Gran Caffè Maggiore — Restaurant in Rome

Do not go here. It was truly disappointing.

My parents and I had just come out of St. Maria Maggiore and were looking for a place to sit for a quick drink, a cake, and a toilet break. My mother, who has great difficulty walking, was very relieved that we found a place nearby. We were also in a bit of a rush, as we were scheduled to be picked up by a van in about 45 minutes.

We arrived at the Grand Caffè and were seated at a dirty table. Shortly after, a waitress came to clear it and replaced the tablecloth, which I assumed would be the Standard Operating Procedure for them. We were then given menus and left alone for about 20 minutes. Another table that arrived after us experienced the same issue but decided to leave after no one came to take their order.

By this point, I was frustrated, so I went inside to try and place our order directly. There was a man behind the counter who didn’t speak English very well, so I did my best to speak slowly and clearly. However, the atmosphere was hectic, with several guests and waiters moving around. The man eventually told me to speak with another waiter who had just come inside.

I explained to this waiter that we were in a hurry because of our pickup, but he seemed more interested in rushing through the order than actually understanding our situation. Eventually, we managed to get our order placed.

The cake was very good, and the water was fine. However, the toilets were a terrible surprise. My mother and I went inside, only to find that the bathroom reeked and the floor was completely wet, covered in toilet paper.

TLDR: The raspberry cake was good. The service was rude and disorganized, despite our attempts to explain that we were in a rush, and the toilets were...

If I had known about the bad reviews, I’d have never come here. It is right beside Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and preys on tourists. We just wanted a quick meal, and ordered 2 pasta dishes, and Saltimbucca alla Romana. I asked if the Saltimbucca came with potatoes/veg. The reply was ‘yes it does, I will give you fries with it’. So our mains came. I swear the Saltimbuca was pork, and not veal (it said veal on the menu). When my son finished his meal, the waiter came up to him and said he looked like he was still hungry and said he’s give us some fried rice. Then came a suppli and an Arrancini, which were nothing to rave about.

When the bill came, they had charged us for 3 large beers €30 even though we ordered only 3 soft drinks. They’d also charged for the fries and rice balls which they were ‘giving’ us. Ok, maybe lost in translation, but we queried about the beers. The bill was rejigged, and the beers became ‘bottles’ - €5 each, which really is expensive for Sprite. And then they added 3 coffees on top. I queried again, and was told to go to the cashier with the waiter. The cashier then told the waiter to tell me that the coffees had now been changed to service charge, even though their menu specifically said ‘No Coppito’.

For a meal that would have cost around €50, they wanted to charge €80. Eventually I paid €63 for rubbish. I would have argued more, had I not been in a hurry.

Please. Never ever go to this place to eat, even if...

Terrible service. Ripped off after we charged 12 euros for half a liter of local wine, that the shops around do not exceed 7 euros. Waiter laughing at us for taking salad at night. The menu is at their convenience and they "fix" it as it suits them. I will never go back and recommend to my friends to avoid the place// Pésimo servicio. Estafados luego que nos cargaran 12 euros por medio litro de vino local,que el los comercios de alrededor no superan los 7 euros. Camero riéndose de nosotros por tomar ensalada en la noche. El menú es a conveniencia de ellos y lo "arreglan" como les conviene. Nunca volveré y recomendare a mis amigos y conocidos evitar el lugar// Servizio terribile. poi truffati che ci caricato 12 euro per mezzo litro di enoteche locali che non superano circa 7 euro. Il camarero ridono di noi per fare insalata di notte. Il menu è una convenienza per loro e "gestire" come si addice loro. Non potrò mai tornare e lo consiglierò ai miei amici e conoscenti per...