La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali

Thanksgiving dinner with my cugina at La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali, considered one of the best restaurants in Roma. They were actually serving a turkey dinner with chestnut & sausage stuffing, which she had! (I tasted it, and it was very good!) I opted for the lamb because it is my absolute favorite, and Romans are renowned for their lamb. Plus, the restaurant is off of Via Agnello, which I took as a sign! We started with the fried artichokes (of course). Again, something the Romans are known for and my favorite vegetable. We had a bottle of an excellent Susumaniello from Puglia (the other half of my roots). And we finished with a delicious ricotta and pistachio torta.

Everything we ordered was just perfect - fresh pasta, fish and ravioli. The service was excellent. Great atmosphere. Extremely recommended place to visit when you are in Rome and want to try some local food.

We went this taverna thru my friend recommendation and all was amazing. As whole family, we love everything. Food was amazing and super tasty. Claudia was super friendly. The dish she recommended, was absolutely different and super tasty. Orange wine was also extra outstanding next to our food. I am so glad we could able to try this taverna.

Very local restaurant with delicious pasta! Vongole was exceptional! You should make a reservation in advance, or else all the tables will be full! Great service and good Romanian food—love this place!

Oh my god, one of the best pastas of my life and I grew up with a Nonna who cooked the most amazing pastas every single day so I have high expectations. I don’t know if I’ve ever had the word “luscious” come to my mind while eating anything but, well, now I have. Will definitely return.

Dinner was magnificent. The gentleman who told us the specials is a born salesman. His description of each dish had our mouths watering. Although we had already decided what we were ordering, his wonderful descriptions convinced us to go with 2 of the specials. The paccheri with pork cheek and fig was the perfect compliment of sweet and savory. Paccheri with sausage and crispy zucchini in a light red sauce was full of flavor and textures. Both were absolutely delicious. We also had the Roman roast pork and veal meatloaf. The pork was melt in your mouth tender and the sauce was rich. Veal meatloaf had a wonderfully mild flavor and was silky smooth with a hint of sweetness. Both dishes were phenomenal. I have to mention that their bread was absolutely the best bread we had on our 3 week trip! Service was excellent. The entire wait staff and the managers were incredibly attentive and welcoming. 5 star experience.

Made a reservation based on a friend's recommendation and it was an excellent choice! The hosts were lovely and the food was probably the best meal we had. Our only regret is that we didn't get a chance to go back. Words won't do justice, so just look at the pix!

We booked a table for 8pm but as the dinner service opens at 7:30pm they allowed us to sit down early. This place was buzzing immediately with locals and tourists, families, couples and some solo. It was such a lovely atmosphere, I’ve also never seen a restaurant turn so many people away, I estimate at least 15 couples were turned away in the space of an hour simply because there was no space, I recommend booking. My wife and I shared a cacio e pepe for a starter, simply to try this restaurants attempt. I can say you will not be disappointed, this was hands down the best one I’ve had in Rome. For main I had traditional Roman Veal dish and my wife had a sea bass (catch of the day) special. I’ve never seen my wife devour food so quickly, I’d assumed she was just hungry but she couldn’t stop saying how delicious it was. My Veal was a little bit too fatty for my personal preference, however the flavours were very nice. On the side we had a side called ‘Caponata’? (I think) and it’s basically a sweet and sour aubergine with bread crumbs, our kind waitress says that this has origins from Sicily and this is their take on it. What I would say is that this outshine the cacio e pepe and was our favourite food of the evening, if not our trip. I will have to try and make it myself when I get home 🤞. Overall a really enjoyable evening and our most enjoyable in Rome so far, a hard place to beat!

Truly the best restaurant in Rome, we enjoyed a wonderful meal on Sunday night & are still talking about this restaurant a month after we returned from Italy. We started our evening with a wonderful bottle of white wine, starters burrata - the little cherry tomatoes were incredible & went so well with the burrata, then enjoyed fried artichoke where we were told the best part is the stem. Also a mixed salad I think the freshest salad I've ever enjoyed! Our main courses were for me Cacio e Pepe delicious! and cod fish We ended with the white chocolate soufflé with warm dark chocolate The brother & sister who run the restaurant were so friendly & accommodating.

