Tartufi&Friends — Restaurant in Rome

Today we visited Tartufi & Friends after reading many positive reviews. As it was noted that reservations were recommended, we made one online approximately ten minutes before our arrival.

Upon reaching the restaurant, the owner asked whether we had a reservation, and we confirmed. We politely requested to be seated in the pleasant outdoor area, but were told — quite curtly — that because our booking was made only shortly before arriving, we would need to wait outside for about 30 minutes for a table, despite there being several visibly empty ones.

Not wanting to wait, we were shown to a table in a cramped indoor space, directly beside the restrooms. The lighting was harsh and flickering, and people queuing for the bathroom were standing right next to our table. The door to the restroom opened almost onto us — an unfortunate and uncomfortable setting for any meal.

After asking to be moved, the staff kindly offered us a table outside, right in front of the entrance, exposed to the wind. Meanwhile, several tables remained vacant inside.

During our time at the restaurant, we observed multiple guests arriving without reservations being seated immediately at desirable tables. Another couple, who had reserved days in advance, encountered a similar situation to ours. Their polite request to be seated elsewhere was declined, with the explanation that they would need to wait an hour — again, despite the availability of tables. Others without bookings were accommodated without delay.

While the food was enjoyable, it did not justify the overall experience. At a restaurant of this caliber, one expects not only fine cuisine, but also thoughtful hospitality and a welcoming atmosphere.

To his credit, our server was professional and courteous. However, the overall treatment we received left us eager to finish our meal and leave.

Before departing, I approached the owner to express — respectfully — that the experience had been disappointing. He responded with justifications that, unfortunately, did not align with what we had observed ourselves.

It’s a shame, as the potential for a memorable dining experience certainly exists here. I sincerely hope future guests will be treated with the care and consideration one would expect from such a highly regarded...

The most delicious scam

TLDR: highly recommended for anyone who appreciates fine food, a broad wine selection and being taken advantage of with hidden charges 🚨

The food at Tartufi & Friends was supreme - don't get my wrong. I'm experienced with fine dining and have no issue paying big bucks for a tiny portion of well prepared food. But food quality isn't the reason for the dreadful feeling I have at this moment due to having chosen T&F for our last dinner of Italy.

No customer should feel THIS surprised when the bill comes. Our evening ended with us feeling violated and dare I say: fooled. The lack of transparency on pricing is appalling and is illegal in most countries (perhaps also in Italy, didn't check).

The manager, a fine spoken 45 year old Italian with perfect English and a calming demeanor managed to pull one on us. Our final bill was around 3x what we expected it to be, due to the added charges of extravagant "white truffle", which was casually offered by the manager to add to our meals as if asking us our preference on free included french fries or potato wedges.

The way our waiter proposed the implied free topping into the ultimate upsell, turned our €14 pizza into €49, our €30 pasta into a €70 and other fun surprised such as these. When any dish "addition" is 3-4x the price of the dish itself, a small "BTW, this is additional cost" is expected on a moral level.

The restaurant will likely respond with the typical lawyer response: “it’s written in the menu on page 6 in small font overlooked by most normal humans”.

Perhaps Italian lawmakers haven't gotten around to this yet, as is regulated in the USA and other countries. Until then, I'll do my part of a citizen of the world and help Google regulate establishments that don't have the minimal decency to alert travelers of a bill they aren’t expecting.

If you don’t mind being charged 3x more than what you are expecting, or if you’re OK on spending time reviewing the small print - ignore this review and go eat at...

This place came highly recommended, but it turned out to be one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. We arrived with two hungry children after a long day, and instead of being treated with basic courtesy, we were met with arrogance. No one around us had reservations—not the people waiting in line before us, and not the couples who arrived after us—yet they were seated while we were deliberately passed over. When a table finally opened up, the waiter refused to give it to us, even though another staff member had promised it. When I asked why, he came up with numerous excuses: first that we didn’t have a reservation (though no one did), then that after 7 p.m. they divide tables of four into two for couples, and then some other excuse—until he finally snapped, “I’m the boss of the tables, and I’ll decide who sits.” His dismissive, rude attitude was shocking, especially considering we had children waiting to eat.

When he eventually let us sit, the service only got worse. I asked for food recommendations, and he shrugged and said, “Order whatever you want.” He offered no menu suggestions, no drink recommendations, and even took away our wine glasses before we could order. I had to ask another waiter just to get the wine list and place an order. Later, when the food arrived, the truffles (the main reason we came) weren’t even served—I had to again ask another waiter to fix it.

The food itself was mediocre at best. The steak was dry and disappointing, nowhere near the quality we expected. Combined with the unbelievably rude service, this was a complete letdown. With so many authentic restaurants in the area that actually care about their guests, this place is nothing more than tourist-oriented and careless. Absolutely not...