La Buca di Ripetta

Very nice Italian restaurant with real menu of the day inspired actually by the market. The waiter greeted me warmly explaining about the menu of the day inspired by fresh artichokes. I had risotto with artichoke and it was really creamy and delicious. The restaurant became super crowded by 2-3 pm and it took them forever to bring me the dessert menu and I ended up giving it up.

My wife and I loved everything about our visit here in Feb 2026. Food was amazing, service was friendly, and the restaurant itself was very warm and charming. Cacio e Pepe was 12/10 and tiramisu was the best I’ve had!

First dinner in Rome. They accept us without reservation. ☺️ Thank you 😊 Lu Buca di Ripetta is a must-visit for anyone seeking an authentic Italian dining experience in Rome. Its combination of delicious food, inviting atmosphere, and excellent service makes it a standout choice for both locals and tourists alike. Artichoke must try 😋 Osso Buco must have 😋 Whether you're indulging in a leisurely lunch or a special dinner, this restaurant promises a memorable culinary journey through the flavors of Italy.

My wife and I had an excellent very late lunch (they serve until 4:30, then reopen at 7) here on the way back to our hotel from the Villa Giulia (National Museum of Etruscan Art). The food and service were excellent, in a very quiet and welcoming space. We will happily dine here again.

One of our best choices as we visited Rome. By sudden we entered this restaurant. We got directly a table and the service was very professionally. We enjoyed delicious food in very nice ambiente. We had an fitting bottle of wine and the dessert was amazing. The Tiramisu was so soft, with the spoon you had not to press it through and was tasty. One of the best experiences in Rome for us.

Perfetto! 👌 From the welcome to the dessert time. Highly recommended make a reservation, after taking our table, the people started joining (all of them with already booked table). The waiter who atended us was absolutely excellent, every unique of each of the details during the dinner was perfect. The pasta was not an exception at this experience. All the suggestions from the staff exceeded our expectations: - Lamb cooked in a sauce and melted with parpadelle. - Tatruffo bianco cream with linguine and fresh truffle on the top crowning the plate. Un spazio per tornare

Good food and MUCH better local food. There are many places to eat food in Rome. There are many choices you could make but this is one that you must try. Whilst the food and drinks are on the expensive side, it is freshly made and worth it. The zucchini gnocchi was very good and made fresh and the cacio e pepe was served in a cheese wheel - incredible! The tiramisu was to die for - I wholeheartedly recommend this place. The waiter, Andrei, was very good and he was very kind and open with us - refreshing in a place where it felt hard to find someone like this. The interior was very pretty with good, classic, Italian music and it felt like you were dining in Rome!

We had carbonara pasta for lunch today, and it was absolutely delicious. Without a doubt, it’s the best carbonara we’ve ever had — even compared to the ones we enjoyed during our travels in Italy. The flavors were perfectly balanced, rich, and authentic. Congratulations, Michelangelo, for such an outstanding dish. We’ll definitely be coming back!

My first night in Rome and we stumbled upon this wonderful place just a short walk from the hotel. Nice upscale cozy atmosphere with excellent service and even better food. Soute di cozze e vongole was a big bowl of Mussels and clams sautéed in wine and olive oil. Pappardelle con cozze e pecorino - Home made Pappardelle pasta served with mussels and topped with grated pecorino cheese. Costolette d'abbacchio allo scottadito - perfectly grilled lamb chops served with roasted potatoes. By far one of the best. Best way to start our time in Rome!

Decided to try out this ristorante for dinner last night while visiting Rome. The restaurant has a first floor as well as a bottom floor where we enjoyed our dinner in the wine cellar. Our waiter understood us when ordering our drinks and our menu items we ordered. The minestrone soup was freshly made and full of flavor. The home made pasta and ragu sauce had the perfect texture and flavor. Would definitely recommend this ristorante for everyone visiting Roma Italy.

The homemade pasta was delicious & the service was impeccable. The best dinner we had in all of Italy.

The food was underwhelming. Maybe I didn't choose well but the food lacked seasoning, it was almost tasteless. I ordered the veal escalope and I wish I had gotten something else instead. Food came out quickly but the presentation was lacking and for 19€ I expected a bit more than what looks like hastily served cafetaria food. My server was really friendly and spoke English well, hence the 3 stars.

