Rhinoceros Le Restau & RoofBar — Restaurant in Rome

On a quiet and beautiful night, a raucous flop

The menu on the website is not the current one. When we explained our disappointment at reading a different and not interesting menu in loco, one waiter said that he would talk with the manager of the website, another said something different, and silly, that I have forgotten... We asked for a bottle of wine - the wine menu has no wine by the glass, which is incorrect as we found out later - and were told that they had sold the last one the previous day, a Monday, when they are closed. When faced with this fact the waiter said that they had had a private party for some famous brand (I omit the name). Did he want to impress us? He failed. We finally picked a Caricante (Planeta) known to us not to risk being disappointed - more on this later. The amuse bouche was good. We managed to find in the boring menu 2 starters: if the gaspacho was good the crab croquette was a total disappointment. The crab had obviously stayed in the kitchen. They forgot also to bring new cutlery so we had to grab the attention of another waiter to get it. The bread and olive oil were good - yet we paid for something we had not asked for. Luckily though, they saved us from starving. Then the salmon was laid in front of us and lay there, almost untouched. The wine clashed with the food and could not be even enjoyed as apéritif. The waiters, apparently never tasted/read about the food and the wines being served, so do not expect expert advice from them. Do not expect to have your glass refilled either. We left half the bottle. Hopefully they can use it for cooking - or serve by the glass. The waiter was gracious enough to listen to our criticism and at least we were not charged for one of the main dishes. We left with a bitter taste and an empty stomach, and did not even stop at the art gallery to enjoy Picasso's works, as we had planned. Our first impression after using the ridiculous lift that looked like a sado-maso room, should have been taken seriously and we should have turned our backs to this pretentious and mediocre venue. After 47 Boutique Hotel, the second worst...

Don't come for the food, just enjoy the view. We stumbled across this place because it was nearby. First, it works as both a rooftop bar on one side and a restaurant on the other. They seem rather confused about the reservation we made, whether it was for the bar or restaurant (we thought it was for restaurant but they sat us in the bar). Shortly, that was sorted, and we were seated in the restaurant. They have pretensions of a gourmet experience, with a tasting menu that's getting up near Michelin Star prices. But we ordered a la carte, a starter and main. An arouse bouche was underwhelming, which set the stage for the rest of the meal. We had starters of a watermelon and "pork belly" which was actually preserved watermelon and prosciutto. Also a steak with sea urchin emulsion. Not good, neither of them. Steak was not a good cut, and not cooked well. It was chewy and seemed pre-cooked. Sea urchin emulsion tasted a bit off, but was probably just poor preparation. The preserved watermelon was too old, and prosciutto wasn't good quality. Mains we risotto and saltimbocca. Risotto was way undercooked, and combination of flavors (mint, lemon, shelfish) was just a huge miss. Nothing worked, and the dish was inedible, my wife inly got through a few bites. My salitmbocca pork was a bit dry and oversalted, and accompaniments were off the mark as well. It wasn't bad, just not good. I ate only half. The dessert was ok, but my bet it wasn't prepared by this kitchen. In fact if I had to guess, they had an inexperienced consultant chef come in and design a menu that the kitchen just couldn't execute. They ideas were a stretch, but could have worked.. with perfect execution. But what we got was really sad attempts. Maybe they were just lazy, and expect guest to be so wowed by the view they wouldn't know the food was just.. bad. To their credit they did discount the risotto from our bill. So my honest review is that you can come for the views at the bar but don't order food. At these prices, it's just not worth it to be so disappointed. The kitchen needs to do better.. probably they need a total revamp of the...

We visited Rhinoceros Le Restau & Terraces while in Rome and made the walk from the Colosseum ~ be warned, it’s quite a trek and a bit tricky to find, as the entrance is somewhat tucked away and up the street. The building and elevator gave off a slightly unfinished vibe, which left us wondering if that was intentional. The bathroom was also very small and felt out of place considering the upscale pricing.

A note of caution: canceling the same day of your reservation will result in an €80 penalty, so plan ahead!

Upon arrival, we were first given menus without prices ~ which felt odd and uncomfortable. We had to request new ones just to know what we were actually ordering.

That said, there were some lovely surprises. The complimentary chickpeas with crispy barley and a selection of fresh bread and olive oil were a nice touch from the chef. Our mains, lasagna and pasta with tuna, were good (though portion sizes were modest). My pasta was a bit too salty for my liking. The standout of the night was the prosecco ~ absolutely the best I’ve ever had! I wish I had asked about the winemaker. My mom’s dessert, a chocolate cake with cream and fresh berries, was delightful.

Service-wise, it felt lacking. I understand European dining norms don’t include frequent check-ins, but for a place associated with Michelin-starred Aroma, I expected a bit more attention. After walking for an hour to get there, we waited quite a while for water and food, and once our meals arrived, no one came by to check in.

One major downside: the terrace, while beautiful, allowed guests to smoke right next to us. As someone sensitive to cigarette smoke, this was really off-putting and affected the overall enjoyment.

All in all, this is a stylish and picturesque restaurant with some solid dishes, a fantastic glass of prosecco, and great views ~ but a few service and atmosphere quirks hold it back from being truly exceptional. A solid 3.5 to...