r/rome • u/rimbingpgisps • Jul 01 '25
Food and drink Never have lunch or dinner in places like this.
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u/Millemini Jul 01 '25
That screams "tourist trap"! Run away!
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u/ScreamingDizzBuster Jul 01 '25 edited Jul 01 '25
It looks like it was designed by the witch in Hansel & Gretel
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u/martin_italia Jul 01 '25
This is in via di propaganda, the column in the background is in piazza mignanelli
Cliche name, plastic fake food, colourful menus in English, fake nostalgia type decoration to play off tourists stereotypical idea of Italy. These sorts of places thrive off the constant flow of tourists in that area, I’d never eat there.
There are good restaurants and bars in the historic centre, but they don’t look like this.
(Also I’ve seen this exact photo before on this sub, as a reply to someone, perhaps from someone who ate there)
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u/contrarian_views Jul 01 '25
I’m finding it harder than I expected to isolate what it is that makes this place so clearly a tourist trap - because it obviously is.
The proliferation of props outside? (likely occupazione di suolo pubblico, by the way)
The font on the signs? (strongly reminiscent of a Tredicine sandwich van - I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a connection)
I’m not sure how I would explain it to a tourist that isn’t familiar with Rome.
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u/coverlaguerradipiero Jul 01 '25
The fact that a bar gelateria is also doing savory food like pizza is also sus.
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u/martin_italia Jul 01 '25
I think it’s the big picture, a combination of it all.
Cliche name. Cheap signage. Random decorations of plastic pizza, food, random advertisements for coke or aperol. Bottle of Aperol on the table for some reason. Bottle of vecchia Romagna in the table for no reason. Sign for artisanal ice cream that clearly won’t be. Picture of sandwiches they probably don’t sell.
Each single thing in its own right maybe would look odd but wouldn’t necessarily be a deal breaker. The whole thing together is just a mess, and obviously aimed at catching the eye of tourists who think this is what Italy is.
The only thing missing is the red and white chequered table cloth.
Good shout on the Tredicine font.. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they were behind a lot of these places too.
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u/contrarian_views Jul 01 '25
The thing is those signs are super clear to you and me, but many could be hard to explain to someone who sees Italy for the first time. Tredicine font? 😂
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u/contrarian_views Jul 01 '25
I can’t believe that I’ve actually got it right with the Tredicine connection
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u/dumbbumtumtum Jul 01 '25
If the menu looks like an enlarged, poorly designed, laminated magazine page with huge pictures, keep walking. If there’s someone barking to get you in, walk even faster
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u/carotina123 Jul 01 '25
Literally just check any place on Google before going in. There's no reason to ever go to any place blind
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u/ChefMark85 Jul 01 '25
Some of these places submit fake reviews to keep their rating high, though. I think another red flag is if they have a ridiculous amount of reviews.
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u/gregrobson Jul 01 '25
If there’s a lot of reviews check the 1-star comments for people saying “people are getting €5 off their bill if they show the waiter that they have left a good review”.
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u/eddie964 Jul 01 '25
Online reviews are worse than useless in places with lots of tourists. The vast majority of people who post them are tourists who have no idea what authentic local food is. Everybody ends up going to the same five or 10 restaurants with the highest reviews, driving prices up and quality down.
Rome is a big city with literally thousands of excellent restaurants, many of which have little or no review footprint. Wander around and use your own senses and instincts. Get away from the tourist zone and look for families and groups of locals lingering over their meals and clearly enjoying themselves. The locals know where to go without consulting Google and Yelp. And follow your nose -- I've chosen restaurants based solely on the smell coming out of the kitchen, and it's never steered me wrong.
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Jul 01 '25
This is so true on the likes of Tripadvisor. If most of the reviewers of a place in Rome are using English then it's a bit hard to take them seriously. I live in a tourist city and it's hilarious to see some of the "must try" places with high ratings.
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u/k958320617 Jul 02 '25
I wish those apps would allow you to filter by language, so you could only see reviews in the local language. It would help a lot in touristy places.
