Taverna dei Quaranta was recommended to us by my husband's cousin's sister-in-law. Since the restaurant was located right by the Colosseum, we took the opportunity to try the place after we finished up our tour of the Colosseum, Palentine Hill, and Roman Forums. The restaurant is about a 15 minute walk from the exit by the Roman Forums closest to the Colosseum. Taverna dei Quaranta had the cutest outdoor patio with hanging vines, but we wanted to sit inside since we were under the sun all day. The interior of the restaurant was just as adorable. We were able to get a seat right away around 1pm, but the place quickly picked up after we sat down. Service was probably one of the best we've had at one of the smaller restaurants. The servers were very attentive, and the food came out fast. No time wasted here. We ordered a salad to share, which consisted of arugula, sliced pears, sliced parmesan, and walnuts. It was lightly coated with oil, but they provide bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the table that you can use to brighten up the flavor of the dressing. My husband ordered the rigatoni in a red sauce with oxtail. I felt that the rigatoni could could for 15 more seconds to get the right al dente bite. It was on the edge of being slightly undercooked. That said, the marinara was great. I thought that the oxtail meat was going to be incorporated in the sauce, but the restaurant provides only one oxtail segment. The meat was tender though. I absolutely loved my eggplant parmesan. Be careful, because it comes out still baking in its dish. When you get past the hot temperature, the eggplant parmesan was flavorful and so cheesy. One of my top 3 things I ate in Rome. Highly recommend this restaurant if you're by the Colosseum. read more

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Our first night in Rome had us looking for anything that served pasta. That was not hard to find. This place blew the doors off anything we had been able to eat in the United States. All the pasta was fresh and tasted delicious. The restaurant was busy for a smaller side street location near the Colosseum. The waitstaff were attentive but not super friendly. This likely was more due to a small language barrier than anything else. I would highly recommend this place read more

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This is right up the street from the colosseum. Food was really good. We sat outside under the shade of some trees. The service stuff was nice. read more

Taverna dei Quaranta - Pizza - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

We needed something fast and delicious, and this place seemed to fit the bill. We walked in and immediately we were greeted and sat. The menu is limited, which is always a good sign that they take pride in what they do. The waiter was friendly and personable, and he spoke both Italian and English, at least. The atmosphere was that of an old tavern that really transports one to another place and time. Enough about all that though, let's talk food. The food was really good. My son demolished the fettuccine with tomato basil sauce and I enjoyed the amatriciana pasta. My wife didn't mind but didn't love the Cacio e Pepe. The taste was great but the sauce became thick and virtually too thick once it cooled. Overall, it was the right spot to duck into for a quick bite. Great atmosphere, friendly service, and good food. Enjoy. read more

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Outstanding! I asked a local Italian, what her favorite local restaurant was, and she named this place. So we arrived here with my family, and had a combination of various pastas, pizzas, and desserts. Everything was splendid! So delicious, authentic Italian experience in a beautiful Family owned restaurant. read more

Taverna dei Quaranta - Margarita pizza - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

Our party of three (an omnivore and two vegetarians) had an amazing experience at this classic but renovated Roman restaurant. The space is beautiful and the air con kept the temperature very comfortable on a balmy Roman evening. The food was delicious, the house wine was great, and so were other drinks, and the service was friendly and attentive. (Ciao Marco!) If we ever make it back to Rome, we will be back, no doubt. read more

We had our very first Italian meal here and we were not disappointed! Our Airbnb host recommended it to us. We split a margarita pizza outside and it was delicious. We also had our last meal in Rome here and it is by far our favorite pizza we had in the city. read more

Taverna dei Quaranta - Margarita pizza - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

You can bus or walk here from the Colosseum. Restaurant has a/c and wifi serving pasta, pizza and other italian dishes. Service here was not as bad as other roman restaurants. Ordered the chicken with mushroom, cacio e pepe (a must try in Rome), and meat and arugula pizza. Food came out pretty quickly. Pasta was good, the black pepper came out! Pizza was great but nothing too special. Would NOT recommend the chicken with mushrooms - the chicken was so dry we couldn't even finish it. Average prices and decent food. Would come here if you're looking for a meal near the colosseum. read more

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While planning out our trip, I looked up dinner options around the Colosseum area since I knew we would be there until late. A search of the area led be past the stretch of restaurants directly across from the Colosseum and down further to Taverna di Quaranta. It's located a few blocks from the main stretch and as a result, had fewer tourists and more locals. We arrived very early, around 7pm, which is early for Italian dinner time! They were able to seat us anyways, but I do have to say, service was very sporadic. We were used to that by this time, so it wasn't a huge deal. A half carafe of house wine here is literally about 5€, which is a great deal! The wine was really good, for a house wine and a lot better than any house wine I'd get in NYC. The dishes are also very cheap and affordable - we ordered a half carafe of wine, 3 appetizers, and 3 pasta dishes for all under 60€! Their bruschetta is definitely one of the highlights of the meal - the tomatoes are so bright and flavorful! I also quite liked the fried mozzarella balls, which was really different to how fried mozzarella is prepared here in the US. My mom and my sister both had the oxtail pasta, which was really good. The dish was fragrant, flavorful, and distinctive. Most of their pasta is made in house as well, so they get an extra star just for that fact! read more

