BorgoPio92 Bistrò Caffè — Restaurant in Rome

Wish I had taken 5 minutes to check other reviews but we were in a hurry….Beware as this is the classic tourist trap. If you need a place to get shade and food close to the Vatican it’s an option but you’ll pay a lot. In the time we were there we saw 3 other groups have a similar experience where they were given food they didn’t order and then charged a lot more. One group ordered a scoop of gelato but got huge sundaes, one asked for small beers and got liter glasses (and they were elderly), and another tried arguing about the service charge which is about 10x higher than most places we’d eaten outside Rome. In our case we were considering a bruschetta appetizer to split and the host said he’d comp a free appetizer which made me suspicious as we watched the people around us. When they showed up with a platter of meat and bruschetta for each person in our group (vs the single order we originally planned to split) I got even more nervous. We appreciated the location, shade and the main dishes we ordered were fine and priced correct. Anything they bring that you don’t ask for is going to be priced very high. At the end, the host kept insisting we provide a tip in cash and when I asked for my receipt said I couldn’t have it until I paid a tip in cash. Once the card was tapped and I saw the transaction go through on my bank app we tried to leave, and he called over another server, essentially trying to physically intimidate me. I said the tip was already part of the nearly 50e charge of meat and food we hadn’t ordered and had my family leave while I followed and forced my way out between the two of them. Seemed like several of the surrounding places had a similar vibe and preying on pilgrims and tourists so as long as you know the environment you’re walking into it’s up to you whether to do that for the convenience of the location and proximity to St Peter’s. We noticed a few other groups that had local speakers with them and they seemed to do better, engaging in very animated Italian conversations when the unordered food showed up and then went away. So I think if you’re not a foreign speaking tourist your experience might...

The place scams tourists. The reviews are TOTALLY ACCURATE. Upon walking out of the vatican a guy approaches you saying there is a great restaurant around the corner with great food and flashes a menu with good prices. The little lady at the restaurant then upsells you on several items. Example; you want red or white wine? You respond "red". Her response, "chianti" (as if that's their only red). Boom! 25€ for a 5€ bottle of wine. More examples; you order the spaghetti, she offers "we have special for spaghetti with meatballs and mushrooms". Boom again, 12 for the spaghetti, 7 for the mushrooms (listed as a "side" on your bill) and another 7 for the meatballs. Add in a 4.5 charge for the bread (that you didn't order) and a 15% service charge that no other restaurant in Rome charges and you've got yourself a nice little 88€ meal that should have cost half that. Lastly, they push you on the bill when you question it and play on the fact that you are from out of town and dont want to cause a scene. I'm contesting the charge on my...

TOURIST TRAP - AVOID!! Unfortunately we were ripped off today. €152 for 4 people for aperitivo, spritzes and a frozen lasagne. The food was below average.

Lead in by a lovely gentleman, the menu prices seemed reasonable, however they offered items off the menu and then charged €5pp service that wasn’t mentioned anywhere. They had the hide to charge €8 for one artichoke; €6 for bruschetta al pomodoro (called it ‘antipasti’); €20 for a frozen lasagne and €20 for service. When delivering the bill, the waiter made a point of saying tip wasn’t included. When we questioned the service charge, we were told it was a tax, ridiculous. Those plates of ‘antipasti’ in the image were worth €14 according to the restaurant!

When questioning the waiter on the astronomical prices, he ignored us and then disappeared.

Much better places to eat at, try L’Isola della Pizza for great service, reasonable prices...