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La Dispensa dei Mellini

4.6 (17 reviews)
ModerateItalian, French
Closed • Closed

La Dispensa dei Mellini Photos

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Homemade pasta with beans.  Not as flavorful as the pasta with chicken but still a very nice dish.
Jack S.

Really enjoyed this restaurant! We tried to book online through The Fork but it said they were booked until 9:30 (they don't open until 7:30). I called them as soon as they were open and they agreed that if we arrived by 8pm they could seat us. While they're off the main drive along the River Tiber and only 3-4 blocks from the Supreme Court, this stretch of road does not get a lot of foot traffic so this is more of a word of mouth or locals restaurant. When we arrived there were only two other tables but within 15 minutes they were full. The staff was very friendly and tried to accommodate us in English (which they spoke quite well) rather than us struggling to order everything in Italian. They explained what we didn't understand and made suggestions for wine pairing. Our food was prompt and delicious. There were three of us but we'd ordered four entrees so we could sample. We ordered the tuna, the beef filet, and two homemade pasta dishes - one with chicken and one with beans, both of which were excellent. The tuna was wonderful and the steak was the best I'd had in months...truly. This was the best meal we'd had in Rome and likely anywhere in quite some time.

Menu as of 10/25/14
Vanessa K.

I absolutely LOVED this place. It was our second night in Rome, and the food totally redeemed Rome (as the first few meals after arrival were sub par for this foodie who had high expectations for Italian food). This place is definitely off the beaten path and is not dined by tourists, and is rather dined by locals. La Dispensa was a few store fronts from the B&B we were staying at. We walked by the first night and saw how busy it was. It must be good, right? Our B&B helped us make a reservation for the following night. We were actually on our way back from a day trip to Florence and walked all the way from Termini station to the restaurant, made it within 5 minutes of our reservation time. Our waitress was really sweet and patient. She walked through each item in the menu and explained it to us in English. We were so appreciative. It was difficult finding that level of kindness during our trip in Rome. We ordered two apps and two pasta entrees, and a dessert. Apps: Italian vegetable tempura. yes! We did it! After almost 2 weeks in Europe my body was desperately craving vegetable even if it meant it was deep fried. I was REALLY impressed with the batter. It was super light and flavored perfectly. They didn't have the traditional Japanese vegetables, and the vegetables were more main stream: broccoli, carrot, onion, zucchini. It came with this creamy dipping sauce that I wasn't necessarily a fan of. I think I would have preferred tempura dipping sauce. The portion was more than enough for two people. 4 people could have shared it as an appetizer. It was really good and I highly recommend. Apps: Warmed parmigiano and fried squash blossoms. This was AMAZING! I still don't know what it quite was. I don't know if it was straight parmigian regiano heated up until gooey or some mixture of it that was then baked. It was basically a warm, soft block of cheese. That was it. It was so unctuous, it had so much umami, it had that cheesy goodness. You would just eat it by itself. Just scoop it. We ate it with the vegetable tempura :P Pasta: some bolognese sauce with home made pasta in the shape of calamari. AMAZING! I don't even know how to properly describe it. It probably wasn't exactly bolognese. It was some pork ragu sauce. I could definitely taste that the pasta was authentic (not sure if it was homemade) and it was cooked to the prefect consistency. Pasta: linguini with some broccoli sauce. This was more disappointing. Compared to the one above, the flavors here were a little more muted. The flavors were definitely cleaner. The pasta itself was definitely good, but I wanted more wow-factor that the dish didn't deliver. I probably misunderstood what the dish was when we were told. Dessert: tirimisu. It was good, but not necessarily great. Tirimisu in Italy must be different from how I think it is in the states. The custard part is more creamy than it is typically thick in the states. Overall the meal was fantastic and wasn't that expensive. The trip is becoming a blur, but the meal must have been less than 100 euros with two wines each. Oh yea, and sparkling water...see note below In Italy you have NO option of tap water. They don't actually understand the concept. Upon being seated at a restaurant you are asked if you want still or sparkling, and those are your only options for water. Each bottle costs about 3-4 euros depending on where you are, which yield about $5-6 USD. Just FYI.

