This is a fancier, more upscale Italian restaurant in Rome. It's a complete departure from your grandmother's kitchen. But at the same time, those classic Italian flavors are still there. The ambiance and decor are modern and hip. If you can sit outside, definitely do so. But naturally, reservations are pretty much a must, particularly for outside. But you may be able to snag a table inside without a reservation. The wine list is one of the best I found in Rome. And it was divided not only into the usual red and white, but also by region of Italy. And, of course, you'll automatically get Limoncello at the end of your meal. Everything we ate was absolutely fabulous. But the standout was the ravioli topped with black truffles. It was both unique and classic all at the same time. And it was oh so tasty. But you seriously can't go wrong with any of their menu offerings. They also have a couple of different tasting menus you can choose from too. Service was good, but not necessarily great. We had to ask a couple of times for another bottle of water, etc. But everyone was friendly and pleasant. And the manager stopped by too to see how our meal was. All in all, this was one of the standout meals I had in Rome. read more

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My wife and I had "hands down" the best meal and service of our life!! Daniel was our server and was incredibly kind and attentive. The ingredients were so fresh it was apparent in every bite!!! The manager/owner made several recommendations to our wine selection that made the night!!! Thank you for such a memorable culinary moment in Rome!!! Tonight we ate at a Michelin 5 Star restaurant that wasn't even close to what our "Life" experience was!!! We should have gone back to Life! read more

The best Italian food in town! The service was excellent even for American standards. We made reservations for outside and the atmosphere was quiet. Only down side to eating outside is several unlicensed street vendors will come up to your table and sell roses and toys. The owner was very pleasant and the wait staff were nice. Plus everyone spoke English so easy to communicate. The food was delicious! We started with a spread of Italian cheeses and fruit. I had the beef filet with black truffles and side of broccoli. I cannot express my excitement for that dish. You must try! The beef was cooked perfectly and the gravy sauce with black truffles was absolutely to die for. My hubby had minestrone soup and taglioni pasta with tomatoes and mozzarella. The sauce was amazing and reminded me of home where my favorite Italian restaurant serves the same sauce. If you sit inside, the atmosphere is modern. We loved the decor. Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn paintings on the wall. Vino is everywhere! You can order by glass, 1/2 bottle, or bottle. I had chianti and my husband had the sweetest white wine they had. Our night ended with a classy lemon drop shot in flute glass. ;-). It must be an Italian thing. The restaurant back at home does the same thing. If you spend enough money, you get a thank you from the owner. I definitely would come back here and certainly recommend my yelp friends to come here when in Rome! read more

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Thank you, Yelp Universe, for another great lead, one that pays off year after year! We found Ristorante Life an absolute pleasure to dine at. This was our third visit in two years, and we were very pleased with the excellent dishes served to us, the wine was good and reasonably priced, and the service was very good. This last time as a party of six, so I recommend you call and book a table, so you are not disappointed. Tonight, we ordered as starters: Burrata Croccante (crunchy dough filled with warm burrata cheese, Patanegra ham, and grilled asparagus / €13), Uovo al Tartufo Nero (egg , crispy sliced potatoes, black truffle and lemon / €13, but be aware, it takes 20-minutes to prepare ... but oh, so delicious!), and Salmonella Affumicatto (smoked Norwegian salmon with robiola cheese, pistachios and croutons / €12). For dinner we had Salmonella alla Brace (grilled salmon fillet with soy sauce, mashed potatoes with wasabi / €19, Sogliola alla Mugnaia (grilled sea bass with a sauce of lemon and extra virgin olive oil / €22), Tagliata Tartufo (tagliolini pasta with Lobster and cherry tomatoes / €21), Carbonara con Tartufo (spaghetti with bacon, egg, cheese, pepper, and black truffle / €15), Lasagne (lasagna with beef fillet and tomato sauce, and burrata & buffalo mozzarella cheeses / €12), and Ravioli Guanciale e Carciofi (ravioli filled with ricotta and pecorino cheese, topped with crispy artichoke and bacon / €13). For dessert, we ordered Cremoso al Cioccolatolato (chocolate mousse, crunchy chocolate biscuit and raspberries / €8), Stoglia Croccante (puff pastry with chantilly (whipped) cream and dark chocolate / €6), Gelato Crema Cioccolato (hazelnut and chocolate ice cream and Nutella cream / €7, and Cialda Crema Fragoli (chocolate panna cotta or with fresh wild forest fruits) -- €6 Five Stars, I recommend Ristorante Life highly! read more

