Triclinivm Taverna Romana — Restaurant in Pisa

I think this place used to be way better before, by looking at older reviews, but then something along the way started to go wrong (maybe the pandemic?). We were welcomed by the cook, who was also our waiter for the night -- which was ok, because it was too cold for anyone to sit outside (we went mid-January), so it was only the two of us and 3 other people at another table. The place is quite dark and there was a thick smell of humidity. It's common in old buildings in Pisa, but I don't think it's nice for a place where you're supposed to eat. We ordered a Carbonara Imperiale and some artisanal Tortelloni, some house wine, and one cup of Tiramisù that we shared. The food was overall ok. The guanciale in the Carbonara was a bit undercooked.

When we tried to pay at the end, we were told we couldn't pay by card because "internet is not working today" and we did not receive a real bill, but just a hand-written piece of paper. We were not informed at the beginning of our dinner that card payment was not available. We were pointed to the nearest ATM so that we could get cash. If you read other reviews, you can see this is not a one-time thing, but it happens regularly. Notice that currently in Italy it is mandatory for any commercial activity to provide a bill and to let you pay by card, for any amount of money.

The cook/waiter treated us with kindness and seems like a good person. We paid our bill, thanked him, and walked away. But we would definitely not go back. It's probably a nicer place if you go during summer and you can sit outside, sun-kissed in the little alley. I hope this place can recover, it's a pity, because indeed it looks like it used...

After seeing the good reviews of this place I was very hopeful but unfortunately I was disappointed.

After comparing with the reviews it seems that they change the prices drastically from Summer to Winter, that or inflation. I came for the Carbonara Imperial and when looking at photos from 5 months ago it showed it at being 13 Euro, but when I visited today it was 18 Euro which is a steep price for the area when comparing to other restaurants.

As well at the end of the meal we discovered that they had put a cover charge of 2 euro per person. I am ok with cover charges but they hadn't had a sign around or on the menu about a cover charge, so it was a unwelcome surprise.

Also prepare to pay cash as at the time their card machine was broken, there was a bank just down the road.

On the positive, the Carbonara was very good, I got the smaller one for 15 euro. The pasta was cooked Al Dente per usual and the sauce was incredibly creamy and rich. Albit a little salty for my tastes.

The restaurant is also located in a allyway so there isn't to much sun and some breeze to.

Overall I'm a bit upset at my experience and wouldn't recommend this place despite the good food. There are better places...

We had lunch here on our quick pit stop in Pisa and it was absolutely delightful. The owner Alessandro is so friendly and welcoming and we enjoyed the two dishes that we ordered so much (salmon pasta and cacio e pepe) that we ordered a third dish, the carbonara - all three were unbelievable. Alessandro waited on us and cooked the meals himself, and then we were treated to him singing us a few songs on his guitar (which we joined in with percussion) and showed us the gorgeous artwork his family painted in the restaurant. The food would bring me back in and of itself but the welcoming and fun atmosphere is the cherry on top. Thanks Alessandro! We’ll...