Armando al Pantheon

Découverte avec l’une des institutions de la ville, «Armando al Pantheon «. Un des temples de la cuisine romaine que né peut que réjouir celles et ceux qui désirent manger une cuisine traditionnelle sans concession. A quelques mètres du Pantheon, réservation indispensable au vu de la taille de la salle de restaurant.
A l’heure du déjeuner, l’établissement est toujours comble, n’ouvre que la semaine avec fermeture le samedi soir et dimanche. Heure d’ouverture, 12 :30, ce qui n’empêche pas la clientèle de patienter devant bien avant.
Une fois que l’on décide d’ouvrir les portes, on patiente quelques instants en espérant que la réservation a bien été notée.
Une petite salle plutôt classique, jolie et décorée avec une série de peintures, gravures et affiches. Les tables sont assez serrées comme toute trattoria et conforme à ce que l’on peut s’attendre d’un tel établissement. Une trattoria qui existe depuis 1961 qui se concentre essentiellement sur les classiques de la cuisine romaine tels que les saltimboca que probablement tout un chacun a dû manger une fois dans sa vie.
Armoire à vin murale et au fond la cuisine où l’on peut apercevoir Armando manier ses poêles et casseroles pour autant que l’on ait une table face à celle-​ci. Ce qui est sûr c’est que toute assiette de pâte est préparée au dernier instant et que la friture est aussi une question de dernière seconde.
Dans un coin, la «porchetta «qui se trouve dans les suggestions du jour est une préparation culinaire à base de cochon de lait cuit à la broche de la région d’Ariccia près de Rome. Le cochon est désossé manuellement par le ventre, farci de sa chair et d’aromates tels qu’ail, poivre, romarin puis cuit au four ou, comme le veut la tradition, à la broche.
Une carte où l’on se réjouit de trouver en entrée certaines assiettes comme des bruschetta, du jambon, de la mozzarella et charcuteries. Des premiers plats autour des pâtes et évidement ensuite viandes et desserts. Aussi quelques suggestions du jour annoncée par un des serveurs. Service d’ailleurs absolument impeccable.
Mais comme la «porchetta «est au menu de ce jour, le choix est vite fait. Une belle tranche un peu tiède avec une croute croquante et d’un marron brillant. Le goût de romarin est présent, l’ail subtil et point trop présent en bouche. N’ayant que peu de points de référence, celle-​ci me semble absolument parfaite.
Autre suggestion du jour avec les fleurs de courgettes farcies à la ricotta. Celles-​ci fraiches sont en salle, cherchées par un des serveurs. Armando les farci au dernier moment, les enrobe dans une pâte à frire et les plonges quelques instants dans l’huile. Elles sont légères, sans goût de cette huile et délicieuses. Accompagnées de quelques feuilles de roquette.
Premier plat avec des spaghetti aux fèves et «guiancale «. Les pâtes dont parfaitement cuites, la joue de bœuf juste croquante et dorée. Un peu plus de fèves aurait été apprécié.
Pour moi de fumants spaghetti à la Matriciana, avec du «guiancale «pecorino romain, tomates et poivre noir. Un des plats qui sont une de ces grandes icônes intemporelles de la cuisine romaine maison ou de trattoria. L’assaisonnement entre la charcuterie à base de jour de porc, le fromage affiné de brebis et les tomates est parfait.
En plat principal un ragoût de veau à la tomate avec de la ricotta sur le dessus. Un plat ménager parfaitement exécuté et sans histoire.
A nouveau un incontournable avec la saltimboca alla romana, les célèbres tranches de veau avec du jambon et de la sauge cuite avec un peu de vin. Une recette en italien veut dire «sauté en bouche «, ce qui traduit bien le goût fort apprécié de ce mets classique de la région de Rome mais la farine qui a entouré la viande au préalable est un devenue un peu collante sur le palais à la cuisson.
Un dessert tout aussi classique avec le semifredo de cantucci qui sont des biscuits secs aux amandes, avec aussi du vin doux.
Un magnifique vin de la région de Rome, le Cirsium 2012 du domaine Domiano Ciolli.
Un endroit un peu sacré où l’on pourra se régaler des plus grands classiques romains, un lieu qui né changera probablement jamais et c’est justement c’est ce que l’on appréciera.

Un lieu assez caché dans une rue perpendiculaire à la place du Panthéon. Nous y sommes allés un Vendredi, nous avons eu de la chance d’avoir une table car il semblait que tout etait réservé. Les plats etaient a TOMBER: les meilleures pâtes Carbonara de ma vie. Le personnel est très sympathique. Une bonne adresse !

