Il Catanese — Restaurant in Rome

Decent food and good coffee. The owner was weirdly nice at the start, and it felt a little forced. Everything went to hell as soon as it was time to pay, though.

I’ve never had such an awkward, unprofessional and stressful payment experience. The money got debited from our account - which we could clearly show him, but something went wrong on his end and the transaction wasn’t coming through for him.

Instead of staying professional and trying to find a solution together, he started screaming and shouting and even involved TWO OTHER CUSTOMERS (???) into the argument.

Obviously, when the money is taken from your account, it’s a done deal. Paying twice just to calm down an agitated, angry caffè owner wasn’t something I was going to do.

Horrible experience, I can’t recommend this at all. Avoid this place and save yourself a horrible start to your day. Go to one of the other 500 caffès around Rome for a...

Staying in the Prati is to live with Romans who are well heeled, and have little need of tourists per se. This is a typical yet fabulous little bar/caffe with perfect espressi, and robust crowd of handsomely turned out professionals and government employees who work in the miinistry of justice nearby. There are the regulars in the morning, having the warm fresh sfogliatelle- the best in Rome! from the Sicilian owner. An orange cake that they entered into some culinary competition is other worldly with its thin citrus icing. It is a grand seat in a residential/commercial little street to enjoy the passersby, a nice cornetto or sfogliatelle (mini and maxi sized). Friendly, near the great shopping of Cola Di Rienzo street, and about 8 minutes walk to Piazza del Popolo, but shaded under trees and in July and August, a...

I don’t know how this place has only 4.1 stars. Mimo, the owner, is hands down the most hospitabke host I have encountered in my travels between Agrigento, Sicily, and Rome. Every time I came in, I felt immediately at home, even though I was at times a little confused about how things work since my Italian isn’t great and I’m new to Rome. He takes that Sicilian countryside hospitality to heart, and it shows. When I return, I will seek this cafe out again and again for their delicious cappuccinos, awesome arancini, great lunch buffet, and mist of all, the hospitality of...