Pizzeria Ristoro Est! Est! Est!

Visited July 2012 & September 2013 — Est! Est! Est! (Da Ricci), Rome Est! Est! Est! is a late-night lifeline near Piazza della Repubblica, often cited as Rome’s oldest pizzeria (1888) and still open until midnight. I first stumbled in after two other places had shut, and what a relief it was. Starters set the tone: crocchette of potato and egg were hearty if under-seasoned (7/10), while the fiori di zucca — crisp batter, perfectly judged mozzarella and anchovy — were a knockout (10/10). On my return visit, I was half-afraid they wouldn’t live up, but lightning struck twice. Still impossibly light for something fried. Still perfect. Another 10/10. The pizzas are classic tonda romana — thin, crisp, with minimal cornicione. My pizza con prosciutto hit good notes on cheese and ham, though the tomato base lacked depth (7.5/10). A year later, though, pasta hijacked my plan. Tonnarelli in creamy artichoke with salsiccia was fresh and simple; I wanted more seasoning, more artichoke punch, and sausage caramelised properly, but it was solid (7/10). And the panna cotta alla ricotta ai frutti di bosco? A house specialty, and a personal birthday treat. Sweet and bouncy panna cotta, ricotta’s savoury edge, berry fruits cutting through — blissful. A second straight 10/10. Est! Est! Est! may not always hit transcendent heights, but when it does — those courgette flowers, that panna cotta — it reminds you why this historic address endures.

Simple, good food, nothing fancy but everything tasted great after a long day of touring Pompeii and traveling up from Naples. Note this is very thin crust Roman pizza, not napoletano style.

Went to dine in (not booked) for 2, we got lucky and could eat outside, on the dead end side of the street, which is nice and quiet with no cars passing by. The staff was fast, speaking English well, and accomodating perfectly. The inside we didn't go, but seemed charming as well. For the dish we chose two pizze (Margherita/Parmigiana), they were tasty, big, and very, very worth their price. End the meal with one glass of limoncello and everything is perfect!

The place itself gave a nice vintage look and we thought it might be great to eat in one of the oldest pizzerias but we were so disappointed with the food, atleast it wasn’t the kind of pizza I was expecting to have in Italy and definitely not at such an experienced eatery. Very disappointed with the food. Service was alright and so glad that they didn’t make us order one main course each like some other eateries around. No cover charge also.

Would not recommend, especially if you are not ethnically Caucasian. The location and decor were nice, but the staff were incredibly rude and kept making impolite and frankly inappropriate remarks about where we were from, as we were clearly not ethnically Caucasian. In addition, the food was quite bad: the pasta was saltier than the Dead Sea, and the pizza was ridiculously greasy and legitimately inedible.

An unforgettable experience! The atmosphere of this restaurant is warm, welcoming, and truly Roman it feels like stepping into a place full of tradition and heart. The pizza is simply extraordinary: a light, crispy crust with fresh, genuine ingredients that bring out the best flavors. The pasta is handmade, perfectly cooked, and paired with rich, flavorful sauces. To top it all off, the house wine is excellent, well-balanced, aromatic, and the perfect companion to every dish. A special thank you to samuel and flavia, whose professionalism, kindness, and attention made the evening even more enjoyable. They made us feel cared for from start to finish. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for authentic Italian cuisine in a genuine Roman atmosphere. We will definitely be coming back!

This place definitely feels very authentic! Food was relatively cheap- cheaper in comparison to other places nearby. I had a rucola salmon pizza, even with tiny caviar for only 8€! Tiramisu was also quite delicious and the portion again was really big, we barely ate it as 3 people. The place is very very crowded almost at any time of the day, it is really loud and waiters even argue with each other in Italian in front of the guests- which to be honest fits the oldest pizzeria in Rome so well! I like that you can see how the pizza is made in the oven right in front of you- but it is definitely not very hygienic. Not a place for someone looking for a quiet and romantic place, but still very much worth a visit, if you look for something stereotypically Italian.