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AMERICANS BEWARE: the male server we had asked every American table that came if they would like to tip him $20 or 20% knowing full well it's typical practice in the US but not in Europe. If you do tip in Europe it's nothing like the US. He didn't ask any tables that weren't American. He did this to 4 tables while we were there. read more

Great place!! We had a late lunch here on a Sunday afternoon. Sitting outside in this spot was terrific. The food over the top good. Too many things I wanted to try but I have just one stomach. Our server Francisco was the best very accommodating and personable. This definitely on our return to list. read more

Husband and I each ordered a pizza and took advantage of their outdoor seating area (located across the street from the actual restaurant). It was nice sunny day in Rome, with people periodically walking by so people watching was fun while we enjoyed our pizza. The pizza itself was quite basic and not exceptional (see pics). The pizza dough and base was close to being tasteless. I found that I had to sprinkle a generous amount of dried red peppercorns on mine to really finish my pizza. I got a pizza with egg, ham, olives and mushrooms. Husband got one with chicken, and two types of ham. Now that I'm skimming through the other reviews, maybe we should have ordered a non-pizza dish as they received a lot of popularity! read more

Life - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

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Good food and a great ambiance. Outdoor seating is comfortable and charming, positioned in the cobblestones alley in front. Prices were a little higher than comparable restaurants, and wine menu was good. Service was terrific. A very enjoyable experience. read more

We selected Life Ristorante because of the positive reviews, and its proximity to where our daily activities ended. When we arrived, service was very attentive and concerned about my husband's dairy allergy. We each ordered the tasting menu and the chef kindly made appropriate substitutions where needed. Our server and support runners were sure to clarify the lactose free servings to ensure our plates did not get switched. Overall, we found the meal tasty with a few creative surprises including the first course. We opted for the Sea Essence menu with the sea bass as very tasty. Also, for dessert we had some tasty and very fresh ice creams and sorbets. See the picture below. While you can't taste the high quality in the picture, you can see the high attention to presentation quality :-) We did have a minor problem we wanted reconciled and sent an email after we returned to our hotel. The owner responded promptly and worked with us to resolve the issue to our satisfaction. I was very impressed with his sincere interest to accommodate two tourists. For the quality of food, attentive service, and price, this is a solid value for the level of a meal. read more

Best meal we had in Rome. Excellent steak, a lovely bottle of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, kind service, stylish surroundings and a creative, colorful frozen fruit dessert to cap off the experience. Highly recommended. read more

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Francisco made out night. His menu suggestions were spot on. Food was just spectacular. Really made our visit special.

We had a great lunch! Very tasty, great service, all for a good price. They also have a nice list of wines with a staff that is savvy and made a good recommendation. read more

Food was great, and so was service! We got the beef carpaccio as the starter and it was so yummy!!

We ordered the black truffle steak medium rare and a spaghetti. The truffle was heavy enough and was perfect with the steak that you really should try. They also have course menu, which the price was pretty reasonable (€88 with wine), but I did not order because there were way too many courses to me. The service was okay. read more

Best meal my mom and I had in Italy. We arrived around 7:30pm, exhausted. To our surprise, the restaurant was nearly empty. We both ordered the prix fixe - she got the Black Truffle menu and I got the Sea Essence. Standouts: seafood ceviche trio, seafood pasta, and burrata ravioli with truffle (OMFG). Pricing was super reasonable - hers was $50 and mine was $60 (excluding wine). By the time we left, around 8:30pm, the restaurant was nearly full. I guess we timed it well! As for ambiance, this is a lovely place for a couple. Down a cute cobblestoned alleyway with lots of dim lighting and lovely nooks. read more

My favorite dinner from our trip to Italy. Everything you need when you need it service. The food was the best we had in Italy which is saying a lot. We ate outside, which was beautifully setup and I peaked inside where the decor was also beautiful. We had the aubergine croccante, beef carpaccio topped with black truffles (very generously), the amatriciana, and the tagliatelle with Normandy butter and black truffles; all amazing. read more

Upscale italian cuisine just be prepared to pay about 3x over a standard Restaurant in Rome. Our bill for two was about 330 Euros, bit it was overall well worth it. read more

Dinner here after late walk. The pasta was great and the duck was quite nice. I was able to get a table quickly and the staff was very friendly. I recommend the patio seating, cocktails and house limoncello read more

