Pescetto Fish Bistrot — Restaurant in Rome

This place is definitely a tourist trap. We walked in around 4pm when it was quiet. They display the seafood near the entrance for all to see with staff preparing and cooking food at the back.

When we walked in, we were shown a menu in Italian so we had no clue what we were ordering. Luckily we had google translate to help us. We decided to go for fried calamari, risotto and another pasta dish. I went to the counter to order as I wasn’t sure if the only staff would come to take our order. He kept pushing for me to get the grilled seafood which I wasn’t interested in.

Then he went to the displayed food like the seafood salad, and some other dishes that were cooked/prepared for display. When I was done ordering, he looked rather disappointed and sighed, looking to the back of the kitchen. Then continued pointing to every single fish and seafood, asking if I wanted it, and when I said no, he sighed again and tried pushing for the displayed dishes again.

I was quite frustrated, and said it’s ok, we just want the pastas. Then he looked to the back of the kitchen again and sighed. Then the strangest thing happened. He asked if the seafood salad for 9 euros is ok. I looked at the menu and it showed 4 euros. Naturally, I questioned the discrepancy, and he said that’s for 100g. Nonetheless the math just don’t add up and by this point I wanted to walk out, but my family is hungry and we had to eat.

The calamari came and I went to the staff again asking if they have any sauce, like mayonnaise. He went to the kitchen and came back with ketchup, no problem.

When I saw the ketchup it was expired. See the photo. It says September 2023 when it’s already 2024.

The group who came after us also ordered calamari and we looked over, their calamari was bigger and ours were baby sized. It’s really a joke. It’s as if we were punished for not ordering enough though we ordered 4 dishes in total.

I just don’t get how this place has a 4.6 rating. It’s seriously a tourist trap. Please be honest and improve...

So the good news...the food was lovely.

The bad news....We booked on line on their website, but when we turned up the 1 man serving the tables seemed to not have a clue we had booked. He told us it would be 5 mins & were promptly seated 45mins later. Chatting to those eating outside, it appeared those that booked had the same experience as us. Once seated we had to walk inside to get the man to take our order. I ordered a starter yet bizarely he brought my wife's main at the same time (which I sent back). Then some time later my wife's main arrived. She loved eating alone as despite my gedticulating at staff, my main arrived as she finished. Course, once mine arrived, my half of the spinach side was freezing. Then as I finished my main, our french fries arrived which he seemed surprised I no longer wanted or would pay for. 2 stars for food alone. Dining out should be accompanied by service. So a booking system which they ignore, no apology for their mistakes & a lengthy wait, food arriving at the wrong times & no one ever tending to our table means you should avoud this restaurant if you want...

We had an absolutely fantastic experience at Pescetto Fish Ristorante—so much so that we went twice during our trip to Rome! This small but lovely restaurant serves some of the most delicious seafood we've ever had.

We first went for afternoon lunch, and the food was incredible! We tried calamari, spaghetti with clams, risotto, and octopus, and every dish was fresh, flavourful, and perfectly cooked. But what truly made the experience unforgettable was Georja, one of the amazing staff members. She was so kind, caring, and absolutely lovely with our little ones (10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter), making us feel completely at home.

Because of Georja's warmth and hospitality, we couldn’t resist coming back again the next evening for dinner! And just like the first time, everything was perfect—the food, the atmosphere, and of course, the wonderful service.

If you are looking for a cozy spot with outstanding seafood and a personal touch, this is the place to be. We would return again in a heartbeat!

Grazie mille,...