We had just finished viewing Fontana di Trevi and were looking for a place to have a late…read morelunch/early dinner. The issue I had was that I was in a super heavy tourist area and all of the restaurants we were walking past had people outside trying to lure us in. I wanted to avoid places like that, however via Yelp I discovered Il Chianti a short walk away. While still I assumed still touristy, the reviews were great and as we approached they weren't trying to lure us in, so we decided to try them out.
I take this place is very popular since I noticed a sign instructing diners for form a line as we walked up to the restaurant. However, there was no line to be found and we were seated right away. Curb appeal is lovely, they have a decently-sized outdoor seating area though we opted to sit inside. The interior is a good size and compartmentalized into different rooms. The aesthetics are mostly classic with medium to dark wood tones.
The menu contained some Tuscan dishes but also several that were more common outside of the region. We decided to start with two of their apps - a cheese plate and bread with fatty prosciutto, pistachio, and honey. The cheese plate was great, I love cheese and this one delivered - there was a good variety and the plate was paired with a few complements. The bread was great - the combination of the fatty prosciutto with the honey and nuts made for a great experience. There was a small salad in the center of the dish which was a welcome reprieve from the heaviness of the app.
For my main I decided to get pasta - the paccheri with tomato sauce and burrata was speaking to me. The dish was great - pasta was cooked well and all of the components were super fresh. I've tried burrata in may settings but rarely in a pasta dish - it worked well and now I'll be seeking it out more often.
Service was good - everyone was very friendly and there was a good pace to the rate our dishes came out. Overall, we had a great experience at Il Chianti - in a sea of touristy spots by the Trevi, this stands out as a noteworthy option for a good meal.