we dined outside since the restaurant had stuffy old furniture smell that we found unpleasant (we are extremely too sensitive to this and might be bcos we came right as they open). the Carbonara was fantastic, the seafood pasta was rather bland but was still good enough. we were disappointed with the salad which came without dressing?? and we suspect that it was a packaged salad with some big chunk of tomato which is very strange considering you are the oldest pizzeria in rome. service and atmosphere was ok, though they took quite long time to prepare our food. had we only ordered carbonara alone, i would've given them 5 Stars

The service here was pretty good. They speak pretty good English and are patient enough to answer any questions you might have about the menu. I was really hyped about this place because it's probably one of the only few restaurants that doesn't have servers shoving menus in your face followed by "Nihaos" and "Koniciwas" (a classic trick in the book). The pizza tasted just like one of those mini Digiorno microwavables you can get at a grocery store with some fancier toppings. The pizza was very dense and disappointing for what it cost (10 euros for one) and considering the fact that it was Italy. It's a not bad of a place to go for late night munchies, just doesn't taste that great.

I've tasted some awful pizza in my life, but to have a disgusting pizza in Rome is incredibly disappointing. This is the city of pasta and pizza for crying out load! We got to our hotel around the corner past 11pm from the airport. Tired and hungry, we went to the only place that was still open, purchases three pizzas to go. When we got back and opened the box, our jaws were hanging open. What in the effing world. The pizzas looked awful. They tasted below average. This restaurant wouldn't even use fresh mushrooms and way over salted everything. I wanted to cry because it was so awful. I definitely would not have gone here if we had any other hot food option. Just awful!!

Ok so after my 4th Italian pizzeria I can safely say ALL Italian pizza is superior to anything on Earth. It ruined how I view American pizza. American pizza is in a class of its own. This pizza's sauce & cheese ratio was perfection. The crust was airy and light not dense like American crusts. The view was great from the patio seating (even if's in a dark alley that dead ends). My wine glass was never empty and I was never left feeling asetato. Sadly I never made it inside the building, the evening was cool and fresh. If you're passing through Rome check out this hidden gem. You'll be glad you did. FYI their pizzas don't fit in carry on bags

After a full day of sightseeing, we arrived at this pizza joint with, in video-game speak, my life-force teetering on the verge of red. We were beyond hungry and eager to dive into some piping hot pies. According to Rick Steves, this place fills up. So we arrived early, put our name down for a reservation and went to stroll down via Nazionale, one of Rome's bustling but not very bucolic main streets. Given our hunger we decided to eat unfashionably early and sat down to our table at 7pm. We were the second couple to be seated and unfortunately the dark-wood paneled seating area, though comfortable and very classic, still smelled of cleaning fluid. Not pizza. Our waiter was helpful as we tackled a hefty order. The first dish arrived quickly along with my enormous carafe of red wine and a crisp mug of fresh Peroni. A silky, steamy-creamy rigatoni with egg and lardons, with fresh pasta perfectly al dente. Then came our fried artichokes, a specialty of the house, the batter was fairly tasteless and thick, but enjoyable nonetheless. The pizzas came out, we did a "fancy" Pizza con scarmoza e porchini and a not so pricey margharita pie. The cheese was nearly translucent on the margharita and the scarmoza cheese was so heavy it was almost tough to cut through. I knew this was a thicker crust pizzeria but the crust was so thick it tasted like melted cheese atop a stale raft of focaccia bread. We ate half and then felt silly. Had we really just eaten a disappointing meal in Rome? It seemed unthinkable... But we had. By the time we left the dining room was full, mostly tourists, but everyone seemed happy, our meal just left us wanting. It wasn't bad but it wasn't what I expected for a roman pizzeria!