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The pizza diavolo was a hit at our table! The bruschetta was also delicious. The tiramisu, and caramel flan was just okay, while their service was sub par. They seemed annoyed with us, even though we did not ask for much and were not rude. It was probably just a language barrier thing. We did the best we could ‍ read more

Solid dining in Rome close to the Colosseum. We had early dinner reservations for our party of 7, and the restaurant was not crowded when we arrived. The menu has an extensive pizza selection in addition to pasta, meat and fish. Very generous portions. The fried zucchini flowers and prosciutto with melon were outstanding. Pizza and pastas were satisfying if a bit unremarkable compared to other places we tried. The rocket salad had good ingredients but was not dressed. A little olive oil and balsamic solved that problem. Service was efficient if a bit gruff. Overall a very safe place to go if you are nearby. read more

We were guided here by our tour group at the Colosseum. There were at least 18 of us in the group. Since the lunch was inclusive we were stuck here and only had a choice of bruschetta & pizza from the menu. First, the bruschetta was super bland, pizza was flavorless, we asked for ice for our sodas and we were told they had NONE! In the middle of hot August summer! Nite that it was 90 degrees that day! Unbelievable. Service was terrible. If I could give ZERO stars I would. I made note and told the tour group not to bring guests here. We paid for a terrible meal. So disappointing. read more

Absolutely loved this place! Ended up going here twice during our visit. It's near the Colosseo but it's not very touristy. They have amazing bruschetta where the bread is slightly burned on the edges. We also had a roasted eggplant dish that was amazing. We got a meatball appetizer with roasted potatoes that was also terrific. They had a breaded fried anchovy with sun-dried tomatos appetizer that was out of this world. And of course the pasta dishes were also very good. Price wise it was very affordable. About $40 for 2 people and that included wine, 2 appetizers, 2 main dishes and 1 desert! Overall, this was probably our favorite restaurant out of the ones we tried. read more

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After walking for hours, this meal was extremely satisfying and great on the budget. at he place itself was cozy and simply without the flamboyance you generally find. The meal was exquisite. For appetizers my husband and I shared the prosciutto and melon. The melon was soft, juicy and not sweet , going very well against the salty chewy prosciutto . I ordered the lasagna for my main and my husband ordered what looked like beef strips with some vegetables cooked in balsamic( I can't remember the name). They were delicious. The lasagna was amazing- cheesy, gooey, meaty saucy goodness without being too much of the above mentioned words. I took a bite of his meal- just thinking about it makes me salivate. The meat was perfectly cooked and the crunch of the veggies against the balsamic and the meat was fantastic . Simple tastes and perfectly balanced . read more

Taverna dei Quaranta - The lasagna. It looks big but as someone who doesn't have a massive appetite, I wiped it out pretty quick..maybe it was all that walking - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

This was such a happy accident to stumble upon this little joint. My fiancé and I had spent a very hot day touring the Colosseum and were famished after our long tour. Our guide had recommended a place that we couldn't find, but this place looked good and it was a short trek from behind the Colosseum. Inside the decor was simple and traditional. We were greeted promptly and given still water and menus. I ordered some sort of arrabbiata on fettuccini; just a simple, spicy pasta dish. I was delighted to find that this was some of the best, homemade pasta and sauce that I had experienced on the whole trip across France and Italy. This is a little off the beaten path which made it a nice, quieter stop. This is well worth the visit. PS. I should add that my fiancé had the oxtail which he thought was delicious, as well. read more

Taverna dei Quaranta - Cute little sign - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

Solid. Great pasta. Mushrooms ok. Bread was stake. White wine solid- crisp, refreshing. With tip was 45Euro. We would go back. The carbonara was the best. read more

Frustrating to wait close to an hour for our food when we were amongst the earliest customer. Average food. Expected better seeing that it was recommended online by others. read more

This place is delicious! We were worried that it would be too touristy since it's so close to the Colosseum, but it was delicious and there were mostly locals dining around us. The pasta tasted homemade, and the tomatoes on the bruschetta were fresh and delicious! This is probably my favorite restaurant we've tried in Rome so far! It lived up to my expectations of the food in Italy. read more

Taverna dei Quaranta - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM

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Had found this in a search of places near our rental. The first night walked by on way to colosseum and had a great meal good service, quality food, helped us learn a bit of Italian. Recommend especially if a family read more

