Miss Grilled — Restaurant in Rome

"Miss grilled" (meant to mean "Mixed Grill") became my home for a few evenings this second half of March. This place is a true family business. The owner and his wife taking care of everything, sometimes supported by one of their children. There are quiet times. And then the place suddenly becomes busy at midnight. No matter his progressed age, the owner will light up and take care of a new customer with genuine warmth and enthusiasm. He is a cook and host by calling. He is informed about current events and knowledgeable in a wide range of things. And he is rightly proud of having succeeded in the highly competitive catering field of the city. His wife is a wonderful reserved force in the background. I am taking the liberty to disclose that she is from Ukraine, thus going through a very hard time these days, which makes the place even more special and important. As to the menu: It has all the fair that is essential for a Trattoria in Rome. While you won't find unique things, you can trust all classic pasta and gnocchi dishes as many previous reviews indicate. My favorite was the risotto ai funghi. You can trust the house wine. And the insalata mista was consistently good. So was the bread. A place of nourishing comfort to close another dynamic...

I would avoid at all costs. We stopped in here due to a holiday which closed many other better alternatives.

We were sat in the inside, which was fine as the air conditioning was welcome. The table was beside one where the owner had strewn all his messy business papers using a dining table as an office. We should have known then to leave.

The owner/chef then decided to verbally accost one member of our party because she was looking at a paper tourist map we received from our hotel. Completely rude and uncalled for!

Drinks - Gin and tonic - literally served in an oversized shot glass with minimal ice and flat tonic. Other drinks served in a can.

The FOOD. Oh my god. Brutal. Bruscetta, was basically soggy toast, with tomato. I ordered a main, risotto with funghi. Quite possibly the worst dish I have ever had at a restaurant. I should have sent it back, but was unwilling to have this place cook me anything else. I was plain long grain white rice, (not Arborio) overcooked, in a white tasteless liquid, with undercooked, wet cold mushrooms. Gnocchi with tomato sauce, was just placed messy on a plate with zero thought of presentation. Felt like it was a mess-hall at an army barracks.

AVOID...

Authentic, generous portions, just wish we could’ve fit in more. We went to Miss Grilled as it was close by to our hotel following a later arrival into Rome - unlike some of the other restaurants we passed, when we stopped to look at the menu there was no hounding us in - the owner, a lovely chap who later explained to us his 46 years of owning the restaurant with his wife, was just humbly stood in the doorway and explained to us that they’re open and the day’s special was Spaghetti and meatballs - which were divine.

The owner couldn’t do enough for us and made us feel extremely welcome. I liked, in particular, the restaurant is not dressed as something it is not, it is a humble, family establishment and what you get is an authentic family dining experience. Portions were on the larger side, however, this is by no means a complaint! Just make sure you’re ready to eat when you get there! The meatballs were nothing short of delicious, very obviously home made, the pasta was beautifully al dente and the sauce was unlike anything you’d find at home (in this case, the UK). Would...