La Ciambella — Restaurant in Rome

We heard about the restaurant from a nytimes 36 hour rome article, and after being impressed with their recommendations in the past l, decided to try it for our last night in Rome. Having been in Italy for over a week, we were looking forward to, what we thought, would be a welcome respite from some of the more ubiquitous Italian and Roman staples, as the reviewer mentioned. Boy were we mistaken. Upon arrival, we were curtly greeted by a woman who asked rather sharply if we had a reservation. We were quickly taken to our table in the back room which had a vibe of mall meets airport lounge. The tables were spartan with nothing but a white table cloth and two water glasses, which gave the restaurant an even more sterile vibe. We were given the menu which contained two tasting menus and an a la carte option. Both my partner and I are vegetarian (which we put in the reservation notes) and there wasn’t a single option on either menu with the exception of two pasta dishes and an eggplant parm. We even asked the waiter if a salad or something was available and he said no. We ordered two glasses of wine, and nearly laughed when the waitress poured the wine- it was less than a 1/4 of a glass full, which I finished in two sips (for context, I’m a slow drinker, and I can usually draw out one glass for all of dinner. I was done with the wine before the food even arrived.) the supposed “homemade” bread for 4 euro was dry and not very tasty. The eggplant parm came out first and was the best part of the meal, but things continued to go downhill. We were underwhelmed by both pasta dishes- the cacio e Pepe was uninspiring (literally could get this anywhere in rome) and the pomodoro was so over salted it was almost inedible. We had better pasta for 8 or 9 euro. We left without dessert.

It seems most people come for the tasting menus which we couldn’t get due to the lack of vegetarian options so perhaps those would’ve been better but we were extremely unimpressed after seeing the good reviews and write up in the nytimes.

Also, the cleanliness of the bathrooms (men’s in particular) was questionable. My partner said the sink in the men’s room was off and only sanitizer was available - unacceptable for a restaurant charging this...

An Insult to the Michelin Star – Terrible Service, Tiny Portions, & Zero Accountability

My dinner at La Ciambella wasn’t just disappointing—it was a masterclass in Michelin-starred incompetence. From start to finish, every aspect failed spectacularly.

Service: Shockingly Unprofessional We ordered four tasting combos (a significant spend), yet the kitchen delivered the wrong dishes entirely. When we alerted our waiter, he dismissively said, “I’ll send the waitress to discuss it.” She never came. Not after 10 minutes, not after 30. We were ghosted at our own table. Staff avoided eye contact, ignored follow-up requests, and left us feeling like an inconvenience. For a "fine dining" establishment, this was outright negligence.

Food: Flavorless & Fleeting Portions were laughably small—even by tasting-menu standards. Each plate felt like a garnish in search of a main course. Not a single dish impressed. Flavors were bland, uninspired, and utterly forgettable. At €150+ per person, we expected artistry; we got amateur hour. Highlights? There were none. Lowlights? Everything. From soggy pasta to over-seared fish, it tasted like a kitchen running on autopilot.

The Michelin Deception How this restaurant holds a star is beyond comprehension. Michelin promises excellence; La Ciambella delivered apathy. The gap between expectation and reality wasn’t just wide—it was a chasm.

Final Insult No manager ever appeared to address our wrong order. No apology. No gesture of goodwill. We paid full price for a botched meal and contemptuous service.

Verdict: Save your money and dignity. La Ciambella is the worst Michelin-starred experience I’ve had globally—a soulless, overpriced trap that tarnishes the guide’s prestige....

Mediocre food and stuffy atmosphere. I've been to a lot of Michelin rated restaurants and you should skip this one. The dishes we had here were ordinary and execution of preparation was subpar to everything we had in Italy including street food. The pancetta might as well be Oscar myer cold cuts. The cacio e pepe tasted like a undercooked TV dinner I even had better pasta the in airport! The wine's dominating characteristic was acidity. The staff never welcomed or smiled at us the whole time. Upscale doesn't necessitate pretentiousness. Maybe people rate it high because when they go to places that are supposed to be good they trick themselves into liking it.

I guess I should leave more reviews so people know I have good taste, but I don't really think about it when I have a good experience and most bad experiences I'd shrug off, but this was a regrettable way to spend my evening mostly because the staff made me feel genuinely uncomfortable. For instance, my wife doesn't drink often so she had a beginner's question about how sugary white wine is vs red and instead of answering constructively, the waiter looked at her funny and told her there were lots of kind of white wine. Sommelier of the year! They also made a big deal about what side of the table we sat on because even though it was in the corner and the restaurant only had 1 other customer, they might need to maneuver around us?! Every interaction was serious and intense. I couldn't wait to get out of there. I should have left before I...