Da Tonino - Trattoria Bassetti — Restaurant in Rome

This is the most awful restaurant I have been in my life. I never understood when Korean people felt racism in Italy from time to time as I never felt in that way but it happened to me in this restaurant. I waited for a long time to get in this place as Google review is pretty good so I thought it was worth to await. This restaurant is very small and there were three people at the hall who were one manager(?), one waiter and one porter(who delivers food from kitchen to customers). Finally my friend and I got in and we were looking at the menu. It was our last night in Italy so we were very cautious to choose the food. The waiter came to us to get order but we said we need 5 minutes more. When we were ready they looked very busy so we were waiting to order the food for a while. Later, we politely asked the one man who looks like a manger to take a order from us. The manger asked the waiter to take a order from us so we waited for the waiter. However, the waiter did take the order from people who came later than us and then he asked the Asian man, whose role is a porther delivering the food from the kitchen to customers' table, to take a order from us. The Asian porter guy seemed very embarassed and he didn't know what to do. When I pointed the food on the menu, it seems like this Asian porter guy has no experience to take the order from customers. Of course this is not his fault! The waiter didn't do his job and the manger didn't care about customers. We were the only people who ordered the food though the porter. This is a very bad service. Why did ths waiter and the manager put off their job to the porter? Did they think the Asian porter can take a order from Korean customer better than them? That is very shame that I felt racism. I never felt like this in my life! I traveled every where and visited Rome a coulpe of times but i never felt like this. Unfortunately, this restaurant's service was awful to me. And food was like the school caffeteria food for me. They just ruined my last night in Rome. Please be aware of the reviews writing about their...

Da Tonino became my favorite restaurant not just in Rome, but in all of Italy. Originally planning to eat mostly street food during our trip, we discovered this gem and it completely changed our dining plans. After our first visit, we immediately returned the following night.

The cuisine is exceptional across the board. Their cacio e pepe stands out as the best pasta dish I’ve ever experienced — the balance of pecorino cheese and fresh black pepper creates an unforgettable flavor. The meatballs deserve equal praise, with a texture so tender they practically melt in your mouth, resembling perfectly prepared meatloaf but somehow even better. The antipasti and desserts maintain the same high quality, making it tempting to order the entire menu.

The attentive service truly sets Da Tonino apart. The intimate size of the restaurant ensures personalized attention throughout your meal. Our waiter both nights was exceptionally friendly and helpful, contributing significantly to the overall experience.

The pricing is very reasonable, especially by Rome standards. We typically shared an antipasti, first course, second course, and dessert between two people, which provided the perfect amount of food. Their house red wine pairs beautifully with the meal.

Important note: Da Tonino doesn’t accept reservations and fills up by 8 PM. Arrive by 7:30 PM to secure a table. Prepare yourself for one of the most memorable meals...

Bad service. We went in and were seated without menus or anything. 15 mins later the waiter comes up and asks if we're ready and we asked if there's a menu. He yells at another waiter and then hands us the menu. While taking our order he seemed like he just didn't care about our experience. He Quickly took the order and left. We ordered a half litre of the house wine. While watching the waiter do nothing for 10 minutes, he finally brought the wine to us (which was not good, almost like vinegar). He then taps me on the shoulder (as my back was facing him) for me to grab my plate from him. He just handed me 1 plate and left. I assumed it was my girlfriends plate as women are normally served first. 5 minutes later he hands me another plate and then we had to figure out which dish was what. We realized the first plate was mine so we switched. The first plate he handed me was warm when he gave it but the second plate was piping hot!! We noticed other people with bowls of Parmesan and we didn't have any so we asked for some Parmesan (mine had some already on it but my girlfriends plate had none). After our meal we were waiting for the waiter to take our plates so we can get the bill and leave. After waiting, I just got up and went to the cashier to pay and leave. The only good thing was that our pasts was cooked...