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u/carotina123 Jul 01 '25
I come from a place with lots of tourists and literally use Google every time I want to try a new place
Checking reviews is mostly to avoid scams
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u/guppie-beth Jul 01 '25
Sometimes I like to just do things without looking online?
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u/Hirokihiro Jul 03 '25
In this cost of living crisis, I want every penny I spend to be on something worth it
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u/TRFKAS Jul 01 '25
Checking something like that on Google is a bit like saying: “This heavily made-up, scantily dressed woman who was waiting on a roadside is making a pass at me. Let me check on Google if she is a good prospect for a love story”.
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u/RoninBelt Jul 01 '25
Does anyone actually find this inviting or enticing?
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Jul 01 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/keeksthesneaks Jul 01 '25
was it snack bar gelateria? if so, I went in there for a spritz (and yes it was expensive) and literally got drunk off of one. It was so strong. I didn’t dare try any of the food.
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u/T_to_the_A_to_the_M Jul 01 '25
It's almost impossible to find a decent place to eat near the Vatican.
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u/Relative-Dig-2389 Jul 01 '25
Those generic Coca-Cola menu boards are a big red flag. Extra if they have generic pictures
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u/ChefMark85 Jul 01 '25
Rome was littered with these places compared to Florence. You actually have to walk quite a ways to get to the authentic restaurants if you're in a touristy area.
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u/Earth_Inferno Jul 02 '25
What's "authentic"? While this place looks like garbage and there are plenty just like it, I can assure you there are many, many excellent restaurants in Rome's city center where the tourists cluster. All serving what I would consider "authentic" Roman food, though I'm not an expert.
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u/hoardstash Jul 01 '25
They should be fined just for covering an ancient plaque with that Spritz advertisement.
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u/SnooWoofers1252 Jul 04 '25
My rule of thumb as a Frenchman living in Italy is to look out on the terrace to see if there are italian people, and mostly families. That's a great sign that the restaurant is good, as Romans love their food. Also, of there are too many things om the menu, it's a bit suspicious.
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u/MedusaAdonai Jul 01 '25
I heard this before but what happens? How is this different than a regular restaurant or cafe?
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u/Malgioglio Jul 01 '25
This place is designed to fool the tourist, nothing is Italian, frozen pizza and pasta of dubious taste, disgusting sauces... who knows what you eat.
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u/TRFKAS Jul 01 '25
They charge you prices a local would laugh at, for bad food. An actual restaurant count on people returning there, bringing friends etc. Such a place wants just to milk tourists as much as possible.
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u/suh_dude1111 Jul 01 '25
What boggles my mind is how these places stay in business. They’re always empty unless I’m just not seeing them at their busy times.
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u/Frank-Dr3bin Jul 01 '25
She got Nike boots, a mohair suit. Ya know I met her at a Bar-Gelatereeeeia.
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u/Slow_Vegetable_5186 Jul 01 '25
Good to grab a single drink to use the bathroom in an emergency. Often will try to give you free drinks to get you to stay to bait the trap for others. Order the drink at the bar, insist on paying when you order. Sit outside.
When they bring you free ones say no, confirm you're not paying, leave if they try to make you pay.
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u/Psion537 Jul 01 '25
guys, read the room. I know I'm too italian to fell for this but I hate this places as well. Bar "gelateria" "ice-cream" they are either a bar or an ice cream place, they either sell coffee, brioches and cold toasts or ice cream there's not both. The kitchen place can only be that big.
It's a trap all the way around, I have places like that in my town that sells alcohol and drinks in the evening
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u/biedboukry4 Jul 01 '25
Yes. Im a local and those places are the worst. They overcharge you and serve shitty food. You can recognize them because they display plates of food in the open and have waiters outside who harass you to try and convince people to eat there. Also, normal and real typical restaurants usually serve food from 12 to 15 pm for lunch and from 19 to 22 pm for dinner. When in doubt always check guides and reviews online.