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Expensive with the tiniest of tiny portions, but wonderful taste! Atmosphere was upscale, modern-- not the family-owned, traditional Italian restaurant vibe if that's what you're looking for! I had the Black Truffle Ravioli and it was divine, but lasted all of a moment. A divine moment it was, though! Mother had the Sea Bass Carpaccio with black truffle which was also delicious, if not tiny. Overall, would recommend for visitors to Rome who are looking for a delicious, slightly expensive meal at an upscale, central location! read more

Life - Truffle ravioli! - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

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Had dinner late at night. They received us with a very warm welcome. I always like to eat in places were there are tables occupied, and so this was. We ordered salmon with mashed potato & spaghetti pomodoro. Excellent, excellent. The tiramisu was good, not the best I tried. The place is modern with a nice concept on the pictures of famous people hanging on their wall: stop think give. I recommend it!!!! Comimos aquí tarde en la noche. Sin embargo nos recibieron muy bien. Siempre me gusta comer en lugares donde hay mesas ocupadas, y así fue. Ordenamos salmón con puré de papas & spaghetti pomodoro. Excelente, excelente. El tiramisu estuvo muy bien, no el mejor que he probado. El lugar es súper moderno con un concepto en las fotos de famosos que se encuentran en las paredes: para pensa da. Lo recomiendo!!! read more

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A nice restaurant that my wife and I tried after seeing decent reviews on Yelp. We walked up without a reservation and were able to get a table outside. Service was definitely great with staff, who spoke excellent English. Very friend staff, who came across very professional. Food was good, but not that memorable. My Wagyu beef was not as tender as I expected. I probably will not revisit unless I have $120 to blow for dinner for 2. Loved the staff's friendly service though. read more

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Most Italian restaurants in Rome are more authentic food with a home feel. Life provides a more upscale and modern ambience similar to New York. The decor is more fancy sitting inside. But you can also sit outside at the patio. They are always busy and fully booked. You have to make a reservation on the same day. They won't take your reservation more than 1 day in advance. Food: I love truffles!!!!!! So i can tell the difference between good and bad trufflesThe truffle on the menu is what attracted me to Life. They had a good selection of truffle entrees compared to other restaurants in Rome and i liked the ambience too. Prices were a bit pricer than other places and I can justify on the high price since they served more truffles selections. What i don't agree in overpaying is the quality of food. All the food was so salty you can't taste the food. The truffle did not taste fresh. They shaved bits of truffles but it just had a odd texture look. It also had a sour aftertaste too. This was a big disappointment since the best truffles should be offered in the country of origin. We ordered the truffle and mushroom pasta, truffle white fish, and truffle ravioli. The truffle and mushroom pasta was better than the other 3. The white fish was not fresh either. It had a bad fishy taste and too salty to even taste the truffles. The truffle ravioli was too rich and thick. I wish they offered more creme sauce. Service: The server is very rude the moment we sat down. They immediately told us we had to leave within 2 hours after we sat. But the food took them 1 hour to serve. I was starving while getting harassed by street vendors who kept passing our table. We sat outside and immediately regretted it. There were random street vendors harassing us to buy things or they kept asking if we wanted music or serenade over a romantic dinner. But how can you enjoy your food when they can't respect your "NO". The request then led to begging. I was quite turnoff. Life didn't even bother to tell these vendors to go away.. The server also didn't come back very often and they were not friendly when we needed help. Overall, this was the worst restaurant experience I in Italy. The food and service was horrible and not worth the overpriced food you are left with at the end. I don't recommend coming here. Good luck if you want to take your chances. read more

We just got into Rome that day and most places were completely booked. We randomly came across this place after visiting the Spanish steps and it was outstanding. The wine was fantastic with solid options. We loved the ravioli and truffle and the carbonara. Great atmosphere and service. Place had a modern chill vibe. We enjoyed it with our family. read more

Went here on our last day in Rome. Our Host Francesco recommended the best wine pairing to go along the beef with truffle, the pasta, rack of lamb and steak. Everything was amazing and just perfect. Topped it off with a slice of Tiramisu that just out of the world. Highly recommend ! read more

Great surprise. Good food and service. I choose a complete menu having fresh truffles. Really tasty. The wine list is fair. read more

Give me life!!! This place was literally downstairs from my apartment in Rome! And my gfs wanted to meet here so I decided to give in. Moet Chandon chairs, outside patio, set tasting menu! It's quite pretty!! And the Italian waiters are quite friendly and funny if you understand them. I came with my Iocal friends and you can say we had the best treatment. Food is around €50 and you can do lobster, risotto or steak! Lobster is stunning!! And the desserts were equally pretty. I don't do sweet. I like savory!! They were quite unhappy about me not wanting to eat dessert: brought us shots!!! Many many shots! :D We stayed 2 hours past closing time and we were not rushed at all. Inside is equally pretty if not stunning. Not a cheap place per se but you know what you're getting into. I love our Sunday dinners as we watch the very busy shoppers a block down on via Condotti! Food is simple with a modern take! Great presentation: you won't come here to stuff your face though you'll be stuffed. I came for the ambiance! For girls nights on hot summer July nights: this place is perfect!!!! read more

