***(Finding this restaurant and hotel: We were using a GPS, but drove past Al Batello initially. We…read morediscovered the restaurant's outdoor seating is nestled behind the arches and the name, Al Batello, is on the wall above the arch under the walkway... on the street above the arches it reads, Ristorante del Battello. There isn't a traditional checkin desk for getting a room--just go inside the charming little room where there are a few tables and the bar and they will help you there. The food, service, and getting to know the owners are worth the effort of finding this hotel and restaurant. Our room was a third floor walk-up, which we didn't mind at all because it was all cobble stones and old world charm every step of the way.)
NOTE: The restaurant was open for breakfast and lunch, then closed at 3pm and opened again in the evening at 6pm. I don't know if this is their year-round schedule, so you might want to ask.
"If you're a warm and friendly person, you're more likely get the same from others."
We ate multiple times at Ristorante Batello while we were in Mercote, and enjoyed it every time. We had wonderful pasta, polenta, and other dishes, and the wine was superb. We also rented a room upstairs which was completely charming and quintessentially old world Italian.
The owners, Milan & Radica were warm and welcoming, and very patient with our lack of ability to speak Italian beyond a few phrases :D They spoke a little English and we found a way to understand each other that was sweet and made our visit to Mercote all that more enjoyable. Dragon, who also worked in the restaurant was also welcoming and friendly.
If you visit Mercote, we highly recommend stopping by to eat and to stay if you're looking for a place to rest your noggen for the night, or two, or three.
