Ristorante Sibilla — Restaurant in Tivoli

I just had to dine at Ristorante Sibilla so I could gain access to the iconic circular Temple of Vesta and the less prominent adjacent Temple of the Sibyl. The restaurant’s long history itself was also attractive, having operated from 1720! I had high expectations and unfortunately, the food did not stack up. Before my meal began, I was provided with an amuse-bouche of a cross between focaccia and pizza napoletana which was a nice gesture from the restaurant but didn’t illustrate any particular finesse on the cooking side of things. My entree was stuffed and deep fried zucchini flowers and that dish was quite nice and the best one of the night. For a main I ordered osso buco and it was a huge disappointment. It was veal, rather than yearling or beef, so that was a good start, but the failure was in the cooking. With this dish, the meat is supposed to be tender and juicy from cooking in a flavourful broth/sauce, but it came out dry and stringy. Perhaps it was undercooked? Perhaps the broth/sauce it was braised in was lacking structure and flavour? The final embellishment to osso buco is usually some kind of gremolata, traditionally garlic, parsley and lemon zest chopped up finely together, but a good chef will improvise to find a new flavour dimension to thrill diners, especially at an expensive venue like Sibilla. On the occasion I dined (March 2024) there was no gremolata to lift the average flavour of my main meal. Dessert was semifreddo and although it was pleasant, it was hardly memorable. To end off on a positive note, I ordered a Vin Santo which was nice. I asked to view the Temples, which was granted, although only the Temple of Vesta was lit, so I remain none the wiser about the Temple of the Sibyl, after which the restaurant is named. It was generally disappointing, especially given the potential but I must say the staff were incredibly attentive and helpful, the surroundings were hard to beat (I adored the antique tiled floor in particular) but the music was a big fail: easy listening cover versions of popular songs from the...

BOOKING RECOMMENDED!! By the stroke of luck and the grace of God we were seated without a booking at this world famous restaurant (without a booking) on a Saturday afternoon that had been graced with idyllic temperatures, blue skies and a mood of joy and Love. If you love food, eat here (every course is exquisite, well chosen to be balanced with flavor and artistic qualities). If you love history, eat here (in the shadows of 300 BC Roman columns and a wall of marble plaques sharing a rich history). Do you appreciate gardens? The wisteria which provides respite from the Italian sun and allows a gentle sun kissed light to dance on the patrons is thought to be the second oldest Wisteria in the country. The wine list is generous, the wait staff attentive and the memories of a gorgeous afternoon will lady a lifetime. I can only hope you will have a...

The food was ok, and I appreciate them taking us in without a reservation

But we ordered appetisers and pasta

We got our appetisers very quickly, but then we never got our pastas

While waiting we ordered coffee, finished it, asked where our pasta was, was told it was being prepared

After roughly an hour of no pasta we were told the chef didn't see our order and it hasn't been made yet...

At that point we were tired of waiting so we told them to just not give us the pasta

I'm really surprised it took them an hour to realise the chef wasn't aware of our food...

We weren't offered any discount, or anything to compensate for our inconvenience, we just paid our bill and left

Super underwhelming

If you do go here be prepared to check if the chef is aware of your order, and double check...