Hostaria Al Gladiatore — Restaurant in Rome

I don't understand why this restaurant gets so many good reviews. Our experience was defined by poor service.

Upon arriving, a hostess leaning against the wall asked us where we wanted to sit. We chose a table on the terrace. We then sat there and waited for ten minutes before anyone brought us a menu. During this time, three younger staff members continued to stand idly by the wall. Their only job, it seemed, was to speak to people walking by.

After we received the menu, an older man around 50, wearing a white shirt, came to take our order. He didn't smile or greet us. Before I had even finished speaking, he began to walk away. I had to tell him that I still wanted to order drinks. I also pointed out that our glasses had sauce stains on them and asked him to replace them. He looked at the glasses, said nothing, and walked away.

Later, when a younger waiter (who had brought our drinks to the wrong table first) was serving us, the same older man began yelling at him in front of everyone. This is no way to treat a colleague, especially for someone older who should be wiser and more experienced.

A few minutes later, the older man returned with a smile and asked if two small bottles of water would be acceptable instead of the one large bottle we ordered. We agreed. The food arrived, and it was delicious—this was the one positive aspect.

After we finished eating, we again sat waiting for ten minutes before anyone noticed. Once again, several waiters were standing against the wall, doing nothing. The older man had disappeared. When someone finally came to clear our table, we asked for the bill.

On the bill, we saw a handwritten note that said "tip…". We found this to be very rude and unprofessional. The older man returned with a smile and asked, “What amount should I type into the terminal?” My partner and I looked at each other and just paid the amount written on the bill. The man's smile vanished, and he typed in the amount, gave us the receipt, said nothing, and walked away.

I have never experienced anything like this before. If the service and food are good, of course, you leave a tip. However, the way we and the staff were treated was completely...

It all started wrong when the host asked if I wanted to eat inside (no problem with me, I was hot from being at the colosseum all afternoon & I know outside tables get customers) but she didn’t need to lie by saying there was AC. Not only were all doors and windows open but the AC was NOT on. She shows me the way in and a waiter rudely asks if I need the bathroom (no, sir, I am here to eat). He sits me down, I order & eventually my order comes (the calamari was good). He brings bread with it but fails to give me a small plate to pour the olive oil etc. He’s been standing there looking at his phone & doesn’t realize I’ve been trying to eat my bread with no space to dip it in oil. I eventually had to ask & he brought it. I went to the bathroom while waiting for the order and it was filthy & my stall was out of paper. I finish, ask for the check and it has “Tip—“ handwritten under the total. In Italy, tip is not culturally expected which tells you they’re there to take advantage of tourists. I found this disrespectful & asked to pay with card which they didn’t like (tips can only be cash). The food was good. The gladiator theme is cute but the service & place itself leaves a lot...

Terrible Experience for Families with Kids

I recently visited this restaurant with my family, including 4 adults and 3 kids, hoping for a pleasant meal near the Colosseum. We asked beforehand if there was a table available for us and were told yes. Upon being seated, we initially ordered 2 pizzas to try the food. However, the owner rudely informed us that we needed to order at least 4 main courses to keep our table. Despite the unpleasant attitude, we decided to comply and planned to order 3 pizzas and 2 pastas.

Before we could place the additional orders, the owner approached us again and asked us to leave because our children were playing and might scream. This was incredibly rude and unwelcoming. We felt humiliated and unfairly treated, especially since we had confirmed our reservation and were willing to meet their minimum order requirement.

If this restaurant cannot accommodate families with young children, they should clearly state that upfront and not present themselves as kid-friendly. This was a very disappointing and frustrating experience.

I do not recommend this place to families or anyone expecting decent...