Dar Bruttone — Restaurant in Rome

As someone who regularly travels through Italy and is deeply passionate about authentic Italian cuisine, I’ve experienced a wide range of dining establishments over the years, from hidden trattorias to well known restaurants. Yet, Dar Bruttone has firmly earned its place in my personal top 3.

During my recent five-day vacation in Rome, I found myself returning to this restaurant on three separate evenings, and each visit only reinforced how exceptional this place is.

The staff are wonderfully attentive and genuinely warm. They go above and beyond to create an amazing dining experience.

But let’s talk about the food, which is nothing short of phenomenal.

Their slow-cooked pumpkin with guanciale is an absolute standout: beautifully balanced, rich in flavor, and refined. It’s the kind of dish that surprises you in the best possible way.

The truffle carbonara is hands-down the best I’ve ever had, and I don’t say that lightly. I was so impressed by it that I ordered it two nights in a row. Perfectly executed, with a depth of flavor that stays with you long after the last bite.

The charcuterie and cheese platter is another highly recommended option. Its an ideal way to start your meal with high-quality, locally sourced meats and cheeses. The steak also deserves praise: expertly cooked, tender, and full of flavor. (Ordered it rare and got a perfectly rare steak) Besides the steak I can also recommend the roast pork with Pecorino. It is a very good dish made with quality pork that has a rich flavour profile and a great depth of flavour.

To end the evening, their tiramisu is just the right portion size, enough to satisfy your sweet tooth without being too heavy, and the flavor is simply exquisite.

About the wine.

The house wines are excellent and pair with the menu very well. It’s a great example of how sometimes the most modest-looking choices deliver the most satisfaction.

And if you’re in the mood for a digestif after your coffee, don’t miss their aged grappa—smooth, aromatic, and the perfect way to round off an unforgettable meal.

When I visit Rome again, I will definitely make sure to reserve a table for multiple evenings. Hope to be...

Expecting a defensive reply from the owner for this review but here goes: we came here last night and immediately liked the vibe and the decor in the restaurant. It was beautiful. We ordered the focaccia (4.5€) and got asked if we would like prosciutto with it. This wasn't on the menu so we weren't sure of the price and the waitress didn't let us know when she asked us so we obliged, thinking it was going to be a lot of focaccia and a little bit of prosciutto. When the dish arrived there was a lot of prosciutto and 4 pieces of bread. This bread was in no way, shape or form focaccia. Either the entire world has been doing it wrong or this place did. I'm betting on the latter. We did ask the waitress if it was focaccia and she said "kind of". Definitely not focaccia and definitely not worth 4.5€ for 4 small pieces. When the bill came we saw that the prosciutto was another 4.5€ and we decided it was better to just pay and leave, rather than argue this as we had already asked about the focaccia earlier. We ordered the carbonara top and carbonara tartufata, both which were delicious. The litre red wine that we had was quite nice at the beginning but after some time we both had some weird aftertaste of aniseed or something similar.

I planned to give 3 stars initially. But then I saw the replies from the owner to other customers and I don't ever think "the customer is always right" but the replies have been so rude and childish saying "perhaps you have never had it this way" etc. First of all, a review is someone's opinion. Telling them they're wrong is just stupid so get a grip. Secondly, if I was a customer that wanted to come here and saw the way the owner spoke to customers, I'd immediately cross that one off my list and avoid it at all costs. You could say "thanks for your review. We will seek ways to improve this" but no. Find a way to be more professional and then I will consider telling someone to visit your establishment. I'm sure my presence won't be welcomed here anymore because I had an OPINION but that suits me just fine.

Edit after the owners reply: copy and paste response?...

Alright, but we ordered focaccia for 4.5 euros. The waitress then asked if we wanted it with prosciutto or without (not on the menu) so of course we obliged. On the receipt we were charged 9 euros for this. Feels a bit sly. Also there was VERY little bread, literally 8 small bites worth, and it wasn't focaccia, it was pizza bianca, with pieces of rosemary on top (not baked with the bread) so the taste was not infused at all. Finally we were charged table service by default which I hate anyway, why pay 2 euros to sit down?

Edit in response to comment: I have no interest in "discrediting" you. I am leaving a review, describing my exact experience, so that other potential customers can make informed decisions. This antagonistic reaction by you just made my rating even lower, to 1-star. Furthermore, you incorrectly assume I'm a "tourist" so I'm ignorant and don't know how things work here; I've lived in Rome for 6 years. We ordered focaccia. I do not need a sales pitch about how amazing your pizza is. You are literally proving our point that we didn't get what we ordered. Also, I never argued that ham is not worth the cost, I said that we weren't informed of the additional cost, so it's an unpleasant surprise on the bill. How expensive does an addition have to be before customers are allowed to be unhappy? 15 euros? 30? You decide the cost, not me. Finally, you can defend your nominal 2 euros mandatory service charge all you want. It's an old system, it wasn't mentioned in advance, and many people don't like it. If you have actually been around Europe you'll notice that most places don't do it anymore. Congrats on being obnoxious to...