Il Bacaro

We had one of the best lunches of our Rome trip at Il Bacaro, a quiet gem tucked away just off Piazza Navona. Despite visiting during one of the busiest weeks in the city (a Jubilee Year, the Pope’s funeral, and Liberation Day), this place was a peaceful escape with incredible food and an unforgettable wine. We happened to visit just as they were prepping a pairing menu and had the chance to briefly chat with their sommelier and a winemaker from Tenuta Iacoangeli—whose red wine became the highlight of our meal. (We even took two bottles home!) The dishes were fresh, seasonal, and confidently Roman, and the service was gracious and unhurried. Il Bacaro feels like the kind of place you want to keep to yourself, but they absolutely deserve the spotlight. Can't wait to visit again!

Incredible authentic Italian food — fresh & flavorful. Definitely a must-stop if you’re in 📍Rome!

Second time having lunch here: for the starter, the egg with parmesan is highly recommended. And for pasta, of course, carbonara tartuffo - mamma mia!!! Buonissimo! Grazie

The first plate i tried was the Truffle Carbonara and i was dancing in my seat with every bite. I would eat that Carbonara outside in a rainstorm. Its that good. If Jesus came shining down from split skies in his heavenly aura I might still wait for the order to come out before i stood in line to see if I got into Club Heaven. Angels would be staring at me with eyes of shame as i took my bread and scraped the remaining sauce from my plate to not disrespect the chef out back. (wonderful bread...It had little crumbles of meat in it. I shed a thug tear) This was our first visit to Italy and this was luckily the first Restaurant we stopped by. Its in a nice surprisingly secluded alley near the city center and the ambiance is great. Comfy outdoor seating and outstanding service. The owners Frederico and V saw us 3 times on that trip. She gave us a great pairing of wine for our order and that bottle was savored slower than a politician admitting a mistake. We came back with two friends of ours the night before we left. Is this enough of a recommendation for you?

Service here was great, especially by the blonde waitress! The food was okay but in our opinion nothing special. The wine was enjoyable. Finally, the atmosphere was nice but the lack of overhead cover made it possible for the seagulls above to use the bathroom uncomfortably close to our table setting. I do think it may have just been an off night in the kitchen based upon the great reviews.

Il Bacaro was wonderful! For a small restaurant they were very accommodating and fit our larger group in last minute. We could not be more grateful. Food was incredible, staff was lovely. Especially the chef! Thank you!!

A Wonderful Dining Experience Everything about this restaurant was exceptional—from the warm, welcoming staff to the beautifully prepared food. Each dish was flavorful, fresh, and thoughtfully presented. The service was attentive without being intrusive, and the atmosphere was cozy yet elegant. A truly memorable experience.

Off the beaten path, this is a very romantic and unique restaurant. Traditional recipes rules are pushed to create unique renditions of some classics. The wine was perfectly paired with our meal by our hostess. Truly a magical evening under grape vines and twinkling lights.

Oh my. They crushed it on all fronts: Food Service Ambience Value Wine Veronica was so pleasant and let us try a few wines. The cheese plate with the homemade bread - perfect. I had the Gnocchi with italian sausage. It was spectacular. Sweetie had the Sea Bass and left none for me to try. Cant wait to go back! Ciao

Run don't walk to this gem of a restaurant. Too many go for lesser quality nearer to the main street, Il Bacaro can be tough to find but it is so worth it. You need reservations, get them. If Veronica is your server, you will feel completely at home but the entire staff (including the chef) are nothing short of amazing. Their wine list would shame a lot of restaurants and they don't push $$$ just what you want. One note on the Chef, he stops working at 1am, then collects his dogs and goes in search of truffles till 4am (he could make a serious profit selling truffles but would rather let you enjoy). 'I used to work in medicine, but it didn't sit right, now I cook, from the heart which is why it works.' Farm to table is great, heart to table is another level.

Great Food (Best in Rome), service was perfect and you can't beat the setting. I always include a meal here every time I'm in Rome. Fantastico!

Great place to get a taste of Italy! The food is unique and the ambiance is great, definitely recommend visiting. Oh and the Carbonara is a must!!

I am an American man that does know what Italian should taste like. I felt like I got treated like an American that doesn't know better. The pasta was cooked Al dente, but the taste was mediocre. I'm surprised that my Italian Air bnb host recommended this. Maybe a friend of the restaurant owner and knew they needed more business? Lol

Meal was great! We stumbled on this place and we were happy with our choice! I got the pumpkin tonnarelli and it was perfect! We also got a bottle of Prosecco. Overall great meal!

My family and I were just looking for a place to share a bottle of wine before dinner. We happened upon this place, and when we told them we just wanted to share some wine, they told us they were a restaurant and we are not welcome to stay just for a bottle of wine, and that they would charge us 200 euros for a bottle that costs 95 euros. Needless to say, we left and did not look back. Consider other places for dinner than these pretentious pricks.