What an absolute gem of a restaurant. The ambiance was romantic, the service was friendly, the house wine superb and the food incredibile! The cacio e pepe with truffle was so delicious. When in Rome stop by and eat here!

I ordered the cacio e pepe with truffle which was tasty and as expected. Others in our group had the carbonara and pasta with catch of the day (seabass) and the pasta was so undercooked, it was hard to even bite into at all - not al dente like mine. Unfortunately, it was disappointing for them given it was a pricey meal anyway. They are well located though, close to the Colosseum, and the interior is nice. Service was attentive.

Come for the food. Stay for the WIFI. Seriously... The WIFI is super fast. Just scan the barcode that's on the paper mat. My wife ordered the ravioli and really enjoyed it. I'm pretty sure I ordered the seafood spaghetti. Same as everywhere else, but it wasn't bad. Service was a little slow. It was a one man show. He did everything from seating people, bringing food and drinks out, and ringing them up. Hopefully they were just short staffed that night.

Such a gem in the heart of Rome! La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali has a warm, cozy vibe and a menu full of Roman classics done right. I highly recommend booking a reservation. There's a really cool room lined with photos of famous guests who have dined here over the years, which makes the experience feel extra special. I ordered the cacio e pepe, and it was outstanding exactly what you want from a traditional Roman dish. Friendly service, relaxed atmosphere, and top notch food.

I would have to say the family that owns this business is doing an amazing job. The hospitality, the food. Everything on point. We enjoyed our experience here. They last-minute accommodated us, and I have to say the food was absolutely delicious.

The food was just OK. I got Cacio e Pepe as everyone recommended on yelp. Sure it was nicely alndente but that's about it. Also had the seafood fettuccine and that was also just ok. There's lots of places in Rome with less hype that really achieve what the reviewers were talking about here. I would not come back. The ambiance was weird sat outside and a homeless man was getting in a fight with a local .... Eeek. But overall the service was good .

They make a pretty good GF cacio e pepe with a fettuccine pasta. First time I've had a GF fettuccine so I had to double check it was actually GF! Tried to put bread on my table twice and don't have a GF option for that unfortunately. Tasty GF chocolate cake as well but their ice cream has traces so you can't make it a la mode.

Acceptable food, but horrible service. Manager was very rude to my American husband (but not to me, Italian) and it was felt throughout our lunch. Refused to bring certain items out as they knew what was best for our meal? I respect professionals, but there was an arrogant and controlling feeling about it. Won't be back.

Excellent traditional Italian restaurant close to the coliseum. We had no reservation for a late lunch but they found us a table after 15 minutes. It was well worth it. Pasta was perfectly Al dente, grilled lamb chops were extremely flavorful and the jersusalem artichoke was incredibly savory. My son wanted pizza, which they didn't have, but they offered to cook him a plain child size pasta. The inside was cute, the Stratford was clean and they had multiple bathrooms (always important in Rome). Would definitely go back.

Super nice waiter and was really funny. Food was really good and would definitely recommend this to friends

The past was terrible. The ambiance was nice and service was good. The chicken was ok. It didn't live up to most Italian cooking. I have never left a poor restaurant review.

Our driver took us here when we asked for Authentic and it was absolutely amazing we went twice!

Food was good and the service was quick, but could be contributed to the 3 o'clock kitchen closing

Family run and very cozy. Good service, great food. We had to wait about 45 minutes for dinner at 8:30 but we just walked to the coliseum for a few minutes away.

Delicious, wonderful, welcoming. Favorite place in Monti. I look forward to eating here every time.

Mostly reservation only but we managed to sneak in without one because we just so happened to be wandering by right exactly when they opened and they had one extra table. So we felt like we got really lucky, especially as we watched so many people get turned away after us. We had already eaten a big meal earlier in the day so we weren't super hungry, but my husband and I each got a starter. He got dumplings with duck ragout, and I got the soup of the day which they said was a potato porridge with bacon. Both were phenomenal. The porridge was savory and warm and hit all the right spots on this cool evening in Rome. We then got the beef strips with rosemary to share for an entree, which we enjoyed a lot, but which really should've been titled Hope You Like Rosemary because that's mostly what it tasted like - in the best way possible. I'm glad we were sharing it because it was also a very decent size portion and there's no way I could've finished that on my own. And the crowning glory of the meal; and the reason I ended up on five stars. The white chocolate soufflé with molten chocolate, strawberries, and vanilla ice cream. For real one of the best things I've eaten, ever. Order it, seriously.

