Ristorante Fuocolento — Restaurant in Rome

A TALE OF TWO RESTAURANTS

Let me set the scene for you. The place is Via Flavia, in Rome, Italy. It’s mid-October, 2021, and, as you walk down the street, there are two restaurants, situated right next to each other on the same side of the street. At first glance, they seem to be very, very similar. They both have indoor and outside seating. Both of them have tables set out on the street that are covered with white tablecloths. Directly above the tables, providing shelter from rain and direct sunlight, each of them have erected large, formidable tent-like coverings of exactly the same off-white color. Actually, side by side, they look like they’re sections of the same restaurant. But, they’re not. In fact, they’re competitors and, based on our dining at both establishments on different occasions, my wife and I can tell you that you can have a wonderful, delicious meal at one of them, but a very not-so-satisfying experience at the other. In particular, we would highly recommend dining at Ristorante Fuocolento, while we would strongly urge you to avoid Ristorante La Grand Bellezza.

Our experience, which led to the above conclusion, began in a very strange way. We had just arrived at The St. Regis Rome after a long flight from New York and, because we were tired, we asked one of the hotel’s concierges if he could suggest a nice nearby restaurant for us to have dinner at. The concierge highly recommended Ristorante Fuocolento and, after making a reservation for the two of us there that night, he provided us with a card containing a written confirmation of that reservation for us to present to the restaurant. However, when we left the hotel and walked down Via Flavia, not seeing any more restaurants as we looked down the rest of the street and not realizing that we were approaching two separate restaurants, not one, we handed our reservation card to the man standing outside of the first restaurant we had come to, Ristorante La Grand Bellezza, who immediately assured us that we were at the right place and seated us as quickly as he could, thereby effectively “stealing” the reservation away from its neighboring competitor. A few minutes later, we saw that two of our friends, who had also been staying at The St. Regis Rome and who had also been recommended by the concierge to go to Ristorante Fuocolento had, indeed, gone to the right restaurant. They asked us to join them at their table but, by then, it was too late. They had a wonderful meal and we suffered through ours which, although the service was fairly decent, was among the worst food we had tasted in Italy on that trip.

A few days later, my wife and I headed off to the Amalfi Coast for a little over a week and then returned to Rome. This time, we made a reservation at Ristorante Fuocolento, made sure that we went to the right place, and had a delightful, delicious dinner there. Each course was excellent, and the service was efficient, friendly, and warm. It was a wonderful experience. However, during our meal, every once in a while, I glanced over to see what was happening at the entrance to Ristorante La Grand Bellezza, where I saw one of its employees stopping people walking down the street, urging them to eat there, pouring them glasses of prosecco without even asking them if they wanted any, and using every trick in the book to stop them before they passed by his restaurant and got to Ristorante Fuocolento. After watching him for a few minutes, it became clear that this was the man’s primary responsibility, thereby convincing me that my wife and I were not the first ones to be tricked into dining at the wrong establishment.

I’ll end my tale with the following message. If you’re ever walking down Via Flavia and you’re looking for a great place to eat, try Ristorante Fuocolento. But, if you succumb to the devious tactics of Ristorante La Grand Bellezza and wind up eating there, you’re in for a very disappointing and much more...

Honestly really surprised with this place. I’ll say this first: if you want a lively atmosphere this is absolutely not the place for you. I was with a party of 7 (college age). We felt very uncomfortable with the level of volume in the dining room and because it’s such a small place the waiters are right next to you and can hear everything. For younger crowds, the atmosphere wasn’t right. Everyone was very nice and the service wasn’t bad by any means, but when I order a main appetizer on a small menu on a Friday night and they say they don’t have it, I take issue. My friend ordered the tasting menu which is very expensive and they told him individuals can’t order it, which is interesting. We generally felt like we were accommodating them. Despite this, I ordered the sea bass and it was really excellent. The food overall was great and not at a crazy price, although the portions were generally small which is something to keep in mind. Depending on the dish you get, it could be very little food. My friend ordered the cod and got a disgraceful amount (3-4 tiny pieces). Considering the price of cod this was a little sad. One tried the carbonara and said it tasted like something he could make from a box. That was really the only negative comment about the food. Everyone else enjoyed their meal for the most part. The wine was also fantastic. Overall not for us but I think with some minor adjustments on menu/service and the right crowd Fuocolento could...

A Phenomenal Experience at Fuocolento, Thanks to Dani!

After an unfortunate experience at Paris, we decided to head over to Rome, and it turned out to be the best decision we made! From the moment we arrived, the service was impeccable, all thanks to Dani, who went above and beyond to ensure every single one of our needs was met with care and attention.

The food was nothing short of spectacular—each dish was crafted to perfection and left us raving about the flavors. The wine selection was equally impressive, complementing our meals beautifully. And the atmosphere? Absolutely phenomenal! The ambiance struck the perfect balance of elegance and warmth, making the entire evening feel like a dream.

Dani truly made the experience unforgettable with their exceptional hospitality. If you’re looking for a place where you’re treated like royalty, served incredible food and wine, and can soak in a magical atmosphere, Fuocolento is the place to go. Thank you, Dani, for turning our night around and making it one to remember!

We’ll definitely...