We had to visit the restaurant based on the tripadvisor reviews and photos. We must say that it was an amazing experience and this place deserves much more than 5 stars if possible. We ate here twice during our visit to Rome and we were not disappointed both visits LOCATION The restaurant is located all the way at the end of Via Genova. Its a dead end and you cant miss it. There is seating both inside and outside. We sat outside during both visits. SERVICE The service was excellent. The waiters served our food promptly, They came and checked on us during our meal and we were never hurried or rushed out. They really wanted us to enjoy the experience. FOOD The food was amazing. We tried to order different things with each visit. We tried an appetizer, suppli, pasta, two different pizzas, and their house wine. Everything was delicious. We could not find anything wrong with this place. PRICE After visiting several restaurants during our trip to Rome, I found that this restaurant is a great value for the amount of food you get. Each visit we ordered two meals, wine, and one dessert. The cost of each visit was less than $40 euros. Depending on what you order, expect to pay between $40-$50 Euros. This included a voluntary tip. We voluntarily gave tips depending on our experience. PAYING Both times, we asked for the bill, we take the bill inside to a cashier. She rings us up and we pay. If you want to tip, hand the tip to your waiter. It a bit different here how that works. TIPS The have a restroom. They open at 7:00p, but you may get in as early as 6:30p. For outside seating, arrive no later than 8:00pm. They fill up quickly.

This place has great food. It's not a place to go to if you want seafood, chicken, meats....it has pizzas, pastas, antipastas, desserts. And it's very inexpensive. We went for dinner. The place was packed. It's on a dead end street. We ordered a half liter of wine, a bottle of water, a crostini stater (which was HUGE), a pizza and a pasta entree (which were both great), and a side of sauté spinach! Our bill........36.50 euro!!!! Order their house specialty pasta....it's phenomenal! Again, a good tasting, inexpensive restaurant with a very homey feeling.

One of the best pizzas in Rome. Quatro fomaggio pizza amazing. Service great. I think Katy went to the wrong est est est as there is another one in the same neighborhood. Make sure you go to the right one.

This place was mediocre. While I enjoyed the outside dining, the food didn't seem all that different from an Italian chain restaurant in the U.S. If you're only in Roma for a limited time, I'd suggest trying somewhere else to dine.

While this pizza place is a little off the beaten path, it provided us with a great meal. The pizza is different in that it doesn't have a traditional dry crust, nor is it thick like a Sicilian pizza. It's in between and quite delicious. My Margarita pizza had the perfect ratio of sauce to cheese, and while large in size, I finished off most of it! if you're looking for something a little different during your stay in Rome, this is a must try place that is frequented by locals!

Wow - great Italian comfort food - very pleasing to the American palate. We have had the pizza with mushrooms and sausage, simple, tasty and delivers. The fried cheese and ham is outstanding and a must try. Even the carbonara pasta is a hit for parents and kids. Gets busy, come early or make reservations

Three words to describe it-best best best. This was my first dinner ever in italy and i have to say it was fantastic. The service was great, the pizza was fast and it was really cheap. It was the best and will always be the best pizza I've ever had.

I studied in Rome, and our professor would take each of his classes to this restaurant. I found the pizza to be pretty good, so when my parents and I went to Rome, this was one of the restaurants I had to take them to. A cheap, no-frills pizza joint is what you get. Their Pizza Alla Diavola was covered with spicy meats and quite tasty. So tasty that I ate the whole thing, along with a large amount of the house wine. "Pizza of the Devil" definitely lived up to its name...needless to say, I had to find a restroom real quick!!! TMI I know, but just forewarning others not to overindulge!!!

Food was good but stay away from the house wines, red and white tasted odd and watered down. The prices here are great!

Crostini Cardinale delicious - ham, mushrooms and mozzarella. Worth a a visit to this cool neighborhood for the food. Honestly, the est est est wine which they are known for didn't do much for me, but the overall experience was enjoyable.

Delicious Pizza!!! you go here for the pizza, EAT PIZZA. It's been open since 1888 and making pizza for over a century. Go in the evening and sit outside. SO GOOD.

I cannot confirm any of the negative reviews. The place was full with locals, is located at a nice, typically Roman cul de sac, staff was super friendly and the food was nice. The pizze are of a slightly different style than what would be 'normal' in Rome but they are delicious none the less. We also tried the fried codfish and the insalata caprese as starters and both were delicious. The place is slightly unorthodox but totally recommendable.

Great pizza, done a little differently