This was one of our best meals and dining experiences in Rome. The service was fast and super friendly. The carbonara was so amazing (probably the best I had in Rome). We also had an artichoke appetizer that was delicious. Highly recommend this adorable restaurant.

Wow! This place is incredible! Quality of food, service ambiance! Unreal. Mohamed was awesome. Great waiter, recommended some things and it was insane. Must go!!!

We've been in Rome for 3 days now and I have to say, my wife and I have been pretty underwhelmed with every restaurant we have eaten at. This is our first time to Italy, and all we heard about it before coming was how amazing the food was. Until tonight, we have been fairly disappointed. However, tonight we ate at La Buca di Ripetta and it did not disappoint! This restaurant delivered on all our expectation of what we had imagined authentic Italian food would taste like. If your looking for a GREAT Italian restaurant while in Rome, this place will not let you down. The ambiance was perfect and the service was excellent. The ravioli with pear and orange sauce could very well be one of the very best dishes we have ever eaten in our lives. Yes, you heard that right. Best dish ever! We also ordered the gnocchi which was also very very good. We had the fried artichokes for the starter and as far as fried artichokes go, it was also bellissimo! Uddin, our waiter, took great care of us. When you come to ROME, do yourself a favor and make reservations for an evening with La Buca di Ripetta. Finally, a restaurant to brag about in Rome!

Fabulous. Fabulous. Fabulous. We had the most delicious fried artichoke served with a Cacio peppe dip Pasta Fagiole was a warm hug in a bowl Tonnarello Cacio Peppe was served in a crispy parm shell!! What?!? Amazing Carbonara was fresh & delicious Saltimbocca is legendary Roast Pork stole the show. Excellent. Highly recommend

White table cloth restaurant. When we first arrived it was empty but people were later fighting for a seat. The zucchini flowers were too cheesy as was the pasta cacio e pepe, and the swordfish was bland. Service was excellent and nice ambiance. Maybe we didn't order well.

The one star is based on the service and not the food. We never got to eat there. We had a reservation and showed up right on time. There is a spot to wait out front and we patiently waited out here as many servers back by us again and again. None of them would even look at us to even acknowledge us to maybe say we will be with you shortly or anything. I don't mind waiting, but just a simple acknowledgment that I'm here could go a long way. After being ignored for too long we decide it was better to just leave. We found another restaurant down the street and had a great dinner. I wouldn't go back here to just be ignored again. We felt unwelcome and uncomfortable.

My first night back in rome after so long, after checking in to my hotel, and relaxing I came across this quaint little gem, the staff are o so delightful, they meet you at the door with a warm greeting and a smile, showing you to a beautiful table, and bringing you a lovely glass of house proseco, I was greeted by a fantastic waiter whom, went on to ask which water I preferred I order water with gas, I got a delightful bottle of gentle sparkling, the bottle was very aventgaurd, The special this evening all revolved around the black truffles, The chef bought some fresh black truffles, the specials where zuccine flowers stuffed with prawns, bruchetta with house mozerela, topped with fresh shaved black truffles and a house fresh pasta with shaved black truffles I ordered the pasta and boy was it delicious, So glad to stumble across this gem, I will be back that I can atune for

Think about the best meal you have ever had... and then throw that crap in the garbage because it doesn't even hold a candle to the food at Buca di Ripetta. I have spent about a month in Rome and I told myself I would never eat at the same place twice and I have eaten here five times. The carbonara is the best that you will find in Rome, so is the Cacio e Pepe. My mom got the Oso Bucco and it was incredible. Basically everything is the best you will ever have.

We were visiting places Rome and stopped by this restaurant for lunch. The server was very friendly and shared a lot about his experiences in the city. They make all homemade dishes and fantastic bread. The food was incredible! Many of places we ate at in Rome were okay, but this restaurant was truly the best Italian food I've ever eaten. The environment was very scenic and homey. I definitely recommend going here, you won't regret it!!

