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    La Dispensa dei Mellini

    4.6 (17 reviews)
    ModerateItalian, French
    Closed 12:00 pm - 11:00 PM

    La Dispensa dei Mellini Italian Restaurant Photos

    Recommended Reviews - La Dispensa dei Mellini

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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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    3 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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    4 years ago

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

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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.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Su e Giu Cucina Romana

    Su e Giu Cucina Romana

    4.6(233 reviews)
    0.5 kmPrati
    €€

    Food was great staff was very friendly. They helped my wife and I pick out delicious meals. Really…read moreenjoyed our time here!

    Review # 1200 After…read moresome shopping on the Via cola Di Riemzo, we were ready for lunch. This spot was a Yelp find. We arrived just before they opened at 12:30. We asked for a table outside and the kind lady asked us if we had a reservation (oh oh). We didn't. No problem as we took our pick of one of the tables. Two levels inside with a small Bar in the back. Before we knew it, outside seating was full and inside also filled up-a good sign. We ordered a liter (ended up being too much but when in Rome...) of their house Red and enjoyed it. For starters, we ordered the Fried Artichokes (thick breading and will order the Roman style with garlic/vinegar next time), fried Zucchini and Suppli-Cacio Pepe. The Suppli was delicious and was enjoyed the most. For main, it was Pasta Carbonara (Guanciale )-Proper carbonara and the streak of not having a bad version of this dish in Rome continues. The sliced Beef with mushrooms was also delicious -super tender and thin pieces of beef (medium rare as requested). We asked if the Tiramisu was house-made. Our server answered, "yes, and I am the one who makes it." How could we not order after that?! One of the best Tiramisus we've had. Perfect balance of coffee dipped lady fingers with cream-delicious! Our Server was kind, attentive and full of hustle -she was covering a lot of ground. Don't miss this Gem if you are in the Prati district.

    Photos
    Su e Giu Cucina Romana - Inside

    Inside

    Su e Giu Cucina Romana
    Su e Giu Cucina Romana

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    Borghiciana Pastificio Artigianale - Interior

    Borghiciana Pastificio Artigianale

    4.7(57 reviews)
    1.0 kmPrati

    Yes, it's worth the wait if you go there early. We stood in line at 12:30 on a weekday, as in,…read morelunchtime. We were 2nd in line and waited about 30 minutes. I would wait longer. I had possibly the most amazing chick food pasta a girl could imagine. Girls know what girl food is. The pasta in Italy is just better -obviously. But then put all sorts of girl flavors on it like Lemon and Orange, just lightly enough, zest with a small hint of cheese-..... omgosh. Yes, yes, and yes. Need my hubs to replicate at home. He is going to be busy trying to perfect this. Tagliatelle with orange and lemon parmesan. This was it. It was the best. Everything else we ordered was amazing as well. Wait outside. They don't have a sign telling you to wait, no server telling you to wait. You wait out there, wondering if you're in the right place, but then people stand behind you and you're like - oh! I'm here. This is the place. There are possibly 4 tables inside. It's small. I read about them being rude- we did not have that problem. In fact, they made a mistake and we kindly let them know we ordered something else- they corrected it and were nice about it.

    After a long morning in the Vatican (there is sooo much stuff!), we were on the verge of hangry…read moreand thanks to Yelp, decided to check out BPA (way too long to spell out!). So happy we did as this place definitely delivers. There is seriously like 8 tables in the dining room so expect a wait in line but trust me, it's worth it. We waited outside for about 25 minutes. They do take your order while in line so the wait for food (once you do get a table) is abbreviated. Out of the world pastas and the pistachio tiramisu is seriously out of this world. Inexpensive table wine rounds out a great meal. This is the type of place I love to go to. It's quaint, zero pretense and delivers on its food. A great find!

    Photos
    Borghiciana Pastificio Artigianale - Amazing pistachio tiramisu

    Amazing pistachio tiramisu

    Borghiciana Pastificio Artigianale
    Borghiciana Pastificio Artigianale

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    Da Romolo Alla Mole Adriana - Carbonara

    Da Romolo Alla Mole Adriana

    4.7(96 reviews)
    1.0 kmPrati
    €€

    Our Vatican tour guide recommended this spot to us so Lisa and I were on the hunt. Upon arrival we…read morewere graciously greeted and taken to our seats right away. Our kind waiter bright over water, bread and breadsticks. No olive oil, no butter just dry. For our lunch I decided on the cacio e Pepe and Lisa opted for the ragú. Both were delicious. For dessert we were told the owners mom made lemon cake so that was a no brainer. It was fabulous and paired well with espresso. Our waiter also brought us Amaro. It's a licorice like liqueur enjoyed as a digestif. Definitely an acquired taste that reminded me of Aguardiente. Overall the service and staff were exceptional and I would return if ever in a Vatican City again.

    At the recommendation of our Vatican tour guide, we visited for an impromptu lunch on a Friday…read moreafternoon. Lorrisa ordered the cacio e Pepe and I ordered the Spaghetti all' amatriciana. We were both satisfied with our selections. Our meals started with bread service, both fresh bread and packaged breadsticks. We didn't receive any olive oil which might be the norm in Italy. For dessert, we opted for a slice of their featured lemon torta. It was enjoyable and we paired it with espresso. Finally, our server offered us a popular digestivi - Amaro. It reminded me of Jägermeister and I wasn't a fan. But I appreciated the hospitality and kindness of his gesture. In summary, we left content and with full bellies. Our server did a great job and the manager or owner acknowledged us and seemed to appreciate our business. All in all, this lunch was a positive experience.

    Photos
    Da Romolo Alla Mole Adriana
    Da Romolo Alla Mole Adriana - Fillet Steak grilled medium

    Fillet Steak grilled medium

    Da Romolo Alla Mole Adriana - At the bar

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    At the bar

    La Dispensa dei Mellini - italian - Updated May 2026

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