Unpleasant in every-way. Really cute outside seating.... that were empty when we came in and same when we left. The waitresses insisted she cannot sit us outside as she has a reservation for the entire outside. afterward the waitresses told me she needs to sit only couples outside by the owners direction and no families. There were mosquitoes (a lot) inside and the waitress offered me a mosquito spray. Food was average... even less then average. Service was poor beside one waitress that was nice somewhat... oh and they played Christmas music the entire time.

Best meal we ever had in Italy. Truffles the size of frisbees. The blonde last server has wonderful wine recommendations. Can't beat the location and ambiance especially on outside tables 7th trip to Rome. I've eaten all over and this was my favorite meal

Just arrived in Rome and checked a few Yelp reviews, this placed seemed quiet and cozy and out of the way and that's exactly what it is. Frederico greeted me when I popped in and even without a reservation graciously sat me in a corner table. The special appetizer of puréed spinach with lobster was delicious paired with their house Chianti. I went for their carbonara with truffles over house made pasta and it was delicious. The people and vibe here are very cool, Frederico was super friendly and attentive and the music was great. I highly recommend Il Bacaro for that quiet, off the beaten path delicious dinner.

One star for the pretty outdoor seating area with the canopy of Vines and twinkling lights. We came here last night, because it was pretty much down stairs from the apartment we were staying at. The waiters are polite and quick to clean a table to seat us and take out orders. But after that, no one ever came back to check on us for about an hour until I finally gentle tapped the waiter on the elbow when he was walking by to ask for the check. My colleagues pasta with fish and tomatoes was way TOO al dente (I ate or piece to check and it was almost crunchy, she has to saw at it with a knife) but the sauce was very good. My carbonara with shaved truffles was crazy over salted. The pasta was perfect to aldente and they were generous with the shaved truffles and pork...but it tasted like they accident dumped a cup of salt over it! So I ended up eating my pasta, scraping most of the sauce and toppings to the side....and she ended up eating her sauce and picking the pieces of pasta off to the side of her plate! Lol We both considered saying something and debated if we should risk sending it back but as it was so impossible to flag down a waiter in that tiny restaurant that we decided to just eat what we could. It took another really long time after we got the check for him to come back and take it. Also there was never any water or bread offered. There are plenty of other great restaurants in the area and even with the cute outdoor seating and the convenience of proximity we still wouldn't recommend it. Overall. Pretty for pictures but save your appetite for somewhere else.

THE CUTEST PLACE IN ROME!!!! While studying abroad this place was my go to-got lost every time trying to find it being that it was tucked away down a majestic cobble stone alley but once I sat down I was in heaven. Best seat in the house is outside under the ivy awing, call ahead and reserve a table here (they get booked up super fast). Order anything, you won't be disappointed.

This little restaurant stole our hearts! We had a lovely meal under the twins kle lights in the patio and felt like we were transported to a fantasy world. As we sipped our wine and finished off the delicious pea purée, we both said we didn't want to leave. We will be back!

just walking down the street you can smell the food and it's absolutely AMAZING!! This is by far the best Carbonara i've had in Italy. Definitely not the cheapest place but definitely worth it.

This is a hidden gem in the centro storico. Here for thirty years now, turning out great Venetian food at reasonable prices.

This is a lovely spot, with nice friendly service. To be fair, it was a debate between three and four stars - the wine was delicious and the food was nice - if not outstanding - but we only had healthy starters rather than more delicious pasta and meat dishes, as we were late for lunch and holding out for a later dinner elsewhere. So, more like 3.5 stars. Give it a try, we would next time too.

Great food, just ignore the street peddlers.

I don't speak Italian but the FOOD IS stupefacente and its very laid back and amazing svc

Wonderful little restaurant off a small street not far from Via Condotti shopping zone. Probably the best vegetarian pasta I've ever had. Spaghetti with cheese sauce and black pepper (essentially spaghetti carbonara minus the bacon) had an outstanding creamy and flavorful sauce but the pasta itself was more than a little undercooked (hence the minus one star). Appetizer of tomatoes with smoked cheese was solid but not particularly memorable. The waitress was excellent and recommended perfect wine for the both of us. Prices were more than reasonable. Seemed to get busy closer to 2 pm rather than opening time of 12 pm for lunch.

the Carbonara was fantastic....good service and nice atmosphere. Next time I will try the veal as main course.

I don't know how this place doesn't have better reviews. The wine was amazing and all the dishes my friends and I shared were delicious. The spaghetti carbonara was bomb!!! Highly recommend!

Charming atmosphere + friendly service + delicious food = my new favorite gem in Rome. A very special place.