Was informed they were booked for the entire afternoon. No signage stating no service.

La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali is a great Italian restaurant in the heart of Rome near the Colosseum. Luckily during on our honeymoon, we had a friend recommended a hotel nearby this part of Rome. And Luckily because we found this local restaurant where I ate the best bowl of pasta of my entire life!! My wife and I Yelped to find a place for dinner, and particularly one that offered one of the four classic Roman pastas. We were looking for pasta alla gricia, and this ended up being a life altering choice. There is a wait at this restaurant, so call in a reservation or expect a 30+ minute wait. We waited 45 minutes for a table, but just gave us an excuse to grab an Aperol Spritz at a local bar while we waited. The wait was worth it, the restaurant is beautiful inside with such amazing food! We ordered the porchetta as a starter, and some wine to set the mood for the pasta dishes. The pasta is made in house, and they offer many types of pastas with protein choices and sauces to suit any person. My wife ordered a tagliatelle pasta with wild boar ragu, and I had the pasta alla gricia that changed my life. The pasta has giuanciale, a smoked meat from the jowl(pork cheek), garlic, and the fat of this meat flavors the pasta to perfection. It is served with cheese to add another layer of richness, and it truly amazing how much flavor comes from the giunciale. We ordered tiramisu to end the meal, and we really enjoyed the entire dinner. The service was great, friendly staff that didn't pressure you at all. I highly recommend that you try this restaurant when in Rome, some pun intended! Seriously, come here to try the pasta alla gricia!

Wonderful meal celebrating a birthday with larger family gathering on our first night in Rome. They put up some decorations for us which made it extra special. Grazie mille!

Paid this place a visit right after our morning Colosseum tour. Based on previous yelp reviews, I wanted to make sure that we hit this spot. By the time we got there at 12:20, there was already a line forming for the 12:30 lunch opening. In fact, a couple of parties had planned ahead and made reservations. The outdoor Patio only has about four tables, so those were instantly filled. But, we were one of the first to secure a dining table inside, and the ambience is excellent. I can see why this place is such a sought after destination, because the combination of the ambience, the location, and its proximity to the Colosseum, and the quality of the food, are all surely at the top when compared against other restaurants in this location. We did the holy trinity of Roman pastas: cacio e pepe, carbonara, and amatriciana. We also threw in the clam and pasta entree, and pork shank, and burrata. Although the pork was not memorable, all the others were excellent. For first time travelers to Italy, it's important to know that "al dente" preparation might be a little surprising to some. But, this is clearly authentic and high-quality cuisine, and a quintessential setting.

We always come back here when in Rome. Friendly staff that's been there for years, and delicious food. Definitely come here if you're in the area- but he sure to make reservations and please don't dress like you just came from Disneyland (advice from a fellow American).

Was just mediocre nothing special. The bread was boring ! The bread should be killer in Italy and pasta was so so not much pizazz Service was good.

Poor service, food is not as great as their ego! Very rude staff. They will not seat you if you don't have reservation. Even if you do have reservation, the hospitality is not that great if you are not white. I would not refer this place.

Had a really tasty meal here! Came for dinner, and we called a few hours ahead of time to reserve a table, so we didn't have to wait. We had the house white wine which was delicious, and we started with burrata toast with anchovy. The toast was okay, nothing life-altering, but fresh and tasty. For my meal, I had the cacio e Pepe with black truffle. This dish is NOT to be missed. It's perfectly simple and so flavorful, quintessentially Italian. Service was fine, our servers were generally friendly. As is typical in Europe, you need to actually flag staff down to place an order, get the check, etc, so just something to be aware of. The white chocolate soufflé for dessert was killer too - don't skip on the sweets here! Overall- definitely worth a visit in Rome.

Best pasta ragu I've ever had. The service not good. Super busy. Need reservations for sure.

Great restaurant in Rome by many historical sites. Pasta home made. Service isn't great but the food is worth it.