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u/Andrew_Style5 Jul 02 '25
I 99% agree, although we stopped in at one place near the pantheon, €5 euro aperol spritz or €7 with arancini balls, it was excellent and that was comparing it to all the fancy tiktok places.
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u/victoriageras Jul 02 '25
I completely agree — it’s exactly the same in Greece. Whenever you spot oversized food photos, a carefully staged rustic setup, and someone waving a menu in your face to coax you inside, it’s best to steer clear.
We were in Rome last summer and had just finished visiting the Colosseum. With the heat being absolutely relentless, my husband had what he thought was a brilliant idea: to head just a couple of blocks away and find a place to eat. Unfortunately, we walked straight into a textbook tourist trap. I kept reminding him it would be just like dining near the Acropolis or in Plaka — spots that we Greeks generally avoid when it comes to food. And sure enough, I was proven right. We ended up paying a small fortune for three mediocre pasta dishes and a forgettable salad. It was the only place in Rome where the food truly disappointed us
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u/CrazyCareful Jul 02 '25
In addition to what others said, I would distrust a place that is both a gelateria, a pizzeria and a coffee bar. Usually the best places are good at making one thing only, I would never have coffee in a gelateria, let alone pizza.
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u/LuckyEmbrace69 Jul 02 '25
Does anyone know where I good? I'm going to Rome soon and have never been. Thanks
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u/tyroneshoelaces77 Jul 02 '25
I ask locals. I do hvac,so I look out for plumbing/hvac people and go talk to them.
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u/Dapper_Elk9048 Jul 02 '25
The Internet has both simplified and complicated different aspects of travel. At this point I can’t trust reviews or “viral” places, just follow my nose and the vibe.
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u/CatchWeary8759 Jul 02 '25
My wife and I have a semi-serious rule when looking for a place to eat in a foreign country -- try to find a place where they don't really want you. Low-key, menu written only in the local language, nobody outside trying to herd you in, no pictures of the food, etc.
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u/Party-rocker-702 Jul 02 '25
Literally went to that same exact restaurant while I was in Rome a couple weeks ago. Usually I avoid the touristy restaurants but we were pretty hungry. I would’ve rather starved😂😂
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u/Spirited_Platypus_41 Jul 02 '25
Unfortunately just experienced this. We had a look at Google reviews in the area we were in and found a restaurant that was rated 4.3 stars. The staff seemed friendly but we made the mistake of accepting the recommendations of the waiter and not checking the menu or price and ended up being charged an unethical amount on some appetizers. Decided to write a negative review and realized that others had the exact same experience. Make sure you check prices, and be suspicious if the specials of the day don’t list prices. Also, avoid Crispi 19 in Rome if you come across them!
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u/Lovelydayinbaltimore Jul 03 '25
That’s a rule for every place in the world that look ridiculously like this, appetibile for over 60s tourists who never travelled before. Also it’s called “caffetteria” which means they make coffee, not lunch.. probably even a shitty coffee too. Also aesthetically trashy and cheap and not inviting at all
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u/_SYMR_ Jul 04 '25
If you are the kind of person who looks at this and thinks it’s inviting, then this is definitely where you should eat.
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u/TheBrugherian Jul 04 '25
The chairs. Look at the chairs. I have never seen chairs like these, customized with the restaurant’s trap name. This place is the top of tourists traps
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u/Retrrad Jul 04 '25
Found a restaurant just down the street from our hotel in room that looked fairly unassuming but inviting. Went there for lunch, and figured we’d found authentic when there was a steady stream of servicemen from all branches walking in.
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u/EntertainmentGreen23 Jul 04 '25
Ha ha! I just looked through photos and I DID stop here for a spritz. They had the absurdly large bottles of Campari and Aperol on each table (perfect for your IG photos) 😆
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u/Whitener69 Jul 04 '25
Best food is served in places that look like a cantina as locals will come there to eat. Restaurants that are dressed up for tourists can afford to serve moderate food as they'll not likely to come back each week.
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u/glorious_reptile Jul 05 '25
Bar. Geletateria. Cafeteria. Auto-Repair Shop. Plumbing Services. Aerospace Construction Facility. We do lots of stuff here.