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Bit over priced. Service was good. We went there for dinner but was fully booked. Went back during lunch. Nothing special. Lobster pasta - more lobster shells then a lobster meat ;) Fish had some bones in - for the price we paid would prefer no bones in my fish Good wine. I think for same money you can go to more romantic/better place with tastier food. read more

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Our last meal in Rome and we were pleased we decided to go with Life. We were able to make a reservation the night before even though the restaurant was packed on a Friday evening. I think it was because we ate early at 6:30pm. They offered indoor and outdoor sitting, but go with the indoor because the patrons looked pretty chilly sitting outside at night. The decor of the restaurant is comfortable and the waitstaff/hostess were all pleasant. Service can be a bit slow for the check, but I think this is the norm at most of the restaurant we've been to in Italy. Appetizer: Selection of Culatello ham, Parma ham, and Finocchiona salami were on point! I can eat this every night for an appetizer. 1st course: homemade lasagna was delicious, but it's hard to get this dish wrong. We also ordered the tagliolini with lobster and that was delicious. It wasn't as salty as other places and the lobster meat was plenty! 2nd course: grilled beef fillet was a great dish to finish the evening. Life is a great place to end the evening or even a vacation in Italy. read more

Not to be confused with the Lyfe chain in the US, this place was a nice traditional Italian meal. I had sea bass carpaccio with black truffles and spaghetti and lobster. Both were quite good but not the best I've ever had necessarily. The sea bass was close to some of the best though. But I think it might just be how fresh the black truffles were. Thinly sliced but good portions. My husband got a ravioli with mozzarella cheese in a light cream sauce and black truffles on top and leg of lamb. The leg didn't come out as a leg ... It looked more like a curry but tasted good. I had a bite. The ravioli I felt like was something to be shared. It was super rich. It was good ... I could have probably eaten the 4 small lady's palm-sized bites but I don't think I would have really savored the last 2 quite as much as the first set. So sharing was a good idea for us. I thought overall it was a decent value, not great, not horrible. Some were better than others - like lobster seemed a good value at 19 euros for half a small lobster served in its shell on top and mixed into the tagliatelle with cherry tomatoes but the sea bass carpaccio was 12 or 13 euros but then I guess that happens when it's served with truffles. I liked that the portions weren't huge so that we could try more things. Lots of fish and healthy options here. The restaurant was down a really quaint street. Lots of other restaurants at the other end though seemingly lots of tourists in them. The place seemed to look more expensive than it was. The service was fine but we had to look for our waiter when we wanted something. And it took him a while to get to us after we were seated. Though overall, good food, nice ambiance, service ok. I'd go back if I'm in the area again though not sure I'd go out of my way to make a special trip for it. Their degustation menu looked tasty for someone who was hungrier than me. read more

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THE BEST FOOD IN ALL OF ROME! My wife and I (on honeymoon) have been here twice in the past two days. The food is incredibly fresh, flavorful, and of the highest quality...with beautiful presentation. Cocktails are 10/10 The staff could not be more kind, our servers have been an absolute delight - They are charming, helpful and friendly. This is everything you would hope for when looking for a romantic, high quality dining establishment in Rome. read more

Life - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

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Service, excellent! A restaurant that finally made us feel welcome and was genuine!! They had enough wait staff (even a busser!), friendly, spoke English well, made us feel welcome and not like tourists--finally. Ambiance was clean, nice and classy. Food...overall very good and tasty. We had the salmon antipasti (amazing), home made pasta with burrata and cherry tomato (delicious), burger (excellent, we really felt like a change), mixed seafood (good)...Price for what we had and everything all together was decent--we'd say $$$ dollar signs compared to Los Angeles prices. We would recommend this restaurant to a friend, especially after 5nts in Rome and countless places...it was the best so far for service and food. read more

Life - Burger, delicious!! - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

