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I Buoni Amici

4.5 (93 reviews)
ModerateItalian, Mediterranean
Closed 12:00 pm - 3:00 PM, 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM

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Recommended Reviews - I Buoni Amici

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Highly recommend this restaurant, good quality food. This place is filled with locals for a reason.

Grilled Brombo
Marie B.

The best place to have a delicious meal after visiting the Coliseum. Restaurant where you only find local and no tourist. We really enjoyed everything that we ordered. The seafood salad and the fish were very fresh and delicious, the tiramusu exquisite. The bread was great. Some of the servers speak English. The prices are very reasonable.

Small dining room-lots of Italians and some tourists-like me!
Trish W.

We walk in and are greeted by a friendly gentleman who guides us to a table and asks if we like that one or the one by the window. We take the window. Then a pleasant young man comes and offers drinks so we accept sparkling water and a bottle of white wine. Then our server, an older smiling man brings menus and shows us the antipasto buffet when we express interest in that as our starter. What a smorgasbord of flavors we experienced from the buffet-and mostly good! I tried marinated sardines (too strongly fishy and tangy for my taste), seafood salad, octopus salad, stewed squid rings, all sorts of eggplant, vegetable tortilla (frittata), cooked broccoli and rucola, smoked salmon among other things. We enjoyed these with their good bread. Normally I'd have stopped there but being on vacation I continued with pasta-linguine vongole-and it was al dente to a fault and teeming with clams. Aside from the crunchy pasta it was also too salty, and I'm the sort of gal who shamelessly adds salt to her food at the table so you understand I'm not averse to sodium. But I won't criticize the restaurant because I've come to find that lots of salt and hard pasta are how the Italians like their food. Their palates are different from my American one. I respect that. I would recommend this place for their good service, reasonably priced food and drinks (€47 for antipasto buffet, 2 pastas, bottle of wine and bottle of sparkling water), and the nice atmosphere-quaint, charming but not in a touristy, inauthentic way. Just ask the kitchen to cook the pasta longer than they normally would, to accommodate the American taste.

First course (pastas)
Murray W.

I had found this place online as a good Roman restaurant, somewhat near the room my wife and I were staying at on the first part of our honeymoon in Italy. We had a 15-20m wait and there was no list, basically just the honour system for those lined up around the entrance. It's pretty quaint inside, with random pictures, plates and articles on the walls, and just the feeling of being an old, neighbourhood joint. It was an all-male group of servers as seems to be de rigeur in Italy, and customers were a mix of both tourists and locals. Given the good reviews, I wanted to try some of the local fare instead of your typical pizza and pasta dishes. I went with something fresh for my wife and I to start with - insalata di pomodori (tomato salad). For myself I ordered the stracciatella alla romana (egg drop soup) and scaloppine a piacere (sliced veal). We also got a bottle of reasonably price Chianti Classico to drink. The wine came immediately, just grabbed off a nearby shelf. The wine glasses were simple, nothing more than a table glass with a tiny neck. I have the feeling no wine snobs complain about that here, unlike know-it-alls back in Canada. Our tomato salad came soon after - a bowl of halved cherry tomatoes with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. The tomatoes were very fresh and the olive oil added some depth but still kept the dish fairly simple, in a good way. I really enjoyed the soup; there was a light chicken flavour to broth and lots of floating whisps of egg with flecks of fresh basil. The eggs were super light, and I feel like they were just cooked in the hot broth. I very much appreciated the bowl of serve-your-own parmesan, which should be at every restaurant no matter the style of cooking. The veal dish consisted of three thin slices that were between deli meat and fryer steak in thickness. The sauce seemed like a simple pan sauce finished with lemon juice for a bright acidic pop. While the veal wasn't quite as tender as it could have been, the lack of steak knives in this place (and the handful of restaurants we'd been to thus far) didn't help the experience. Service was spot on - not quite up to North American standards, but the best we had so far in Rome, and the best food up to that point as well. If you're staying in the central historic district, and a little bit to the east of the Colosseum, you have to try out I Buoni Amici for a true taste of Rome.

Alek S.

Amazing! The service was great and welcoming. The food was amazing. Thoroughly enjoyed the authentic food and atmosphere.

Seafood salad- refreshing
Kimberly C.

