Renato e Luisa — Restaurant in Rome

Disappointing Experience - Misleading and Rude Service

I had a terrible experience at this Italian restaurant in Rome. I ordered carbonara with truffle, expecting an authentic dish, but what I received tasted only of pepper—no trace of truffle whatsoever. When I mentioned this to the staff, they didn’t apologize or offer a solution.

Later, I overheard them advising other guests not to order the carbonara with truffle because it wasn’t truffle season, and they didn’t actually have truffle. This was outrageous—they knew they didn’t have truffle but still served and charged me for a dish pretending it did.

To make matters worse, the staff showed zero courtesy or care. This felt like a scam to take advantage of tourists. Is this how some Italians treat visitors? Absolutely unacceptable. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone

UPDATED RESPONSE: This is a response to the reply from Renato Astrologo, the restaurant owner.

Dear Renato,

I am disappointed by your response, which confirms the lack of professionalism I experienced at your restaurant. Allow me to clarify a few points: About the truffle dish: You claim to have the best black truffle in Italy, but the dish served to me had no discernible taste of truffle, only pepper. If your staff advised other customers not to order the truffle carbonara because it wasn’t the right season, why was I not informed of this before placing my order? Compensation: If the bill was adjusted, I appreciate it. However, I was not informed at the time that the truffle carbonara was being charged as a regular carbonara. A simple apology and clear explanation would have sufficed. Instead, it felt like you counted on the fact that, as a tourist, I would soon leave the country and wouldn’t be able to raise further concerns. Tone and accusations: Instead of addressing my concerns respectfully, your response resorts to personal attacks and unfounded accusations. I expressed my disappointment politely during my visit, and your reaction here only reinforces my negative perception of the service.

Sarcasm and hostility are not the marks of a professional restaurateur. A genuine response would focus on understanding customer feedback and improving future experiences.

Best...

We attempted to eat at this restaurant on Thursday evening. When we arrived I was asked if we had a reservation, I stated we did not and I was told there was no room in an unwelcome manner. We left for a nearby restaurant instead, and subsequently we made a reservation for Saturday night at 21:30. We arrived on time and stood unacknowledged for over twenty minutes. The party of three women in front of us, who did not have a reservation, received a warm greeting and multiple interactions while the staff prepared an 8-top table for them... while we continued to stand completely unacknowledged. The same server who was rude on Thursday literally never acknowledged our existence, instead the woman who hastily cleared our 2-top after the 8 top was finally seated was the one who came up and invited us to our table. We were in the process of being seated as the owner (I presume) of the restaurant said to the rude server "he looks angry." I turned back and said "Yes, I'm angry." Then the owner (again presumably) proceeded to quickly walk over to the table and berate my wife - who was already in the process of sitting at the table, was not privy to the "he looks angry" interaction, and was shocked when he aggressively said "do you want this table or not?" At that point we'd been treated with such disregard and disdain that she grabbed her belongings, said " actually no," and we left. And went back to the same restaurant we went to on Thursday, where the other restaurant once again promptly greeted us with incredible kindness and hospitality. That restaurant is nearby, and everyone who considers going to this restaurant should just go there instead. We had a slight wait, as we didn't have reservation, but we were acknowledged and respected and it was absolutely worth the wait.

I've lived in Rome and this is the worst experience I've ever had at a...

A Decade Later, Still Our Favorite Restaurant in Rome

Ten years ago, our family discovered Renato e Luisa, and it instantly became our favorite restaurant in Rome. Fast forward to two weeks ago when we returned to celebrate my parents' 41st wedding anniversary and honestly, we were nervous. Would it live up to our impossibly high expectations and fond memories?

Not only did it meet them, it surpassed them completely. Renato e Luisa remains our all-time favorite place in Rome.

Our waitress Irene was absolutely wonderful. She was kind, attentive, and genuinely invested in making our anniversary celebration special. Both she and Renato went above and beyond throughout the evening, surprising us with extra bites and drinks that felt like gifts from old friends. The warmth and hospitality made what was already a special family milestone feel truly magical.

As for the food, some things never change (in the best possible way). The truffle carbonara is still an absolute masterpiece, rich and perfectly executed. The balsamic steak remains a can't-miss dish that somehow gets better with each bite. Every element on our table reminded us why we fell in love with this place a decade ago.

There's something incredibly rare about a restaurant that not only maintains its excellence over ten years but actually gets better. Renato e Luisa has that special magic—the kind of place that doesn't just serve incredible food, but creates lasting memories.

We're already counting down the days until we can return. Keep it up,...