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4 years ago

Amazing food, and perfect service. We went back to have dinner here twice. The chocolate soufflé is a must have.

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8 years ago

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4 years ago

Great little spot with tasty food! The carbonara was fantastic! Friendly attentive staff!

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12 years ago

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La Dispensa dei Mellini Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - La Dispensa dei Mellini

“She walked through each item in the menu and explained it to us in English.”

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Le Carré Français - Pastries

Le Carré Français

4.6(27 reviews)
0.3 km•Prati
•€€

Almost every morning during our stay, I would walk over to this café, and it quickly became one of…read moremy favorite morning stops! The coffee was consistently great, and the pastries and breads were even better. The barista may never crack a smile, but he sure knows how to make a great cup of coffee! You have to try their croissants, especially the chocolate croissant. They were fantastic! And their breads are amazing. I would pick up a couple of baguettes, and we would enjoy them throughout the day with some cheese. They even have a small selection of cheeses available to purchase, which made it even better. One tip: for to go orders, order your coffee first, then take it with you to the pastry counter and pay. Once you figure that out, it's easy! There are several tables inside with table service, plus a few tables outside. I don't believe the outdoor tables have table service. Great coffee, incredible pastries and bread, and a perfect place to start your morning. I'll definitely be back! Service was amazing!

Solo outing for me while the family was away for the evening in Florence. Having eaten pizza and…read morepasta all week, I wanted something different and I'd come to Rome having read that it was voted the best food city in the world in 2025, though can't recall where I saw that. Found it pretty hard to find any cuisine that might qualify in my book but this place seemed promising. Indeed it was the right spot! The personnel I encountered all spoke French and the menu had decidedly French dishes, including one of the best tests of good French cooking, boeuf bourguignon! The bread basket brought to the table was the first sign of real French style and proper goodness. The entree was delicious and the creamy mashed potatoes, while perhaps not considered traditional by many, were well made and I say bravo! The music astounded me because it was live and very good! Two older gentleman playing saxophone or trumpet and keyboard doing covers of Sinatra and the like. Made for great atmosphere. Was it the best French I've ever had? No, but it was a fine alternative to Italian if the desire comes your way, too.

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Le Carré Français - Order coffee here!

Order coffee here!

Le Carré Français - Pastries

Pastries

Le Carré Français - Live music!

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Live music!

La Renardiere

La Renardiere

4.7(6 reviews)
3.0 km•Aventino
•€€€

We unexpectedly stumbled upon this intimate French restaurant while we were walking down Viale…read moreAventino near FAO on our way to visit a friend and we are SO happy we stopped in. On our first visit to the restaurant, because it wasn't planned, we didn't make reservations but got lucky as there was only one table available for us. I would recommend making a reservation because it will fill up quickly. We enjoyed our first visit so much, we decided to return a week later, bring a camera and make sure that it was as good as we remembered, and it was. We started with some Bordeaux, but we corrected the error of only getting a glass on our first visit and getting a bottle this time. This was a 2017 that was not too expensive and was delightful. Our starters were a Quiche Lorraine and while I ordered a Cheese Soufflé, because it takes 20 minutes to prepare they asked if I would prefer my main first, and the soufflé second and I said "yes". It turned out to be the wrong choice because I wasn't in a rush and in retrospect I would've preferred to nurse my wine while I waited. Next time I'll make a different choice. The quiche and the soufflés were light, cheesy and delicious. I've had quiche that was a little oily from the cheese and meat, but this wasn't at all. Our mains were a Steak au poivre (Filetto al Pepe) that came with a side of fried potatoes (Patate Fritte), and a Tuna and Avocado tartare with shrimp. The steak was cooked perfectly, although on our second visit, I don't think I was asked how I wanted it cooked as I was on our first visit. The tuna mousse reminded me of Cod Mantecato, which was nice, and the avocado and shrimp were delicate and tasty. We didn't get a dessert this time because we had other plans, but on our first visit, the apple tart topped with gelato was a great finish to the meal and it seemed popular with the other patrons, so don't hesitate if you still have space to eat more!

