Ristorante Da Paolo Vaticano — Restaurant in Rome

Avoid this place at all costs. It’s a tourist trap. They are located just across the street from the Vatican Museum so they have the perfect conditions to do what they do best: stealing their customers, literally! When you see the menu you think their prices are ok: pizzas and pasta costing a maximum of 10 euros. I chose gnocchi and the waiter told me not to order it cause they were not very good that day(!). Then I tried to order a pizza and the same waiter told me they didn’t have some of the ingredients and then he suggested spaghetti with meatballs as it was the dish of the day and the pasta was fresh! I agreed without asking the price (my mistake)! While I was waiting I asked if I could charge my mobile phone anywhere in the restaurant and if it was safe. The waiter assured it was safe so I left it charging near the bar. The food arrived and it was AWFUL!!! 2 tiny, dry, tasteless meatballs and a small amount of pasta. I didn’t complain cause I was starving after 5 hours visiting the museum. The charged 26 euros for the pasta and a glass of house white wine. It is very clear that this is a scam, they try to convince you to choose something that is not on the menu, advertising it as the dish of the day and then charging what they want. I asked to see the manager and he told me, in a very rude way, that that was the price of what I have order including 4 euros of cover fee!!! After paying I asked my iPhone back and surprisingly it was not where I have left it! The manager told me they can’t control everybody who passes by. I was so angry by then that I threatened the manager to call the police that was at the museum entrance just across the street, if I didn’t get the phone real quick. Five minutes later the iPhone miraculously reappeared where I left it! I guess someone from the staff took it and when they saw me willing to call the police, they put it back. So, I had the worse Italian experience in this restaurant. If you decide go there don’t say you...

The old friendly man who offered us to sit in there, and gave us a 20% discount note was the only reason why we went in there... We went around the area after we talked to him, not wanting to take the "first and the best", and we weren't happy with the selection the other places had..... And thinking this was placed at a nice corner, first place outside of the Vaticant, friendly old man giving us discount - we then decided to go in here.......... Which was a terrible mistake.

The waiter we got, stood right next to our table the WHOLE TIME we were looking at our menu, from the beginning to the end until we ordered, as if he knew how terrible of an experience other people must have had and was trying to pressure us to buy something without leaving, and he kept clicking his * pen aaaaalllllll the time, even when we were eating. Who hires these type of people?

The food...... The dough of my pizza was the blandest and thinnest white empty crust i've ever had in my life. The different types of meat i had on top were definitely not fresh in any kind of way, and looked like the cheapest they could find, and tasted like it too. The tomato sauce couldn't have been more tasteless and pointless. Same goes for the cheese, no flavor, thin and something you wouldn't even consider buying at the mall, even if you lived on a low budget..

My girlfriends paste bolognese was : My earlier explanation of the tomato sauce, mixed with normal cooked spaghetti.

Don't EVER waste your money here, unless they change everything. The only nice thing was another old and friendly person at the counter, very sweet old lady :) ..But not worth wasting...

1 Star (Would give 0 if possible) Ristorante da Paolo, The Definition of a Tourist Trap This place was an absolute nightmare from start to finish. My family, friends, and I have traveled all over the world, eaten in countless restaurants, from hole-in-the-wall gems to Michelin-star spots, and nothing has ever been this bad. We made the mistake of stepping into Ristorante da Paolo because it looked inviting from the outside. Don’t fall for it, it’s all a façade. Within 10–15 minutes, we were completely fed up and ready to leave. We ordered three soft drinks, one coffee, a plate of fries, and a tomato bruschetta, basic, simple items that any halfway-decent place could handle. The fries were mediocre, the drinks flat, and when the bruschetta arrived, I found a hair sitting right on top of it. Absolutely disgusting. I didn’t even bother saying anything because I didn’t want to make a scene, but we were all revolted. And then came the bill, €49.50. For three soft drinks, one coffee, fries, and a single bruschetta with a hair in it! Utterly ridiculous. It honestly felt like being scammed in broad daylight. The service, rude, careless, and uninterested. The staff acted like they were doing us a favor by even acknowledging us. The whole place thrives off tricking tourists into walking in, eating overpriced food, and leaving disappointed. My entire group walked out disgusted, annoyed, and furious. Without a doubt, this is the worst restaurant we’ve ever been to, anywhere in the world. Avoid Ristorante da Paolo at all costs. If you value your money, your stomach, and your sanity, don’t even stop to...