The latest review (Matt's) said don't eat here, the bread was stale, the wine watered down...what he forgot to tell you Yelpers was the food was appalling and the witchy waitress was downright scary. I ordered the special of the day, ravioli with cheese and cracked pepper. I wish I would have taken a pic of the sad, sorry, pale, flat, ravioli that appeared on a plate in front of me. The was a schmear (yes think New York bagel) of sauce under two ravioli, but that was it. I thought it was a free appetizer ... I didn't know it was my meal until my gf's meal came. My gf ordered rigatoni with meat. It came in a big platter and at least had sauce. Unfortunately they failed to cook the damn rigatoni. It was so hard it crunched when I tried it. I only ate one rigatoni, even though I was still starving having snarfed up 5 lonely, sad, tepid ravioli. The gf found this restaurant reading some article somewhere on the internet raving about its authenticity...who knew that "authentic" meant inedible... Oh wait..and the wine... I don't know what that wine was, it was so bad that I didn't even drink the glass that was poured..and I will drink Boone's Farm...I don't have high standards.... And don't look now, but that waitress? She just came out of the same bathroom my gf did, you know the one that my gf had to bring her own tissue in because there was none. And maybe their health regulations don't require the food servers to wash their hands because she sure didn't. The best thing about this place is the pretty green door. Admire it as you keep on walking by. Stay away from this one...thank me later. read more

Good value for the price charged at this establishment. Had their version of pasta e fagioli. The beer was cheap and cold. The service was good, beer was cheap and conveniently located nearby the coliseum. read more

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WARNING! Definitely people not to be trusted! We parked across the street from this restaurant and ate here, spoke perfect English...outdoor tables with wait staff all around. Our car was smashed into, all 9 pieces of huge luggage taken and they saw the entire process. We went to them for assistance in finding police, pretended not an English word could be understood. Spoke in Italian and they simply turned their backs. Definitely part of the new problems of theft and safety in Italy . Support them by eating here, you support the crime and their cuts. read more

Looking for a place to grab dinner Capo D'Africa and based on Yelp reviews ended up at Taverna dei Quaranta. Thank you!!! Amazing appetizers, followed by primi and secondi... With house wine flowing all the way! I really wanted to eat all of my husband's order of the carbonara.... but held back! :-) Never again! I will be back if I had an option.... And most of all our great experience was under $65. read more

Do NOT go here !! The food was disgusting bread was not fresh at all we had to ask for another basket since it was so hard to eat. The waitress was raving about the "good food" there and it turned out to be a HUGE disappointment. I went with my family of 4 and took a few bites of our meals before deciding to leave. BE AWARE THIS GREEDY RESTAURANT WILL CHARGE FOR TAP WATER AND ALSO AN ADDITIONAL "Person tax" which is a rip off since none of the other restaurants around charge. Very bad place I would highly suggest not going here read more

We were trapped. This place is located a block or two away from Colosseum. went there after their promoter in front of Colosseum advertised their best wood oven pizza. Once we got there and seated, they told us that they don't serve pizza for lunch because the kitchen gets too hot with the oven. They also didn't have pasta selections which is strange as well for Rome. I ordered grilled steak with fries. And guess what? They didn't have ketchup either. We also ordered pasta with meat sauce and we got pasta with meat balls. Two stars because the place had air conditioner and the waitress was nice. And kept apologizing for bad operations. So they should give this waitress a raise. Without her, We would have given them one star. read more

Nice cozy atmosphere and friendly staff. The prices are hard to beat in this area and the bruschetta was good. I ordered the fried cheese based off of the waiter's recommendation, but wouldn't recommend it. The house red wine left us feeling a little disappointed, but the food we ordered (ravioli and spicy pasta) was really good and filling. Great place to go to fill up. Family friendly too! read more

I totally recommend this place! Even though it's very close to the Coliseum, it's far from an overpriced tourist trap. My brother had a Pizza caprichosa and I got myself Tallarines a la bolognesa. Everything was delicious and portions were outstanding. Everyone in the restaurant was very friendly and actually our waiter made us laugh more than once with her spontaneous jokes and friendly interactions while making sure we were well attended. We paired our meal with a liter of the house white wine. Lastly, the homemade Tiramisu is a must. read more

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I am from Chicago and make a better carbonara. Place is a joke. Nothing close to what you'd expect from a restaurant in Italy. My guess is they are close enough to some tourist attractions they just gave up on making good food. read more

Tourist Trap. Took advantage of the fact that me and my family could not read or understand Italian and upcharged our bill (doubling entrees and including service fees that we did not request). read more

Recommended by our tour guide Maritza from the Colleseum. Local restaurant walking distance from Colleseum not at all touristy. Very reasonable prices for lunch - no pizza during lunch time. Very attentive staff. Air condition, Wifi. read more

Wine has got to be watered down, bread was stale and bland store bought taste, pasta undercooked and dish was overall bad. Don't eat here.