Found this place on Yelp after touring the Colosseum. For my one meal in Rome, I wish I picked a place with a nicer ambiance, or view, for example, those touristy outdoor cafes in the beautiful piazzas, but the attentive service and food here made up for it. Ambiance was a really warm and comforting break from walking around all day, like someone inviting you to take a rest in their home. We were pretty much the first customers of the day, so our server helped us with recommendations and questions. The house wine was 10 euros for the bottle, but he gave me the whole bottle and would just charge me according to however much I drank, what a great system. We started with the seafood salad, which was a mix of fresh octopus, squid, celery, olives, olive oil, probably lemon and pepper. The octopus was really fresh and tender, and this was such a refreshing dish after walking so much in the sun. Then we had the spaghetti with clams. The pasta was perfect and the clams were also fresh. The flavor was very simple, like butter and garlic. The highlight was the orecchiette with crayfish. The sauce was really flavorful, I liked the texture and shape of the orecchiette (never had that before) and the crayfish was meaty. We probably should have ordered another one of those, but we went for the pheasant instead, thinking that was something unique to order. Our server kind of hinted that it wasn't really worth it to us, "like chicken" but we wanted to try it anyways. He was right, "like chicken," nothing special. Tiramisu was good.

House chianti. Delicious!
Linh L.

Great service, great italian dishes, and great prices! I had the spaghetti with large clams and my husband had the ravioli to start. I ate everything on my plate. My hubby mopped his sauce up with crusty bread. For our entrees my husband got the veal cutlets with butter and lemon sauce. He actually closed his eyes with the first bite. Weirdo. I liked my Typical Roman dish but was so full from devouring my spaghetti and wanted room for dessert. My husband loved my tiramisu so I traded him for his lemon cake. Both fluffy, creamy, and vibrant flavors. So 2 first dishes, 2 entrees, 2 desserts, a bottle of water, and a bottle of chianti. The bill was $54 euro. One of the best meals we've had so far on our Europe trip and by far the best value. Everyone was very friendly. A must in my opinion.

Seth S.

When you are out seeing the sights in a new city, sometimes you stop in the first place you can find to grab a bite and recharge. Fortunately, a stop in I Buoni Amici provided the best dining experience I encountered in Rome. The restaurant is very small and located off a side street in the Manzoni area. My group of three arrived one hour before the close of their lunch. Even with multiple people waiting, we were worked in fairly quickly. The restaurant was absolutely packed and the staff was increasingly harried. We started things off right with a bottle of montepulciano and green salads. My wife ordered an antipasti platter that was reportedly delicious. For my main I ordered the classic Roman dish of Cacio e Pepe. The preparation varies from restaurant and family, but generally includes al dente spaghetti (or similar noodle), and pecorino cheese with cracked pepper. It's very simple as a dish, and absolutely outstanding if done correctly, which I can attest to here. The version at I Buoni Amici includes grated cheese on top of the pasta instead of cooked with the pasta. For dessert, our table sampled a number of items, including a phyllo and custard dessert and affogato. The desserts were excellent in all respects, the phyllo dish especially. The service throughout was courteous but occasionally rushed. The restaurant was filled to the max completely with locals, so it's probably a good idea to arrive early to ensure a table. Our total bill came out to €65, not bad for a meal and dessert for three with a superb bottle of wine. Stop in for a family style meal and you'll find it to be one of the best decisions you make while in Rome.

Chicken de la casa
Tricia R.

Best meal in Rome!! Found this little restaurant thanks to yelp and loved it so much we went back the next night! The first night we were a bit tired of pasta so went for the chicken de la casa & chicken lemone with vegetable soup as an appetizer. It was delisioso!!!! The soup was so fresh & tasty, it could have been a meal all by itself. And the chicken de la casa was perfecto! It had a light cream sauce with mushrooms. For desert we shared the tiramisu & a shot of lemoncello. And of course espresso to end the night. We left feeling satisfied and not stuffed. I had seen a yummy salad with shrimp & lobster, so decided to try that the second night. I ordered the seafood salad but got a plate of octopus. I probably should have pointed on the menu. I had never eaten it before but decided to try it and I LOVED it. My husband ordered the chicken de la casa again (which was even better the second night) and I tried the linguini with lobster sauce. Both excellent! I noticed a lot of people ordering the clams and wished I had tried them. Maybe we'll go back again tonight!! $$ Price was very reasonable.... 2 chicken dishes, soup, bottled water, bottle of wine, lemoncello, dessert & espresso for $45 €!!!!!!!

Sterling L.

This was a great little family run Trattoria. Where we had spinach cheese soup, linguine with mixed seafood some crusty bread and olive oil. And a couple desserts. Food was exceptionally good very reasonably priced.

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8 years ago

Excellent food and service. This has been one of our favorite restaurants so far in our visit to Rome.

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11 years ago

Found the restaurant on yelp and proces To be very correct! Pure and simple, just perfect! Wine was very soft and good to.

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12 years ago

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11 years ago

Authentic Italian food. Beware that past is cooked al dante. Excellent service and good food.

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12 years ago

Simple and delicious Italian food! Really cheap if compared to others restaurants in the city.

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10 years ago

Yum and go early! A neighborhood favorite with delicious choices and Roman hospitality. Everything on the menu is delicious. Go hungry!