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Absolutely fantastic. Service was great and the food was amazing. Tonight was our first night in Rome and a friend of the family recommended this restaurant. Her and her husband had done the full, 60 euro pp meal - but I was happy to see that you could just order a regular dinner instead of doing the full multiple course meal for a fixed price. We walked in around 8pm on st Patrick's day night without a reservation, which seemed to be fine. The focaccia bread was 4 euro but there was a bunch of it and it was delicious. I love that they sell 1/2 bottle wine, and the 13 euro chianti we ordered was perfect. We ordered a duck pear and honey appetizer that was very good and not filling, which left room for the delicious entree. I ordered ravioli with truffle and everything about it was amazing, I wanted to lick the plate but I'm sure I would have gotten strange stares or kicked out - then I wouldn't have been able to get a dessert! Hubby ordered pasta in red sauce with bacon and he was a happy camper. We naturally ordered the tiramisu which was fantastic, I wanted to lick that bowl as well I can't wait to go back here. After we began eating the appetizer, I told my husband we were going to be eating here another night because it was so good. The rest of the meal was fantastic so we may just stop in again before leaving Rome. The decor is also cute, as there are utensils (spoons whisks and rolling pins) as decorations on the wall. See you soon, Life!!! read more

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Perfect for a romantic evening! Classy, inventive and well executed. Come here if you want to avoid tourist menus and people harassing you to eat at their restaurants. The dishes were balanced, surprising and scrumptious.Our server Alina was perfect- considerate, knowledgeable and pleasant. Our food was out of this world - the tiramisu was light and gorgeously presented. I could have kept drinking the limoncello all night. I hope to come back as soon as possible! read more

Walked into this little gem. We have kids with severe food allergies and they were so accommodating . The food was amazing and the atmosphere out of this world. Fabio went out of his way to make sure the dishes that my boys ordered were safe. Make a reservation if you want to be seated outside. Service was 10 read more

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What an incredibly delicious meal we had here! Ordered sea bass carpaccio for starters... Since we weren't that hungry but didn't want to skip a meal because food in Rome is so wonderful... we ended up sharing ravioli with cream and truffle (it was rich but so worth it!) and melon with ham (which wasn't on the menu but they obliged my request)... Definitely going back! Loved it! read more

Went there the first night in Rome. Recommended by the hotel. Very nice people there and the food was excellent. Will definitely be going back and complimentary Limoncello at end was a great touch read more

OMG... this was the perfect restaurant for us after the perfect afternoon. It was an extremely hot day in Rome and we'd been sightseeing finishing near the Spanish steps. I used yelp to find us something and we came upon ratings for Life. It was a short walk past 10 or more other places that I almost stopped at but boy am I glad we waited. We had a seat in a room well into the restaurant with great photos and decor. I could tell immediately it was going to be good. We started with a capresi salad and our entrees were fettuccine with tomatoes, salmon with vegetables and a lobster fettuccine. Perfect... every bite.. with lovely but non overbearing service. Our favorite restaurant in Rome. read more

Found this place on the recommendation from one of our tour guides, a self proclaimed food blogger. Well, thank goodness for that. This restaurant is just a block or two from the Spanish steps. The price is reasonable given the quality of the food. I had the beef tartare followed by the spaghetti carbonara. They we both exquisite. My wife had the panacota. It was superb as well. It is so easy to fall victim to tourist traps when you travel. This is my first good meal in Rome and we will return at least once more before we leave. read more

Life - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

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This meal was exceptional and our favorite so far in Rome. We were able to get a seat outside on the street to enjoy the fresh air and beautiful weather. Our server was incredibly attentive and had wonderful recommendations. My husband and I shared a bottle of champagne- two starters, the artichoke salad and prawn carpaccio and then two entrees- the beef and lamb with side of potato and mushrooms. All cooked to perfection. We are quite picky eaters- and this was fantastic! The portions were a great size to feel comfortably full and were cooked to perfection. We would highly recommend such a wonderful spot while visiting a more touristy side of Rome! read more

They certainly got the name right because this restaurant gave me my entire LIFE! This was by far the absolute best meal that we had in Italy. The restaurant is cute. It has a punchy vibe.. I was kind of worried when we walked in and saw all of the pics of American actors.. I thought it wasnt going to be authentic Italian.. boy was I wrong. My bf got the Truffle tasting menu. Each course was paired with a specific wine. Our server was AWESOME! Dang it. I can't remember his name but he is one course from being a sommelier.. he likes basketball.. anyway he was AMAZING. I wasnt sure what I wanted and he recommended my entire meal. They have this prima (appetizer) that is burrata baked in phyllo with asparagus..I could have eaten two. I had the lobster pasta...and the potato crusted fish..OMG. all I can say is that you are missing out on pure goodness if you are in Rome and you don't check this spot out!!!! read more