What a hidden gem! We ate dinner here on our first night in Rome based on a recommendation from Frommer's and they really hit a home run (or scored a hat trick. This is Italy after all). The restaurant is beautiful from the outside and it boasts an intimate setting both inside and out. We made the mistake of thinking it would be less hot if we sat inside when in reality the doors remain open so it's better to sit outdoors for the breeze. The waiter we had was so nice and you could tell how passionate he was about the service as well as the food. And the food, oh man the food was so good. We started with a plate of assorted meats and cheeses. We could immediately taste the difference in quality between places in the United States and here where it's basically farm to table. The Brie was heaven on earth. Then we both had the penne carbonara. It's hard to describe exactly how good it was. Every bite melted in your mouth. Next we had the pork which was simply awesome. It had caramelized onions which gave it a sweet taste. But honestly, despite how good it was, the first two dishes were better. And to top it off we got the tiramisu. Let me tell you, that was the star of the show. You could taste the coffee beans with every bite. So authentic. I highly recommend you give this place a try!

By the way I've been back from Europe for about a week now, that restaurant is crappy I feel sad for the cooks they present good food when fortunately it's just a bunch of crap.

A very disappointing experience. Food was marginal (at best), and service was not good. I have been traveling to Rome regularly for the past 25+ years. With so many truly excellent restaurants in central Rome, l would never recommend this establishment.

We made the reservations weeks in advance when we planned our trip to Rome based on a recommendation from my alumni message board. We arrived at 9p on time and were seated at a nice table. The restaurant has very nice ambiance and we were excited to have a great dinner. Our first issue were insects. It has rained that day in Rome, and that, combined with lighting near the entrance attracted a swarm of gnats and flies at our inside corner table. Not one or two, but dozens. We figured it was a anomaly of a rare rainy day in Rome, so we toughed through. The next issue was a dirty wine glass. When we poured our wine, one in our party recoiled at the acrid bouquet. The other three thought it was great, so I smelled his, and it was obvious the wine glass had not been washed and smelled horrible. I politely asked for another wine glass, and the new one was clean. No comment, apology, or kiss-my-ass from the waiter. We ordered appetizers and entrees. One of the appetizers was delivered without the other. We ate it, and about 20 minutes later, the other appetizer was delivered along with one entree. 20 minutes later another appetizer was delivered. 20 minutes later, the last entree still hasn't showed up, so I ordered another bottle of wine and asked if they could provide a progress update on the last entree. It finally was delivered about 10 minutes later. It was Carbonara and the pasta was extremely undercooked and inedible. The waitress came back to tell us the wine we ordered was out and was completely unconcerned about the food staging or inedible meal. To be fair, the other three dishes were ok. But, the experience as a whole was a complete fail.

The place looks nice, but that's about it, The food was not cheap but didn't taste good, was super salty, couldn't finish our food. Also they are very slow, it took them almost one hour to bring our food

I chose to go here for my birthday dinner and it was so good we decided to splurge and go again on our last night in Rome. The waitstaff were very friendly and even remembered us from the last time we were there (2weeks prior). The food was very fresh and delicious and it has a great atmosphere - we are definitely coming back next time we are in Rome

Service was amazing. We stayed 2 nights in Rome and ate in different restaurants this was the best. Try the beef filet with peppers and pasta with cheese and peppers.

We were sorely disappointed in this restaurant. Instead of going to La Tavernetta 48 a second time, we decided to try Il Bacaro for our last night in Rome. This was such a mistake and I still cringe when I think of this poor decision. The staff was rude and seemed to be annoyed we were there. My husband ordered his steak medium rare -- it was so rare he couldn't eat it. When we showed the waitress she rudely said "so you like it well done then." She seemed annoyed with our kids, even though we were purchasing expensive fish dinners for them and they were perfectly behaved. I cannot think of one positive thing to say other than that we had a good bottle of wine and atmosphere is very nice.

SO disappointed in this place. Booked a reservation months in advance based on reviews. Alas, service was awful despite it being early in the evening and very few people to wait on in a very small restaurant. Completely botched a very simple order, serving our food out of sequence and completely forgetting 2 courses we ordered in advance of our entrees. Despite the early hour & small crowd, it was frustrating to get anyone to pay attention to us or acknowledge our existence. Hundreds of other amazing places to eat in Rome. I'd pass on this every time. After nearly 2 weeks of amazing lunches & dinners here (all booked far in advance), this place proved to be the single biggest failure. The food wasn't even the real problem. It mostly ranged from average to well above average. The service & execution was just completely off. Our appetizers came out 15 minutes after we had finished our entrees and were ready to leave... then they brought out bread after we had already finished our apps... then brought out olive oil for the bread while we were ready to pay. Service alone is reason to skip this place. We did not complain per se but our frustration was made obvious. No attempt made to acknowledge or apologize. Zero chance I'd go back. Eternally disappointed.

Best eat in the hidden streets of Rome !! If you're going during summer make sure to reserve seats ahead of time to be seated outside. Inside is much hotter and you can't enjoy the beautiful view of the Roman streets. Food was spectacular and the waitresses were so sweet compared to other servers we've had here in Italy . They truly appreciate their customers , mostly being tourists, and realize that their income is and important contribution to the business. 4 stars JUST because the dessert was not the best , definitely could've been better. Other than that, bravo!