La Zanzara — Restaurant in Rome

Just left there at 6pm. The place looks nice, nice atmosphere but the people were otherwise. I walked in and the lady (host) simply said can I help you?(as if I were lost instead of walking into a restaurant like any other customer). I greeted then told her I was hoping to have a cocktail and a snack at the bar. I sat at the bar. A guy bartender smiled and started to greet me when he was immediately interrupted by the lady (whom I supposed was running the bar). From her tone and his subsequent behavior, I imagined he was somehow scolded for the interaction. I sat down and was given a menu and eventually.... she took my order for iberico jamon and I gave my order for a mocktail and was left alone until I requested my check. Meanwhile, much of the time, this lady bartender preceded to bang about right in front of me setting up some of the silver bowls with little spoons and forks and some other things. It was pretty obvious she was irritated though I hadn't the slightest reason why. There must have been 7 employees nearby and no other customers inside of the restaurant but no interaction until I got up and left. Then one of the waiters outside said thank you and bye bye. I don't know why this experience rubbed me the wrong way. Perhaps it's because there has only been one other negative time I had in Rome, 8 years ago from a girl at a gelateria who was obviously having a bad day but this seemed to be the entirety of the inside staff. The drink was not good and I couldn't enjoy the jamon in my ostracised state so I rushed through it to get out of there. I had planned to bring several friends there for a birthday this evening because the reviews were high and I wanted to check it out but not feeling it now. So... I thought I'd share... Make your...

Drinks + cheese were good. Service was BAD.

We got there at 5:30 and specifically asked if they had truffle pasta. The hosts showed us a special truffle menu but told us the kitchen opens at 7 so we have to wait, ok sure. No one was there yet and the host asked us where we wanted to sit. We chose a table but they set us up in another table that was too warm near the heaters. We asked them to transfer us to where we asked for in the first place. They acted like it was such a hassle to setup the table (we were only a party of 2) but again, NO ONE was even there? They first refused saying the table was reserved but the one we wanted was clearly not reserved so after much hesitation they reset our table.. why that was so hard, I don’t know. Maybe because we’re tourists?

Anyway, we decided to have drinks and cheese first. When the kitchen opened, we asked for the truffle pasta. Waiter said, truffle menu is done. What the hell? I asked him to check again because the hosts showed us a truffle menu that we SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR and WAITED AN HOUR FOR. Of course he made a face and got back to us with the regular menu and said truffle menu is done. We left. This place was a waste of time. It was an expensive hour wait for something they couldn’t even deliver. It was our last night in Rome and they ruined it. Don’t be fooled by the pretty...

La Zanzara is a wonderful find close to Vatican City. The atmosphere is chic and the food is delicious. The outdoor seating is covered and private. We have been twice on our trip to Rome. One time for lunch and one time dinner. Giacomo is an excellent waiter who helped narrow our focus given the menu has so many good options. He gave us recommendations and complimentary Roman style lemon cello. Plus, the rest of the staff was very attentive to our table. The grilled peach and green bean salad is delicious, grilled fish of the day and we were pleasantly surprised to find a very tasty hamburger and perfectly salted french fries in Italy. A nice break from traditional Roman food. Give it a try if you are...