Settimio All'Arancio

We were directed to Settimio all’Arancio by one of the merchants in the neighborhood. Settimio all’Arancio is old school Roman dining. The space and the servers are well-seasoned. While several of the diners wore jackets and ties, other tables were filled with young women lunching with their friends. I must add, my spouse and I walked into Settimio without a reservation. Our lunch was good, but not memorable. I enjoyed my tuna, it was light and good. Pasta was fine, what I’d expect in Rome, unlike other restaurants that let us down. All in, Settimio all’Arancio was fine for lunch, but I doubt I would return or recommend it to friends who ask.

The quality of ingredients was there, nice presentation. The waiter that was going to sit us went to say hello to people at a table and forgot about us! I took it as a great sign that this was not a tourist trap. Saw many locals greeting the waiters, a sign of consistency. All of our dishes were great, including the best french fries we’ve had in Europe. Lobster pasta was great, the costolleta, tagliatele, all great, octopus and orange fish on point. The fried calamari with fried fish appetizer was a good surprise, the pumpkin flower was fresh and not greasy. The only dish that surprised me was the amatriciana, the pasta was way undercooked (and we like our pasta al dente) to hard and then the sauce was not fresh pomodoro but more like a paste with a lot of the guanciale fat, like one concentrated paste of tomato paste and guanciale fat. The taste was just bitter. We let them know, but nothing was done about it. Maybe they think we can’t tell the difference. I had the steak and it was tender and a balanced wine sauce. Deserts were great too, tiramisu and the apple one are great.

Loved our Roman dinner. Excellent wine menu. Expansive menu with incredible seafood selection and nightly additional menu specials. Loved the white truffle pasta and bolognese. They allowed you taste by the glass before pouring. The best was the service. Veronica initially was fully booked. But it was our first night, so an early quick Sat night dinner was acceptable. She found a table for us, and her service was exceptional. She treats every guest like family and strives to provide 5-star service with a smile. The food was excellent, but we would come back for the warm team, especially Veronica. I have already sent this restaurant to guests who frequent Rome. We were recommended by high end shopping nearby. Cartier, Tod’s, Fay.

This place was recommended by our hotel so we made a reservation with TheFork about 30 minutes before coming here. Our name wasn’t on their list so the host had to check on the computer to find our reservation. They didn’t say anything offensive to us, but it wasn’t the most welcoming feeling and their attitude was kind of cold - almost as if they’re doing us a favour by having us dine there. That being said, our waiter was the opposite. He was a very nice guy and made us feel welcome. He gave some good recommendations as well based on what we wanted to eat. The food itself was quite good, even the bread which was fresh. Overall we had a nice meal.

It’s our first visit to Rome and hoping to have some good local food. We came here based on a recommendation from our apartment guide and generally good reviews on Google. However, we were hugely disappointed with the experience. Service was cold and unwelcoming, unlike the reviews we read. We were served bread that was so hard and dry. This cost us EUR 6 for something we had a bite of and did not continue eating because it tasted stale. This has to be the worst bread I’ve ever tasted in a restaurant if I were to compare with restaurants over the globe. Bread was served in thick and thin slices and presentation was messy unlike the neatly sliced bread in the other reviews. No spreads were offered to go along with the bread, no side plates given. We had to request. Calamari was tasteless and rubbery. Carbonara had an overdose of salt and cheese. Mussel pasta and gnocchi were alright but not enough to redeem the overall unpleasant experience. Do not recommend especially to tourists who visit Rome for the first time.

A local highly recommended this restaurant to us and suggested trying their special Roman dishes, particularly the Insalata di stocco, an appetizer made with artichoke and cuttlefish. We had never tasted anything like it before, and it was absolutely delicious. For our main courses, we ordered the beef cheek in chianti sauce and spaghetti with lobster, both of which were exceptional. The beef cheek was incredibly tender and flavorful, and the lobster spaghetti was simply delicious. Although we also ordered the Tagliata di controfiletto di manzetta e cardoncell, which was flavorful, my husband was too full to finish it. I opted for the Potato-crusted turbot fillets with fried noodles, which was mild and enjoyable. Our server was very attentive and service-oriented, ensuring that we had a great time and a delicious Roman meal. Prices were very reasonable as well.

Just one narrow street over from the bustling shopping district you can enjoy a serene and delicious lunch here. Classic civilized menu with a beautiful cadence of Service. We chose to eat outside on the street, which is quiet, no cars or Vespas whizzing by, but the dining room is beautifully appointed. And if it wasn’t so nice outside, we would’ve been very happy in there.

The best food we had in Rome, hands down. We had prawn carpaccio, oysters, lobster pasta, and cacio e pepe. We went in on dessert, too. We spent two hours on their patio loving Rome and tasting an entire universe of flavor. Our waitress was lovely. Brava, Vero!