Walking along the street, close to our apartment, we came across this sweet little establishment and checked out the menu from outside. Decorated for Christmas (including the dining room Vespa!), this place is very cute. We waited only about 10 minutes for a table, and I'm very happy we did! The antipasto sampler was amazing and delicious - eat it in the order your waiter suggests! The chef's suggestion of tortellini soup was superb. Downstairs on the way to the lavatory is another section of seating, surrounded by wines. Very nice decor and quite a romantic place to enjoy dinner for two!

This place was across from our hotel and always had a crowd of locals, so we decided to have our final meal there as the menu looked good. We were seated....in the friggin basement next to the bathroom (Americans!) while the locals were upstairs in the main dining room. (Now I know what the black people felt like when Crustations in Beverly Hills first opened!) The bottle of water we got for 5 euros tasted like it came from the toilet and there was no top on it when it was brought to the table. We complained and was brought a fresh bottle. WOW! Like night and day. Actually tasted like water not toilet. Speaking of toilets, the smell in the basement coming from the bathroom we were seated next to was awful. The smell in the bathroom was even worse. The food was lesser quality than anywhere else we ate in 2 weeks, even the place with attitude that overcharged for service fees. NOTE TO SELF-AND EVERYONE ELSE. DO NOT GO THERE, unless you have a gas mask.

I was there today for lunch with my mom, and while the food (spaghetti carbonara, spaghetti with seafood and mixed salads) was everything we could have hoped for and more, the service was everything but. It was still quiet when we got there, so we were seated outside, ordered and were served quickly. However, a good 3o minutes went by between the time we were done and our friendly but not particularly efficient waiter came to pick up our empty plates. We said that we wanted some dessert, and he disappeared for another 20 minutes. At this point we decided to skip dessert and just get the check. When we asked for the check, we realized that the waiter did not remember we were still waiting for the dessert menu. After seeing what we were going through, the couple next to us decided to ask for the check too and get dessert and coffee somewhere else. It still took our two tables about 10 minutes to get the check. This was the worst service experience, and one of the best food experiences, that I've had in Rome. And I am still seething about that dessert!

The flavors and top quality of Rome! The food and service were excellent! We will be visiting again!

I loved this place! I was with my parents, and we just happened to pick this one because we knew how to get there and it was close to our hotel. Anyway, long story short, I had the best wait service I've had so far in Europe (keep in mind that this is my third week in Europe. I've eaten out A LOT). The menu was very creative. The portions were great. Not so small that you feel like you're not getting your money's worth, but not so large that you need sweat pants. I was expecting to pay much more than what we did based on the €s this place got. The pasta dishes are all about 10€, which I have found to be pretty standard across Italy, be it spaghetti or homemade fabulous pasta. I would say the majority of the menu is around 10€, with the meat and the fish costing more, which is expected. Also, the presentation is beautiful! Oh, and the bread they put on the table is good. I just came from France and have been seriously disappointed with the Italian bread, but this place proved me wrong.

This restaurant was recommended to us by a few friends who had recently visited Rome and we were not disappointed! The service here was what really stood out. The waitstaff was prompt, warm and gracious. Our meal was equally as enjoyable. We had a Caprese Salad, bucatini all' amatriciana and a simple spaghetti with veal ragu. Our entire meal was flavorful and I absolutely devoured my amatriciana. Worth the visit!!!

Wow! First off get there before the late night rush or you will have wait. But I always think of people will wait for food it must be worth it. This was recommended by one of our tour guides. I had the fried zucchini flowers and the octopus on pea purée, it was the best octopus I've ever had. Tender not over cooked. Sadly my husband got the native Roman dish Cacio e Pepe, a simple pasta dish that was amazing to look at but turned out too salty and overdone. But I still am going back to try more. And the staff were warm, inviting, and very attentive. Ask them for their recommendations it might make your meal experience even more spectacular.

We sought out this cozy restaurant on a side street because it offered gluten-free options for my daughter. It appeared we were the only tourists present during our visit. The inside was quaint, and the service was good. My daughter loved her risotto and I thought that my entree was the best dish I had on my entire 3-week trip. It was ravioli stuffed with ricotta and pears, served with orange sauce and balsamic reduction. Yum! My mouth is watering just thinking about it again. The flavor combination was amazing. I would definitely recommend this restaurant and visit again.