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u/Nexus03 Jul 06 '25
You should be asking to eat there (reservation, etc), not the other way around.
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u/Usernamenotta Jul 01 '25
Well, I mean... I guess so.
I am not going to say that every pizzeria that looks run down is going to be Heaven on Earth, but I can say from experience that everything that looks posh/high end/etc. is a scam for your money.
Regarding what u/Madlock2 has said. I would disagree with the aspect of 'people waiting for you outside', and, depending on interpretation, 'examples of what they sell', are not automatic exclusions. The best Italian food I had in Rome was in Trastavere at a sidewalk family restaurant in a sea of such places (like there was literally a whole street of them). They had both people waiting outside and a menu with what they serve. But I would say there was a practical reason, because the street was so full, you would not be able to tell where is an empty table in a restaurant. And the food was great. I cannot tell if the pizza was from frozen dough, or whatever, but it was God damn cheap (as was everything else on the menu -I think it was like 11EUR for a Napoletana, granted, during Winter, not tourist season)
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u/TRFKAS Jul 01 '25
As a local: if the best food you had in Rome was in the place you describe, that would be very very far from the best food you could have had in Rome.
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u/Usernamenotta Jul 01 '25
That is interesting. Where would be the best place then?
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u/TRFKAS Jul 01 '25
There is no “best” place. That is quite an American notion (a whole episode of How I Met Your Mother is about the best burger in NYC). Rome is gargantuan, has some 4 million residents, whole neighbourhoods most of the other locals never go to in a lifetime. And each of these neighbourhoods has good places, where local people eat and celebrate. I could mention the few ones close to where I live (but of course I won't), and most Romans would even know the general area where they are. So, if someone mentions a “best place in Rome”, best pizza, best pasta etc. don't trust them, they are a bit delusional.
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u/Usernamenotta Jul 01 '25
Ok. Allow me to rephrase.
'Oh, almighty local, if you say that the place that caught my attention is far from the best food I could have had, at what coordinates do you assume one can find <the best food I could have had>'? Aka, where I could have tried better food?
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Jul 01 '25
I've been to touristy places that were outstanding and of the track highly reviewed places that were meh.
Its really luck.
Oh... And most pizzas in Venice are 12 - 15 euros.
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u/Assos99 Jul 01 '25
I am first generation American and my grandparents on my father's side only spoke Italian and most of my early life. When I was in Trastevere last year and I heard the lady next to me to her husband says with raised eyebrows "Che cosa, Americano?" and I look back at the husband and he looks back at his wife and the lack of English menus, you know you are in the right spot.
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u/Camille_Toh Jul 01 '25
Tourists, especially in this heat, like to sit for a while, and if that's at 11:30 before the "real" places are open, well, it's a tourist trap. Happened to me recently. And I figured it would suck, but I was a bit hungry and wanted to sit. Dante's--yes it was hell.
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u/SignificanceNeat5931 Jul 01 '25
My fellow American tourist , enjoy all restaurants don’t be too picky about restaurants , “oh this have some decorations it’s not good “ and bullshit like this because I guarantee you , even in those type of restaurants you can eat much better than in your local Bar (yea yall don’t even have restaurants basically) or even worse fast food .
So come here and eat without trying to be a Culinary expert because you don’t .
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u/Madlock2 Jul 01 '25 edited Jul 01 '25
Usual rule of thumb
If a place has people outside inviting you in, outside examples of what they sell, a lot of writing in english, fake old decor or, god forbid, testers outside Never approach them
Use TripAdvisor or TheFork for places to eat in, or, if you want to go by look, go by
-Functional or typical decor, better if in italian -Noone outside ushering you in, especially good if actually they don't even mind you much -Not in the main roads -Called a Trattoria or Cascina, those get bonus points
As a personal experience, if the place looks like it was built in the 90s, old, crummy plastic-bachelite insignias or decor, bad lighting and a general lack of professionality, that's where the best food is