The service was great, the waiters were talkative and funny. They had an artichoke appetizer special that evening and it was amazing! The squid appetizer was slightly fishy tasting and probably the least favorite part of our meal but the main course and dessert were delicious. The place was packed so a testament to how good They are.

Found this place while visiting Rome with my girlfriend and we loved it so much that we came back a second time. It's tucked away in a back alley a few blocks from the Colosseum. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting. All the pastas were amazing but my favorite thing I had was their white chocolate soufflé. It was absolutely amazing. You must order if you go here. All the pastas are made in house. We had the carbonara, caccio pepe with black truffle, and fettuccine with lamb ragu. All of them were great. We were lucky enough to walk in and get a table without a wait both times we went but I'd recommend making a reservation because I think they get pretty busy especially during the summer. I highly recommend checking this place out while you're in Rome.

The best meal we had in Rome, bar none. My daughters had the grilled chicken, son and husband had the pasta, mother and I the artichoke specials and father had the pork. We're still talking about it two days later. Don't miss this if you're at the Colosseum or Forum. We called ahead and our table was waiting. Owner and staff were gracious and we had a lovely experience! We'll be back!

What's not to love? Quaint, cozy dining room, lovely service and the best gnocchi on the planet!

This place is soooooo awesome. It would get 5 stars if the service were better. The food was definitely 5 stars though. The melon with prosciutto was amazing. The prosciutto was sliced super thin. The pasta with veal ragu and truffle was great. Super delicious. The best thing hands down was dessert. Panna cotta topped with basically a pistachio butter which I have never seen Before. One of the best desserts I've ever had!

The concierge aboard the Oceania Marina recommended this Roman restaurant to us, and the concierge at our hotel made the reservation. The taxi ride from the hotel to the restaurant started inauspiciously when my wife had to ask the cabbie to please remove the baseball cap that was covering the meter. When he did just as we started out, 9.20 Euros were revealed, which he switched to 2.80 Euros. I'm glad Diane caught that attempted caper! When we arrived on the very narrow street on which La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali is situated, the small but quaint restaurant was filled to capacity. It was charming and rustic, but there were crumbs on our tablecloth. It was Saturday night, and a guitarist added notes to enhance the otherwise fine ambiance. The large menu was filled with impressive-sounding offerings, including about 30 specials, and I decided to push the envelope and order a lot. We began with Calamari Fritti. The morsels of Calamari (rings and tentacles alike) were light, tender, and excellent, and served with a homemade Marinara Sauce. Zuppa del Giorno, barley soup with beans and an olive oil topping, was hearty and very good, followed by a good but very unusual large portion of Caesar Salad that contained mixed greens, croutons, radicchio, carrot slices, and a creamy Caesar Dressing. Pappardelle alla Gricia, wide pappardelle noodles with bacon, egg, and Pecorino Cheese, was very salty even without the bacon, which was very strong in taste. Cold Carciofi alla Romano, Roman artichokes in Vine Sauce with lemon flavoring, was very good. Spiedino di Gamberoni alla Griglia, tasted good except the jumbo prawns grilled in Lemon Sauce were mostly not well deveined or shelled. Patate del Forno, grilled potatoes with Rosemary, were very good, just as we hoped. The best dish of the evening was Straccetti di Manzo con Funghi Porcini served with white rice. This entree consisted of oily thin slices of beef mixed with wild mushrooms, a few greens, a tiny tomato, and garlic. But the crusty wheat bread served with the meal was just okay. Our female server (the chef's daughter) was very friendly, well versed in the ingredients of offered edibles, and efficient. And, one time the chef-owner even came out himself to see if I was ready for the next ordered dish, which I thought was a nice touch. (He probably wondered, "Who is this strange American man that is ordering so many dishes?") Throughout our meal, he and an assistant could be seen preparing food behind a large clear window, so it was almost like viewing a show kitchen. Our dessert capped off a nice evening. It was a great Hot Chocolate Souffle with zabaglione and Vanilla Ice Cream. After everything we had sampled, it was no time to scrimp at the end. We walked out quite filled but about $140 lighter (equivalent to Euros). Our taxi ride back to the hotel was much less eventful than the first.