Words cannot describe the perfect, intense flavor of the food here at La Buca di Ripetta. It is so good I am coming back again tomorrow. The service was as good as the food (and wine list). The beef tartare and Cacio e Pepe are unreal. The special dessert (cheesecake) was fantastic. Daniele was my waiter and he was amazingly attentive and made the absolutely perfect recommendations throughout the meal. This is a truly local place that remains a secret (for now) to tourists like me.

We ate here twice (first & last nights) and they didn't disappoint. Great food & service. English menu translation but the rest is all Italian. Small masculine interior (antique Vespa parked in middle of dining room) with attentive wait staff. My aunt & I split pasta with cheese & black pepper prior and tonight we had veal saltimboca with a side of spinach & potato. Just perfect! Paired with a light Roman Red wine which finished beautifully with dessert - panna cotta caramel & berries. Oh Roma - I am so full but will miss your food so....

Okay so this review may be a little late, but its so good that its worth yelping about! I traveled Europe for 6 months in 2010 and while in Rome for 5 day (which wasn't long enough) a friend brought me to this place and let me tell you something, nothing else has compared to it since! Imagine three kids about 21 years old searching the streets of Rome for this restaurant because a certain someone couldn't remember where it was! The thing is that it only added to the experience, the thrill of the hunt :), This charming little place does takes walk ins for dinner, but don't even try because you'll be sitting there all night waiting for your table. Its so charming and its filled with locals and tourists who enjoy a good bottle of vino and great atmosphere. I ended up going with my friends for lunch and I had the Tortellini Alfredo w/ black pepper, cheese, and a thin wafer shell which let me tell you... WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD. We each shared our meals with one another and everything was delicious. If you do end up traveling and find yourself at this place I highly recommend the suckling pig... it will change your life. My only regret going to this place was that it was on the pricy side so I wasn't able to enjoy a nice 3 or 5 course Italian meal due to the budget I was on. Go here... It will change your life and change your opinion on what Italian food should taste like

This is probably one of the best meals in our two weeks in Rome. My wife had the affair raviolis which was unbelievable at I had something I can't remember. But I remember telling myself this is really good. And the prices were strangely affordable. Compared to the overpriced tourist traps that we got pulled into.

Ahhh this was the perfect place for dinner after an entire day running around Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius. We ordered fried artichokes (beautifully presented) and spinach gnocchi. Delicious, fresh, and relatively less salty than most of the food we had in Rome. Warm decor with friendly service who spoke fluent English Relaxed vibe Highly recommend

Truly great service Not cheap but also not going to break bank Got this one from hotel staff Food was perfect Small portions so need to get two courses

This restaurant was recommended to us by our tour guide. Great food! Make sure to try their fried artichoke and tiramisu.

Recommended by a local cashier guy at the clothes store - I liked my carbonara and hubs liked his lamb chops. Small/intimate place - a great start to our Italian vacation. Tiramisu was great too!!! The second best tiramisu in our trip. Not cheap though!

The cacio e pepe was one of the best dishes I ate while in Italy. Start to finish a great meal.

Food was great, perfectly portioned. Chocolate pudding cake blew second set of balls off. Overall the best meal I've had on my vacation.

Free word association: charming, warm, welcoming, down-to-earth. The place is filled with patrons both local and visitors steadily on a Tuesday evening in January. The food is very hearty and celebrates each ingredient. I had a Chief's recommended homemade pasta in what seems like a slow stewed tomato sauce with bacon shavings. The bacon is not of UK or US sort but truly Italian: fatty, crisp and flavourful. Pasta with side of spanish, and a glass of Rosso came just about €26 with coffee included. Other tables showcased other home style cuisine presented in a very honest way. Wonderful and friendly wait staffs, who paid close attention to everyone, speak English fluently. I shall sleep well tonight.

We stopped in here because it looked so cute from the street. Very busy for a rainy sunday night - we had to wait about 30 mins for a table. It was a charming spot with lovely service. The mussel app was delicious, reasonably priced wine and nice selection, and the cacio & pepe was one of our favorites we had all trip and the all'matriciana was fantastic as well!

