Taverna di Dracula — Restaurant in Tivoli

Tldr; this is a tavern pretending to be a restaurant that wouldn't be worth the visit.

Explanation: To start from the beginning, for me, the fact that it is the only open food place in Tivoli around lunch time looks like a tourist trap we should have predicted before we entered. We also made the mistake of not checking the menu before sitting.

The waiter is the tavern's owner, the kitchen staff is his wife and mother, so this is indeed a tavern and not a restaurant. Respectfully, I think that with one-person service, you cannot charge 1.50€ for service, and for a two-staff kitchen, you cannot charge so much for a tiny portion of whatever.

The welcoming was very very very friendly, quite overwhelming, almost annoying for me to be honest. I read another review saying that he is a "seller", and yes, I can confirm:"we are open, not like others", "this is Romania, not Italy", "this is the best Romanian wine", "very tasty", "we help the poor people". Not specifically bad things, but overselling, aggressive marketing. He also read the menu to us, but word by word, as if we couldn't. It was a very cringey experience for me.

In detail, the starter for us was a Romanian version of bruschetta; a slice of bread topped with a paste of aubergine and tomato for 3€ each. Not for the company but as separate starters. The mixed salad was a small bowl (1 person quantity) with paper-thin slices of vegetables, no dressing, no salt, 6€. Mains were terribly overpriced, most of them without any side dishes. For example, 4 small plain "sausages" for 14€, a tiny square of thin lasagna for 12€, of course the 5 pork ribs (with "polenda" on the side) for 18€!! We ordered french fries for side dishes for 5€ for a small flat plate.

At a total of 90€, I would never visit this place again. The place was kitsch, but a last resort to comfort our hanger, we paid too much for nothing, with an arrogant but polite waiter. Don't get me wrong, the food was tasty, but it wasn't worth it. Not to mention the long wait for the food to be prepared, our table that was taken by another party due to the lack of staff, and us having to visit the cave, again, due to the...

Would give it 10 stars if I could! The quality of home made food, fresh ingredients, kind welcoming staff, and interesting setting makes this place an absolute gem! A diamond that stands out in a sea of mediocre food all around. After touring 90% of Italy the last few weeks, my expectations of food quality had rea really diminished from what I’d imagined it to be before leaving the US, but after leaving the D’este grounds we wandered to this incredible place for a late lunch. The owner welcomed us, made us smile despite being overheated and tired, showed us to an attached cave inside where it was like walking into a fridge! He communicated (in multiple languages) very well, put up with my meager attempt to speak Italian with a smile, offered us suggestions on what to eat, brought us a treat from Romania, and really made us feel like we were visiting a long lost friend! The cabbage rolls were beyond perfection (my wife with family from near Romania couldn’t believe how good they were) and after one plate disappeared we ordered a second! The Greek salad was full of life, fresh ingredients, a light flavorful combination that made my taste buds dance! We started with the bruschetta which was a crunchy bread and harmonious balance of peppers onions tomatoes and possibly more, but when you’re eating it all you can think of is how amazing it tasted and wonder why this level of quality isn’t found more often! And the dessert, WOW!! This dessert should be winning awards! We got the Dracula dessert which was a crispy and soft, warm homemade doughnut, covered with the best sour cherry marmalade, and sour cream, an immersive experience with cold mixing with warm, sweet with sour, tangy and savory and still light!

This family owned, and ran Romanian restaurant is one I’ll never forget, dream about after I leave and it will be an absolute must to eat here every time I come...

We have tried many good restaurants all over the world and this is one of best. It totally deserves Michelin stars. First, the food tasted perfect. We started with Sangue di Dracula , it’s like sangria but with additional spices , it smells flora and tastes delightful ! We then ordered the cabbage rolls ( involtini di Verza con carne e polenta ) and pork stew (Galletto alla Dracula ). We had cabbage rolls in many places before this is the best we had , the texture and the palate are perfectly balanced. The herb and spice are very unique and complemented the meat really well, the smell is also pleasant but not aggressive. The whole thing is like a well composted symphony, you can taste all the ingredients clearly , yet they come together in a harmony with an elevated enjoyment , what a masterpiece. The owner / chef is very friendly and we like he is proud of his motherland’s food. This is our first time to try Romanian food and he explained them in the right amount of details. Also free drinks at the begging and end is a plus for an authentic and unique Romanian food experience. The ambience is quiet and cozy , my only recommendation is to change the lighting of interior to be warmer color tone and dimmer so it fits into the theme better. We were not hungry when we got to the restaurant because we had our lunch at 4pm, was originally going to just ordered some appetizer, but the food is amazing and we even want to try their BBQ there lol, what a...