Destination: Rome
Eat & Drink Rome Rome & Excursions from the City Bracciano Frascati Ostia Antica Sperlonga Villa Adriana Viterbo	How Much will it Cost? The price brackets used here are for a three-course meal for one without drinks or service - a half litre of house wine will often not make that much difference to the bill especially in cheaper places: The bill will usually include a small cover charge (about €1 per person) and some restaurants add service (10-15 per cent); otherwise tipping is usually about 10 per cent. Opening and Closing In general, restaurants are open for lunch from about 12 until 3 and from about 8 until 11 for dinner. Most remain closed one day a week and many are closed two or more weeks in August and/or for up to a month in November or January, on Christmas day, Labour Day (1 May) and other public holidays. What to Eat A full Italian lunch or dinner starts with antipasti (raw and cooked vegetables, cold meats, sea-food) followed by the primo (first) course of pasta, rice or soup. Secondi are the main courses of meat or fish accompanied, or followed, by contorni (vegetables and salad). The meal finishes with dolce and coffee with digestive liqueurs. Although you do not have to eat your way through all of these, most restaurants expect you to have at least a couple of courses. Piatti di Buon Ricordo Some restaurants take part in the piatto del buon ricordo (literally, 'plate of good memory') scheme, in which anybody ordering the special dish of the house will be presented with a plate to take home with them. At Agata e Romeo, for example, the piatto del buon ricordo is pasta e broccoli in brodo di arzilla (pasta and broccoli). Snacking Rome has several eating alternatives if you are in a hurry or only want a snack. Enoteche (wine bars) often have cheeses, cold meats and sometimes pasta dishes to accompany their wine lists. Birrerie sell beer and basic dishes such as hamburgers. Pizza al taglio sell slices of freshly made pizza to take away. Bars have sandwiches and sometimes a tavola calda, with one or two hot primi and secondi. Finally, alimentari (grocers) fill rolls with whatever is in stock. Pizzas The best pizzas have a hint of charcoal around the edges. This is caused by being cooked in wood ovens (forno a legna), which create temperatures that seem unbearable in summer. Not all pizzas are the same; Roman ones have a thin, crisp base while, in Naples, pizzas come on a thick, bready base, which is more filling; calzone, a particularly appetite-satisfying option, are made from folded over pizza dough stuffed with the filling you choose. Vegetarians In Rome there is a dearth of restaurants catering exclusively to vegetarians but that should not stop you from eating well. Even if you do not eat any animal products at all, wherever you go you are likely to find a good selection of delicious meat-, fish- and egg-free pasta dishes, which you can follow with a selection of vegetables (contorni) or cheese. What's in a Name? In general, a trattoria is an unpretentious, family-run concern often with a regular clientele of local people who drop in when they do not want to cook for themselves. Ristoranti are usually more formal and expensive places for a special occasion. Osterie used to be the most basic of all, where simple dishes were washed down with jugs of local wine, but beware - recently the name has been adopted by some of the most expensive or touristy establishments.	COUNTRY Italy REGION Tuscany & Florence CITIES Rome   Viewing   Top Ten   What To See   Where To ...     Eat & Drink     Stay     Shop     Take The Kids     Be Entertained     What's On When   Practical Matters Florence Naples Venice MAPS World Europe TRAVEL BOOK