What a snobbish overpriced place! The food is tasteless and so boring. What pissed me of the the most is the way they present "food", like its a god's gift to society. Styrofoam tastes better. A lot of old people that look like food specialists. God! Get me out of here. I want to taste something!

This authentic looking little restaurant appeared to be what we were looking for from the outside. It turned out to be just what we wanted. Two women walking out said they'd had a good meal. So we went in and were promptly sat at one of the last available tables. We shared a mixed starter plate of veal and beef Bon Bons, fried artichoke, zucchini flower with cheese and baked cheese prosciutto. All were good. We shared a mixed salad (simple fresh and perfect). The best salad we've had this trip. Jane had a pear and cheese ravioli with orange sauce. It was sweet as anticipated but amazingly light. A worthwhile dining adventure. I had the macaroni with boar ragout. It was terrific. Still a little peckish I ordered a secondi, stewed lamb on roasted potato nuggets. It doesn't sound to be anything extraordinary, but I had seen it coming out of the kitchen and it looked good. They used yellow potatoes and were perfectly sauté d. The lamb was tender. My eyes turned out to be bigger than my stomach though and this rich dish was one too many. That said it did not deter us from having dessert. Jane ordered the special, a pavlova with whip cream and fruit. Not what we were expecting with minimal meringue sprinkled on a small layered arrangement of cake, fresh berries and whipped cream. Good none the less. I had a traditional tiramisu with coffee and was not disappointed. The staff all worked together well and provided excellent polite and helpful service in reasonable English. Our dinner including a bottle of water, two glasses of prosecco and two glasses of wine was 108 euro plus tip. Reasonable value in comparison to other meals we've had in Rome. I would go back again and would have no hesitation recommending this place to a friend.

Cute ambiance but by far the worst meal we've had yet in Rome. Risotto was undercooked, pasta with octopus was so bland (although the actual octopus was decent) and our steak was soooo bloody I couldn't eat it. Definitely would not recommend.

Left disappointed. I had the papperdelle with mussels -- the pasta was waay too salty. Suckling pig was just ok, not as tender and as well seasoned as I expected it to be.

I loved this place but we prefer the Trattoria style restaurants anyways so that makes sense. Seemed like a lot of locals or at least traveling Italians. Not just an American or tourist place. Food and service were very good. Just what we wanted after a long day of site seeing. We always ask for the House red and it was good.

Best dinner we had in Rome (which I wish meant more than it does). Still, worth going to and the only place to which we returned. Get a glass of Aglianico and any of the pasta dishes and you can't miss.

I was recommended by my hotel receptionist to try this. I went for dinner the first day I arrived in Rome & then back for lunch 2 days later. I had the same waiter, who speaks fluent English & very helpful. I had ravioli stuffed with pear & octopus carpaccio salad for dinner. Then fried vegetable & zucchini flower & dark ink fettuccine with tender baby squid in a tomato sauce for lunch. The pasta dishes were superb; I would come back for more. The octopus carpaccio was good; it was plentiful, which hit the spot. The fried veggies were a bit plain though. Overall a very good experience. I was impressed with how patient my waiter was with a rude customer at the next table. She did not speak any Italian or English. He repeated the specials to her like 4 times & she still did not get it. Finally she decided to order "noodles" with no sauce! In an Italian restaurant, no less! Not sure what kind of weird diet she is on. My waiter handled all that with class & got on with his job. I recommend this little bistro for a good value place for a hearty meal in the pricey Spanish steps area.

Our family ate dinner here twice in early August while visiting Rome. It was so good the first night, we had to go back one more time before we left Rome. The food and service were outstanding. One of the best restaurants we went to during our three weeks in Italy and Turkey. Highly recommend. It's small so make sure to book a table in advance.

Creative, flavorful dishes; great ambiance; friendly, efficient service (in English). Not cheap, street food, but not over-priced, either. A ten minute walk from the Spanish Steps. Portions are small by American standards (loss of one star; wish I could have limited that to a half-star).