Osteria La Sol Fa — Restaurant in Rome

It was my intention to spend a long evening here with wine, primi, secondi, contorni, dolce, etc. But, after the primi, we made our escape. We ordered caccio è pepe and a carbonara. Both were the same in these ways:

1. Fresh pasta - overcooked. (scotto)
2. Both dishes were way too salty to the point of being just barely edible.
3. Miserable plating
4. We were served within 5 minutes meaning that the dishes were not made to order from scratch. Now for some particulars for each dish.

Caccio e Pepe - The restaurant obviously uses a pre-made paste with of a mixture of Parmesano, water and corn starch. Maybe it's in house or maybe it's bought by the liter. Who knows. The mixture notably did not have Pecorino or at least not enough to stand out. At plating time, the kitchen put a ladle full of cheese goop on top of the overcooked fresh pasta. No effort was made to do a final "mantecare" to give the whole affair a consistent creamy condistency. No finishing with some freshly grated pepper or pecorino.

Carbonara - When the dish was served, there was literally a layer of fat atop the sauce (all collected on the bottom of the bowl). So I quickly stirred everything around and was able to sort of recreate an emulsion. My first bite was a slap in the face. It tasted of American bacon! I asked two different waiters why they didn't use Guanciale. They both treated me rudely saying that the pieces of smoked pancetta were in fact thinly sliced Guanciale. Other issue. The majority opinion of real Italian chefs is that Carbonara should be made with dry pasta and not fresh pasta. Especially not overcooked fresh pasta!

The Carbonara was nasty and salty enough that I had no interest in trying to finish the bowl. Also, I was offended and puzzled by the waiters. Could it be that the meat really was Guanciale? I asked for the Carbonara to be boxed up to go. An autopsy was in order.

We departed the restaurant and started looking for another place to eat. We settled on another restaurant in the same area with a very good Google rating. We ordered wine an antepasto and secondo which are all very lovely. As we finished, I asked the waiter if he would mind assisting us with a culinary autopsy. To make a long story short, we finished the evening in the kitchen with the chef discussing the sins of the Osteria Le Sol Fa and talking generally about Italian cuisine. The chef confirmed that the thinly sliced greasy pork was smoked pancetta and not guanciale. The chef was also of the opinion that the cheese sauce was bought in bulk from a distributor and not...

🌟 A True Roman Gem – Osteria La SolFa in Rome! 🇮🇹

If you’re looking for an authentic Roman experience, Osteria La SolFa is a place you can’t miss. It’s more than just a meal – it’s a full immersion into Roman tradition, flavors, and hospitality.

🍝 The Food: Roman Soul in Every Bite We sampled a wonderful variety of dishes: • Tagliatelle alla Gricia, Carbonara, and Amatriciana – Classic Roman pastas done with mastery. The sauces are rich, balanced, and full of character. • Polpettone & Polpette – Juicy, rustic, and full of flavor. • Stuffed Eggplants with cherry tomatoes and anchovies – a standout, bursting with flavor. • Cicoria ripassata & Patate cafone – True Roman side dishes, cooked with care. • Tiramisol’ – A decadent hazelnut tiramisù served in a jar – absolutely irresistible!

🍷 Local & Genuine Products What really impressed us was their focus on local ingredients from Lazio – from seasonal vegetables to meats and cheeses, even the amari (bitters) come from small local producers. This dedication to regional excellence gives the whole meal a unique depth and connection to the territory.

👨‍🍳 The Team: Roman and Professional The staff are the real deal – proudly Roman, deeply knowledgeable, and incredibly welcoming. Their professionalism is matched by their warm, down-to-earth attitude. You feel like you’re being hosted, not just served.

🏠 Atmosphere: La Roma Vera The ambiance is lively and relaxed, with fun Roman dialect on the menu (“Che se magna”, “Er primo ‘n più”) that adds charm and humor. It feels local, not touristy – just how a true osteria romana should be.

💰 Excellent Value Portions are generous, pricing is honest, and the option for half portions means you can try a bit of everything.

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💬 Final Verdict: Osteria La SolFa is the perfect balance between tradition and quality. It’s a heartfelt tribute to Roman cuisine, Lazio’s ingredients, and genuine hospitality. We left satisfied, impressed, and already planning our next visit.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Highly recommended to anyone who wants to eat like...

YOU DISAPPOINTED THREE VISITORS WITH YOUR BAD SERVICE!

We three Asians just came to Rome and picked this restaurant as it has the highest rating and the most comments. The services were so bad that we couldn't help thinking we were discriminated.

At first, we were told it was fully booked inside and only the outside seats were available. We were hungry so we accepted it but asked if we could move inside once seats were available as it was kinda cold outside and one of us was not feeling well. They said yes.

However, during the dinner, we saw people who came later than us went sat inside. They explained those people reserved the tables and would notify us once there was a table freed. We doubted they were lying. After that, even though we kept seeing people leaving, none of the waiters invited us to move inside as they promised us. Maybe those people did reserve, but the fact is that they did not respect us and took our request seriously.

And also, we noticed the people at other tables were eating the breads which are commonly served free of charge in restaurants while we were not served by any.

At the end we passed by another table of people (locals I guess), they burst into laughter and the waiter looked at us behind our back (I noticed). I don't think it is a coincidence given the differentiated treatments.

For the foods, they are good in our point of views. we ordered a Coratella, a Pajata, a Carbonara, a Aritchoke, and a tiramisu.

As a cheese lover and sweet tooth, I love Carbonara the most because the cheese in it is so creamy and heavy. And the tiramisu is great too.

Coratella and Pajata were recommended by the waiter and both contain animal organs. Coratella was the meat of the day. This is my first time trying pasta with animal organs. Coratella is basically animal organs (lamps' heart, lung and liver). Given the discrimination we felt, we doubted that these two are unsalable so they are...