Reviews seem a little all over the place but our experience was excellent. Claudia was terrific with the reservation. Lovely table waiting for us when we arrived. And a reservation was a must. That might be the only downside to sitting outside - hey steady parade of frustrated or sad people getting turned away. The food was great. They have an eggplant side that is one of the best eggplant dishes I've ever had. I had tun that was delicious, great apps, and pasta. One in our party got the lamb chops, which were great in terms of the meat. But she got them fried without realizing how much breading that would entail. But they are happy to answer questions - so ask. Relatively straightforward wine list, but good selections and pairings. Would certainly try to go again in Rome.

Staff was utterly and completely rude. I asked a few questions about the menu and the server was rude along with the owners. Don't recommend, TERRIBLE service. So many better restaurants to check out.

Let me preface this by saying that I do not Yelp often. It is only when a restaurant greatly exceeds or dramatically fails my expectations, will I take to Yelp. Unfortunately, Forma did the latter. It was my first time in Rome and my friend who lives in Milan was taking me throughout Italy. For dinner, we picked Forma since many locals and websites suggested La taverna (forma). They said the food was great and the owner was super kind. We took the risk of showing up without a reservation knowing that we may not be able to go. When we got there, we were the second in line, but got turned away due to being fully booked. But Claudia showed up and allowed the first group in. After the first group got in, we early awaited our turn, but was told there was no more seating. Claudia went back in. While trying to decide what to do, an older American couple behind us said they too did not have a reservation and waited out to the side. My friend and I proceed to watch as Claudia came back outside, went to the older couple, asked if they had a reservation (which they said no), said they had room, and seated them inside! Starting to get mad, we told a waiter about the situation. When they retrieved Claudia, she told us that they called in for a reservation while outside! We were shocked that the owner lied to our face. While I am sure that the food is amazing, the experience was terrible and I will not be going back. My friend mentioned that she has never experienced this treatment before, but this was not the first time this has happened to us in Rome leading me to believe that I am being refused service for my race. There are not many Japanese Americans visiting Rome and I'm afraid to say that this may indeed be a large contributing factor in the refusal of service. An absolute letdown and a waste of time.

Truly every bit as good as they say it is. Make a reservation to avoid disappointment. The walls are decorated with autographs and photographs of famous people who ate here, and that was fun to look at, but the star of the show was the food! Hubs and I ate here on our last night in Rome, and it was the final dinner of a three week trip. I was really hoping to leave on a high note, because all the restaurants we visited were so delightful and delicious... and this place did not disappoint. We typically share 1 antipasti, 1 primi piatti (pasta) and 1 secondi piatti (meat) and have a salad, but the menu looked so good, we did not have the salad so we could have two of the pastas. If you like truffles, you must have the truffle pasta, it was divine. House wine was amazing. Every dish was excellent, I doubt you could pick one that was just average. Enjoy!

Some dear friends who frequent Rome told me about this great lovely late night spot in Rome near the Forum & not far from the Colosseum. The food is amazing with fresh pastas overflowing & of course I had to go to with whatever had truffles...because it's Italy. When in Rome... I normally go gluten free for non medical reasons but in Europe what they say is true. Food is different. I didn't get the bloated feeling & lightheadedness that usually comes with my indulging in glutens So I was reveling in it all. The veal dish was excellent & they had tasty appetizers (I got the fried veggies which were good but heavy for so late). If you know Italy you know that a 9:30 Rez gets you out of the restaurant by midnight if you're luck so my tip is go for the 7:30 or 8:00pm table if you can. Especially if you just got off an 11 hour flight from the States. Excellent service, they gladly speak English & have a QR code that takes you to a translated menu. Mangia!!!! Post scriptum: beware of the Uber delays. It's not easy catching a late one from here back to let's say... Trastavere. Saluti

We arrived a about 40 minutes before closing. Not sure why the made a reservation for us so close to the closing time. The place is a little small but the food is good, fresh and made to order. The waiter was visibly annoyed with us, we refused the bread for the table not because we wanted to avoid paying the 3 euro table fee (yes they charge you for the bread no matter what) but because we get filled up with the bread and end up not eating our food.

Like another review said, we think they denied us because we were Asian. Saw us, & didn't even give us a chance to say anything, told us it was full even though it was not (obviously). We asked to wait & they would not let us.