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I Buoni Amici Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - I Buoni Amici

My regret is that we did not eat here our first night in Rome, as we would surely have eaten here every night.

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Sofia - Simple, fresh, and delicious.

Sofia

4.4(168 reviews)
2.4 kmCentro Storico
€€€

Best restaurant we went to while we were in Italy. Yep, this restaurant was even better than a…read moremichelin star restaurant we dined at in Venice. At first when we arrived at Sofia's we were skeptical since the restaurant was completely empty (this was around 6pm). But then we realized that europeans tend to have dinner after 8pm (the restaurant filled up around that time). So don't hesitate to go inside if it's looking a little empty! What we had: Focaccia Bread - Possibly the best bread we had in Italy. It was made fresh and very well seasoned. Seabass carpaccio - light dish that was very well balanced. Duck ragu - omg this was beaut. Highly recommended Pasta with bacon? - pretty good as well but wasnt as good as the duck ragu. Duck breast with salad - cooked to perfection and all the flavors were very well balanced. Beef fillet - it was also cooked to perfection. The sauce complimented the dish very well. Overall, i wish we had the opportunity to eat here again rather than trying other restaurants that werent even half as good as this place.

Today was a long and grueling day of walking on pavement, cobblestones, and whatever else the…read moreRomans used 2,000 years ago. As a Southern American trying to navigate Rome, I'm still completely confused. I cannot for the life of me figure out north vs. south or east vs. west in this city. Every street somehow looks historic, beautiful, and exactly the same. By 9 PM, after walking more than 10 miles today and standing in countless lines -- one for over an hour -- I was exhausted. I was close to my hotel and started looking for somewhere to eat. I had already passed Sofia earlier and really didn't want to backtrack even a few blocks. But after going the wrong direction again and somehow ending up right back near it, I figured that was a sign. So, Sofia it was. My ordering skills in Italy are still not exactly professional level. I really need a local Italian to help me. Yeah, I'm slow... remember, I'm from the South. I ordered the Mezza Maniche Carbonara. I mean, you can't really go wrong with noodles, cheese, and pork, right? A few minutes after ordering, they brought out this little appetizer-looking thing that I'm still confused about. It was this tiny little ball about the size of my thumb. I took one bite and it was absolutely delicious. Honestly, I'm not even sure I want to know what was in it, but at that point I was hungry enough not to ask questions. Then the pasta arrived. Drumroll... First bite? Absolutely divine. Rich, creamy, cheesy pasta with perfectly cooked pork mixed throughout. Fantastic. I devoured the entire plate, chased it down with a Coke, grabbed my glass bottle of water, and walked down the street carrying it like a Roman wino. Great food, great atmosphere, and a perfect little outdoor dining setup on one of Rome's tiny city streets

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Sofia - Seating inside

Seating inside

Sofia - Umami Broth with Raw Seafood, samphire and Aromatic Shiso Notes

Umami Broth with Raw Seafood, samphire and Aromatic Shiso Notes

Sofia - Braised Beef Tortello, Buffalo Infusion and Tomato Cream

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Braised Beef Tortello, Buffalo Infusion and Tomato Cream

Origano Trevi

Origano Trevi

3.9(90 reviews)
2.4 kmCentro Storico
€€

Got hungry after visiting the Trevi Fountain? This place is just a stone throw away from the hustle…read moreand bustle. It's a small entrance down a cobblestone street but the outside is deceiving. Inside there's a bakery with all sorts of treats, and behind that, the restaurant opens up into a large dining area with big brick arches. It looks grand but is very casual. All the staff are super friendly and speak English. We tried a margherita pizza with mushrooms and prosciutto, tonnarlli cacio e Pepe with artichokes, and carbonara. Both pastas were fantastic with cheesy and creamy with a hint of spice from pepper. The pizza was awesome. If you enjoy thin crust or are carb sensitive this is for you. For dessert we tried maritozzo, basically a cream filled baguette which wasn't my favorite.

A cute little restaurant close to several tourist attractions with lots of vegetarian and vegan…read moreoptions! Service is friendly and quick here; our server spoke English, which was helpful. Overall, the food was quite good here and they had decent sized portions. Our favorite dish there was an artichoke carpaccio which came with shavings of pecorino, olive oil, arugula, and lemon juice -- surprisingly good! Pasta was thick and chewy, so it was quite filling, and it came with plenty of sauce. They have a decent selection of coffee, beer, and wine as well. The space is nicely decorated so it's fine if you're looking for something casual or for something a little nicer as well.

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Origano Trevi - Inside the restaurant

Inside the restaurant

Origano Trevi
Origano Trevi - Inside the restaurant, was nice and cool!

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Inside the restaurant, was nice and cool!

I Buoni Amici - italian - Updated May 2026

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