La Francescana — Restaurant in Rome

This was our first dinner in Italy and it was absolutely delicious. We started off with a bottle of Prosecco, natural water, and the Caprese. Some bread and oil were also provided. And (if I remember correctly) there was no service charge. The wine was fabulous. The Caprese was a little underwhelming, but likely due to selection of tomatoes available. With the olive oil and balsamic vinegar provided on the table we were able to increase the flavor to our liking.

Next, we shared the Cabornara (pasta with eggs, pork cheek, and black pepper). It was so good. The pork cheek crunch in the smooth but robust pasta was yummy dance in our mouth. We ended up ordering a second bottle of prosecco, because... why not.

Then our main course came out (again we shared). We had the Scaloppia al limone (veal escalope sautéed with butter and lemon) with a Insalata Mista (mixed salad). It was perfect and the prosecco complemented it well.

We did not have reservations, so we had to sit inside. If visiting in the summer, make a reservation. There is no AC inside and the TV playing news (silently) in the background was a weird vibe for the first night of our honeymoon. But overall the tables were nicely set and there were fans to help keep air circulating.

This place offered high quality food, and after experiencing other restaurants on our trip was one of the best (especially compared to those closer to the downtown Rome/Florence/Venice tourist areas). The price was great too. Sharing is the way to go for couples in Italy -- experience all the courses at a reasonable price. For all of this we spend...

This areas has a lot of wonderful restaurants. We looked for a restaurant with traditional Roman pasta dishes and pizza! It took less than 10 minutes to seat our party of 6. At first, the waitress seemed upset with what we ordered and for asking "How do you say." The food took a while, but with the first bite, it is clear why it took awhile, everything was fresh. The Carbarnora was perfect not to eggy tasting. The salmon pasta was excellently made. The Gricia was a beautiful blend of flavor. Much like Carbarnora but with no egg and served over aldente pasta. The house dish of Fettuccine alla Francescana with peas, pork cheek, mushrooms, and cream sauce was a delightful surprise. It made the other amazing pasta dishes at the table seem almost normal compared to this perfect dish. The pizza was also very good. Traditional Roman style thin crust lite on the cheese and sauce.

The service was excellent. They were attentive throughout our meal. We walked out with full stomachs a biscotti in hand...

This has got to be THE rudest restaurant staff since I have ever dealt with in my ENTIRE life (and I am a VERY patient customer, I promise).

We are tourists. We asked for advice from the waiter and acknolwedged (hey, we are oblvious tourists.) His looks were always like (that’s such a stupid question. Oh, you think this is really Italian?). At some point he literally pushed my wife’s tissue that she was using aggressively off the menu pretending that he is pointing to something in it. When we left and I asked to report to the manager, the manager refused to take accountability and literally told me (the problem is in you, not my waiter).

I was with my wife and 2 kids (13 and 7 yr old). Ugly experience and extremely ugly, rude, and unaccountable staff. I would give zero stars if...