservations before we leave the States. I've got a long list of places I want to try over the course of our week, but for the first night I don't want anything "too good" or "too special" because we'll likely be too wiped out to appreciate it. I can only give an example one "first night" dinner in Venice at Al Testiere, where I actually fell asleep between courses (according to my husband--I actually have no memory of the meal at all! Although I do remember--vaguely--thinking that it was excellent.) Which is the problem!

Yet, I want to feel like "We're in Rome!" for that first night as well. So good Roman atmosphere and food, but not so good that if can't remember it, I'll kick myself.

Also should be easy walking distance from Campo di Fiori, where our apartment is. I was originally planning on Ditirambo, but now am thinking that may be "too good" for the first night and I should save it for later in the week when we can appreciate it more

I hope this makes sense

A couple of possibilities....

My favorite "light" first night dinner in Rome is going for fried codfish at Dar Filletaro di Santa Barbara which is steps from your rental.

Or you could try going early to Dar Pallaro, a few doors down from the Hotel Teatro di Pompeo.

For something lighter, how about a porchetta sandwich at Aristocampo on the Campo de' Fiori followed by a gelato, a stroll and bed.

Janet, if you think you can make the walk over to Trastevere (maybe a 10 minute walk from Campo di Fiori), we had several wonderful, relaxing, relatively inexpensive meals there. Our favorite place in Trastevere was Hosteria del Moro (so good, we ate there twice). It was right over the Ponte Sisto, past the Piazza Trilussa. I can find the street address if you are interested.

I'm assuming you arrive in the late afternoon or evening.A short walk would be a good thing to help take that odd mixture of fatigue and stimulation that occurs after a flight.My wife is the same like a zombie,I wish I had movies of her on our first trip taking the aqualunga from the Venice airport,she looked possesed.I always am excited and don't even try to go to sleep asap anymore.So maybe two 10 minute walks as suggested to and from the restaurant would help you feel better in the morning.RR

Perhaps Da Sergio on Vicolo delle Grotte. Yes, it's slipped a bit, but it still offers solid cucina romana in a typically boisterous roman atmosphere in a highly convenient location. Or maybe Ar Galletto on Piazza Farnese. It's a little more polished than Da Sergio (hard not to be) while offering the pleasure of trattoria classics in the bellissima and molto elegante Piazza Farnese. A little fresh night air to help keep you awake.

Or perhaps, in keeping with the sotto le stelle idea, knock back a few filetti di baccala' accompanied by a puntarelle salad and a liter of quaffable white from the Castelli Romani at Filetti di Baccala' in Largo dei Librari off Via Guibbonari. Service so brusque it makes Da Sergio seem like a Michelin starred place. After a few visits, though, you wouldn't have it any other way.

Via del Pellegrino itself offers a couple of options. Al Bric has a lovely wine list and modern food, although it may be a touch too nice for a jet-lag dinner. And for something completely different there is Sciam with Casbah decor, Middle Eastern nibbles, and hubble bubble pipes. Not really Roman obviously, but it works.

Or if you're willing to hop across Corso Vittorio Emmanuele both Da Francesco and Da Baffetto supply roman atmosphere, excellent antipasto buffet, kickin' pizzas, and competent primi.

Buon viaggio, buon divertimento, e buon appetito,

Anthony and Jennifer

>>Perhaps Da Sergio on Vicolo delle Grotte.<<

A good choice, but on a Saturday night, if you don't go early, it will be mobbed. And even with reservations (if they take them), the service is stressed when under pressure.

Great grilled salsiccia......

quote:

Originally posted by Robert Rainey:
I'm assuming you arrive in the late afternoon or evening.RR

Actually Robert we arrive at 7:15 a.m., which is why by dinner time we will be exhausted! In fact I am not even certain what time we will actually be able to get into our rental, although I've been assured we can at least leave our luggage. We may have to just wander locally while waiting to get into the apt. So, I am expecting to have a nice lunch somewhere...so dinner could be light.

It will be long day, but I don't want to nap and throw everything off (that's supposed to be a no-no....besides, who can sleep when in Rome---way too exciting!)

Maybe Da Baffetto would be a good choice--followed by gelato . Then I wouldn't have to worry about a reservation, either.

Hannibal, your suggestions sound great too. Al Bric is definitely on my list but I am saving that for later in the week; perhaps in fact for our last night, as we will want to have lots of great wine with that meal!

So many choices....!

quote:

Originally posted by Hannibal:
Perhaps Da Sergio on Vicolo delle Grotte.

This sounds like a possibility too... just looked it up...very Roman! We'd be going early for sure..so perhaps we could try to get in, and then if we can't head on over to Da Baffetto or Da Francesco.

I would hope by the time you get your luggage
and get there that you could drop your stuff then get a shower.I would walk about in the sunlight a good way to help your body clock reset.Then have lunch,a little walk then back to home,stay up as long as possible ideally
at least until early evening.RR

Janet....I don't know if you've been to Ditirambo before, so maybe I'm talking to an old-time "regular". If so, forgive me. Anyway, while the food is excellent, I wouldn't say it falls into the "too good" category. (In other words, it's not one of these "temples of high cuisine")...It's actually fairly small, crowded, and with a typically raucous trattoria atmosphere. On a Saturday night, you would almost certainly need a reservation.

Anyway, there are dozens (well, maybe more than dozens) of good--but unpretentious--dining places within a few blocks of the Campo, and I'll bet you could walk into most of them without a reservation on a Saturday,and that's what I would do. (We rarely make reservations, except at those "temples of high cuisine" or at popular little places like Ditirambo, and we've almost never been turned away.)

Hi Janet,
Another option.... sometimes after a long flight you don't want something rich or heavy and a big salad is what you're craving. Just around the corner from Campo de Fiori - I think it's on the corner of Corso Vittorio and Del Chiavari is a place called L'Insalata - they have huge main course salads of every sort. We ate there our first night in Rome the last time we were there and it was perfect... And I'm thinking it will be my first stop when we go next month, too.

-Krista

Ah yes, L'Insalata Ricca in the shadow of Sant'Andrea delle Valle. Nothing like enjoying a nice salad with exhaust blasts from the Corso. Actually, the salads are quite fine although the vino sfuso could substitute for turpentine. In fact, I'm not convinced it wasn't turpentine!

Also a branch next to Cul de Sac under the watchful eye of Pasquino.

Generally, though, in Rome I like to stick to things like puntarelle, gallinella, misticanza, rughetta.

Anthony and Jennifer