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La Renardiere
La Renardiere
La Renardiere

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Ai Tre Scalini - Carpaccio

Ai Tre Scalini

4.4(499 reviews)
1.9 km•Monti
•€€

I loved this restaurant/wine bar so much. We didn't have a reservation but they put our names down…read moreand let us order drinks and bar snacks at the bar (seating along a wall facing the bar and the bar itself). We ordered one of their more natural red wines available chilled, and Pane & Olio EVOO, and Salsiccette al Tartufo. The bread was so fresh (baked in house daily), and also came with a spicy olive oil option as well as salt and pepper and a plate to dip. The sausage was the perfect little snacking cup with toothpicks and overall everything went well with our wine. They also gave us the little circular baked crackers to dip in our wine. When we were called we were moved to the main dining area which was adorable. Nearly every table had unique artwork on the surrounding walls. We then ordered more of the same wine, the Bonaccia salad, and the Parmigiana di Melanzane con Ricotta Salata. The salad was SO good. It was perfect with lemon and delicious olive oil dressing and an even mix of lettuce, cooked diced potatoes, olives, octopus, sundried cherry tomatoes. The eggplant was a fantastic texture, not too soft but tender and the cheese on it was immaculate. We were too full for dessert but the waiter offered us free limoncello shots as a night cap. My favorite part of this spot was how fun and kind the staff were to us. Letting me practice my Italian, giving great recommendations and overall being super accomodating. I'd love to come back.

Ai Tre Scalini was such a great find in Rome! Everything we had was absolutely delicious. The…read moreeggplant parmigiana was rich, flavorful, and one of those simple Italian dishes that you keep thinking about afterward. We also had a beautiful selection of Italian cured meats that was perfect for sharing. The atmosphere is exactly what you hope to stumble upon while wandering through Rome--cozy, lively, authentic, and full of character. Great food, great wine, and the kind of place that makes you want to linger a little longer. Definitely a spot we would return to!

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Ai Tre Scalini
Ai Tre Scalini - Lasagna

Lasagna

Ai Tre Scalini - Outside

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Outside

Al Duello

Al Duello

4.3(38 reviews)
0.7 km•Centro Storico
•€€

Had an excellent experience at this restaurant during our vacation in Rome. It's kind of in the…read moreback in an alley but the vibe wasn't touristy (we were tourists), which is always interesting to experience. The service was top notch. The servers were very nice, attentive, and pleasant. The food was also some of the better food we had while in the touristy areas in Rome. Everything came out in a timely manner and tasted good. There were many locals dining when we were there also, which is a good thing. We didn't call for reservations but I'd recommend doing so as it can get filled up quickly from what I observed while we were there. Prices were reasonable and the portion sizes were good. Definitely check out this restaurant for a pleasant dining experience if you're vacationing in this area of Rome.

This is such a nice, small, quaint, friendly restaurant with terrific food. Not touristy at all!…read more Our reservations were at 8pm. When we arrived there was one other table occupied. In the next 20 minutes the place was full. I liked that most of the guests were locals. Once we ordered they brought complimentary Prosecco and Ham Spread. We then enjoyed the blossoms stuffed and wrapped in bacon, pasta with oxtail, pasta with lard cheeks, tripe in a red sauce and baked fish with a white sauce. My husband also ordered Grappa and Tiramisu. Needless to say we were stuffed but the food was delicious and the service impeccable.

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Al Duello
Al Duello
Al Duello

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La Dispensa dei Mellini - italian - Updated October 2026

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