This is a great spot for a quick casual meal. The large light-filled dining room feels homey, and the place is friendly and family-run. The food is very good Roman cooking--I enjoyed pasta with tomato sauce and oxtail (greasy but comforting cucina povera) and puntarelle which were a bit limp but still good. Prices are extremely reasonable. I look forward to returning! read more

A quaint unassuming charming little restaurant right by the Colesseum! We had a little difficulty communicating with the waitress since we did not speak Italian, but we managed. The food was good. Definitely eat here when visiting Rome! read more

It's difficult to give this restaurant even 1 star because it is undeserved. I do realize that this is not a Michelin starred restaurant, but dear me, I also think that you can expect some sort of standard when you go out to eat. Unfortunately, the standard at this restaurant was very poor. Where do I start? Having entered the restaurant, we had to wait for several minutes to be greeted and seated, when finally a waitress took us to our table. I should have know better when we saw the place was empty. I had googled restaurants by the Colosseum and on http://travelshus.com they raved about this restaurant. After a long day, my partner and I were looking forward to a real Italian meal. We ordered our drinks, and soon enough the 'over enthusiastic' waitress came back to take our orders , she was cold, uninterested and to busy in helping out of towners. The wine came and it had a fowl bitter taste. We ordered the special and my pasta was hard not cooked and my partners 5 little raviolis had no sauce and tasted stale , WTF! The food and wine were gross. When I went to the restroom there was no toilet paper or soap. I saw one of the kitchen staff come from There knowing he didn't wash his hands. I didn't have the heart to tell my partner, I just wanted to get us out of there asap. The whole experience was a nightmare bit like a fast food restaurant. I will never go there again !!! It was terrible !!!Don't be fooled, this place has nothing to do with Italian food, and the service was very poor. KFC would have been a better choice ! read more

We were looking for a nice place to eat around the Colosseum whilst we waited for the sun to go down, when we stumbled across this place with a little help from Yelp... I can not fault this place, the service was prompt and attentive. The food was great. We started with Zuchinni flowers and a focaccia and moved into home made pasta with chilli and cheese and a pizza. Taste was sensational and better then a lot of meals we have had in Rome. Price was exceptional coming in at 37 Euro for this and a litre of house red. I highly recommend this place. read more

This restaurant looks like a nice little hole in the wall, however I was extremely dissatisfied by the time the bill had come. For starters, my friends' menus had pages in it that were completely missing in mine (the side dishes page). I ordered a pasta and a pizza to share with a friend which came at a reasonable price. Another person with me ordered a salad and it took over 30 minutes to come out. Then when we got the bill we were charged for TWO salads when we ordered one, and we were charged approx. 8$ for bread and services. However we never got the bread with our meal, leaving us extremely disappointed. Finally, the restrooms were deplorable and there was water on the floors. Overall bad service and mediocre food. Personally would not recommend. read more

Nice place traditional, nothing fancy but good tasty food with nice atmosphere. Very well priced.

This was a great find. The food is amongst the best I've ever had in Italy. And the price was very reasonable. I highly recommend this place

My first stop after getting to Rome tired and not in the best of moods. This was right around the corner from the flat I rented, and it was open. VERY local place. The gruff but friendly (ie Roman) owner welcomed us in and his son waited on us. A pitcher of house red was brought and some decent bread. No idea what the house red was but it was just fine, and most likely that good basic red wine made in the Lazio region that rarely gets exported. Friend ordered "cacio y pepe," that signature dish of pasta, pecorino and black pepper and pronounced it great. I had another Roman dish, oxtail stew. About half the oxtail pieces were chewy, but tasty. The sauce was to die for...incredibly rich and concentrated. Less successful was the antipasti plate consisting of all deep fried items. Now I noticed locals ordering this too, and I can appreciate their appreciation for it, but it just wasn't for me. Decor was old, woody and comfortable. If you want a feel for how locals live, this is a good start. read more

Overall really nice experience for lunch after the Coliseo. Me my wife and two small children found the place on Yelp. The prices are great. The ambiance was really nice. The wait staff were all very nice and helpful as well. We had the bruschetta and the fried cheese. Bothe were excellent. I had the calzone and my wife had a pizza. Both were delicious, large and satisfying. My son who has dairy allergies had a cheese less pizza that was also very good. We also had a liter of the house wine that was really good. Definitely recommend for lunch after a busy time touring the Coliseo and Foro Romano. read more

Taverna dei Quaranta - Inside of Taverna dei Quaranta! - Italian Near Me - Rome, RM