This restaurant is a hidden gem near the Pantheon that isn't crowded with tourists. Upon arrival we were seated promptly and served complimentry glasses of white wine. Our waitress was American so there weren't any language barriers. We had the bruschetta misto and mixed salad as starters. For dinner we ordered the cacio e pepe and carbonara pastas. The cacio e pepe was a very simple dish but packed with flavor and the carbonara had a nice creamy egg sauce with bacon. We skipped dessert to grab gelato down the street but I'm sure those would've been tasty as well! This place has reasonable prices but the entrees are pretty small. Each pasta dish would be considered a single meal but if you order several dishes to share you get to try a little bit of everything. We spent 50€ for 4 people. Definitely check this place out if you are nearby!

Good food, great service and very reasonable prices. Good atmosphere and diverse menu

Our best meal in Rome. Reservations are a must. We made reservations for 7:30 when they open, and it was full 15 minutes after we arrived. Service was friendly and efficient, especially for such a busy restaurant. Our party of 7 had quite a variety of dishes and all were excellent. The highlights: Prosciutto et melon - fresh, ripe cantaloupe and melt-in-your mouth meat Steak with rosemary - perfectly cooked medium rare with just the right amount of seasoning Cacie et Pepe pasta - a creamy and tangy version of the Roman classic - we got one with truffles and one without and recommend skipping the truffles Porchetta appetizer - hands down the best sliced pork we've ever eaten Bruschetta- even though not on the menu, they made a simple version with tomatoes and basil. Tomatoes sweet and ripe and crusty bread nicely grilled. Veal meatloaf - tender, complex flavor. The only dishes that didn't "wow" were the veal chop (odd cut) and the frito mister appetizer. The fried ricotta was spectacular but the zucchini flower and cod were all batter and not much else. Desserts were all wonderful. Their lemon cake special was like eating a lemon cloud. Sigh. All the servers were so cheerful and helpful and we wanted for nothing. If you are near the Colosseum, this should be a must on your dining list.

I last ate here in 2015, and 3 times at that, so I was anxious to return and see how the quality measured up today. Well, it was exceptional. Again. We dined here twice this trip and both times were 5 stars. The fettuccine and gnocchi dishes with veal truffle ragout are a must try. The wines are reasonable priced and the service is kind and unhurried. Caveat: you will most certainly need reservations tho you can usually call the day of. Just don't wait too long ;)

Best meal we have had in rome. The pasta courses were amazing. We had the fettucine with veal ragu and the spaghetti puttanesca. The pasta was fresh and al dente. The sauces complimented each pasta perfectly. For mains we had the meatball special and the lemon chicken. Again both hit the spot. The house redwine was spot on as well. This is a must visit when in rome. Delicious.

Taverna Romana is an small but elegant restaurant with a fantastic wine list with the best of Italy's drinks to go along with a extensive menu. They also have some of the best desserts in Rome with an amazing flourless chocolate cake topped with a fine layer of powdered saucer and a scoop of the finest vanilla bean ice cream. For an appetizer I would recommend to get one of the two bruschettas which all come with their own palate of flavor. The pastas are homemade and are truly delicious; I recommend the truffle pasta and the carbonara. We also loved the spaghetti special with yellow tomato, nuts and burrata. The place requires reservations and is packed most of the time, so be sure to reserve a table before. Really enjoyed our dinner and the service is very homey. Can't wait to come back.

A true Italian meal at it's finest. I'm obsessed with the tomatoes in Italy bc the flavor is so mild and fresh. Highly recommend eating here next time you're in Rome, but you must make a reservation. Seriously the food was amazing (best meal in Rome) and the servers were very friendly towards foreigners and spoke English. Very clean but with tight seating.

As far as the food? It was good but not mind blowing. The bruschetta with buffalo mozzarella was outstanding and five stars. The veal ragu fettuccine with truffles I order was merely average (three stars). My husband's bucatini with tomato sauce and ham was very good (Amatricana). The dessert of cantaloupe-almond granita was good but nothing special, and the almonds distracting. Good restaurant but not mind blowing.

Nicely located near the colosseum! So if you need to stop before a tour, check this cute spot out! It's very spacious, not noisy, and staff is great. You may have a wait time depending on the time of day. One of the vet lasagnas we had in Rome!