Oh putain, c’était tellement bon !!! Désolée, j’étais obligée de le dire !
Même le midi, pensez à réserver parce que ce restaurant, situé juste dans la rue à droite du Panthéon, né désemplit pas.
Je vais parler juste pour les cacio e pepe. Elles étaient incroyables !!! Chaudes, crémeuses, liées, chaleureuses, sublimées, al dente et bien poivrées, un délice à seulement 10,5 €, que demande le peuple? Hmm… J’en ai encore le goût dans la bouche.
Partie sur cet élan merveilleux, j’ai voulu finir sur une touché sucrée avec le tiramisu (7,5 €). Etant extrêmement difficile en tiramisu, je vais dire que je né l’ai pas trouvé exceptionnel, déjà parce qu’il est servi en verrine, ensuite parce qu’il n’y avait pas assez de biscuit et qu’il était trop imbibé et enfin parce que la crème était trop liquide ! Bön, dans l’ensemble ça se laissait manger tout de même !
Allez y manger les Cacio e Pepe, vous né serez pas déçus !

An enjoyable restaurant in a very touristy part of town. Just around the corner are some very touristy (and based on the menu’s) kitcshy restaurants surrounding the Pantheon. I would say it’s a solid 3.5. Good. Reliable and service with the brusque italian style. I can’t recall what we had aside from a pasta dish or two.
It is busy, we saw many people get turned away. I believe we made a reservation through our hotel front desk. In the area that we were in I would venture to say that this was likely the best bet.
Before going to Italy i never understood what al dente meant and the first week I struggled with italian al dente. Now that i’m back home in Canada, i always have to ask for my pasta to be «more al dente» and even then don’t find it firm enough. Clearly Italy, and actually many other countries I have travelled, have fundamentally impacted my understanding and appreciation of food.

We had a great lunch at Armando al Pantheon. Dishes were seasonal, simple, and oh so delicious. Service was great and food came out pretty quickly.
The dining room is small, so make a reservation or be prepared to wait!

My group loved Armando’s! We tried the classic «caccio e pepe,» veal, spaghetti a la griscia and salada mista. From looking at the tables around us I think you could do well ordering anything off the menu.
The secret is out for this place so reservations are your best bet although we got lucky by waiting until 14.30 for lunch. We saw many folks turned away up until 15.00 when they stop accepting new lunch customers.
This place is only steps from the Pantheon but sort of understated compared to the more touristy places. Much of the clientele appears to be locals but obviously tourists as well. The service was very good.

Would end up being one of the best meals we had in Europe this year. It’s an old-​school, wood-​paneled dining room serving traditional Roman fare. This isn’t meant to be pretentious and ornate fine-​dining, but this is the best way to eat in Italy. Every simple thing is precisely as it should be and if your palate and mind are insensitive to the truths therein, move on cretin. The companion’s spaghetti all’aglio, olio e peperoncino (olive oil, garlic, dried hot pepper), simple though it was, would end up being my favorite bite in all of Italy. The garlic tasted like it was roasted in an oven and the peperoncino was delightfully spicy. My ravioli with ricotta, spinach, mushroom, and a white sauce, was flawless (I even got the slightest touch of nutmeg in the ravioli), but it was the kind of plate that was too predictable and easily replicable at home. I ordered it because it was noted on the menu as a ‘local special,’ but I would not order it again. The vitello tonnato was also excellent — the veal tender, the sauce rich and eggy. The other great surprise was the dessert, which we only tried because our talkative neighbors ordered it and seemed to love it grandly. It was an almost crumble-​type cake made with ricotta cheese and strawberry ‘jam,’ dusted with powdered sugar. Our talkative neighbors told us that the little strawberries around the plate were a special varietal only grown in a region where the Pope has a summer home. Good for the Pope.

Wow, great restaurant right next to the Pantheon. We had heard about this and read great reviews. Happy to have found this spot. Everything was good.
We split the artichoke appetizer, they were so nice and plated two plates. I had as the starter the porcini mushroom pasta, was amazing. My main was the lamb chops, I asked for rare, but they were well done, still tasty though. My husband wanted just the simple spaghetti and garlic oil, delicious, his main was a chicken dish with prunes, very good.
A really nice restaurant, in the heart of Rome, and didn’t feel touristy. Just make reservations, they are busy every night. The service was excellent and our waiter suggested a really nice bottle of wine. I will go back, when in Rome.

Duck was really dry, the grouper was really dry. The only good thing was the lentil soup. Spent 73 euro on food that was worse than 5 euro Burger King.

Tight spot with good food. Wouldn’t try coming here with more than 4 people. Make reservations as it was quite busy. The roasted veal was mediocre, but the oxtail and gnocchi were great.

This was by far the best restaurant I’ve ever eaten at in Rome. My husband and I ate here for lunch (and then tried to go back for dinner but couldn’t get a reservation). Definitely reserve yourself a table ahead of time as the restaurant only has about 20 tables and they book up quick. Service was impeccable and the food was absolutely to die for. They had both typical Roman dishes as well as some specials that were unexpected. Really a gem in Rome where good can sometimes be touristic, but this place is authentic through and through.

First and last dinner in Rome. Armatriciana (Spaghetti alla Matriciana) was ordered both times. Puntarelle was seasonal treat along with the artichoke, which was great. Claudio (co-​owner) was working hard in the kitchen with the intensity that I like to see in a chef. We both shared the eggplant Parma, which was excellent. The wine list required some expertise in what to order, but it had the ones you will want. My wife ordered the Guinea-​fowl with boletus mushroom and black beer, which was truly a taste experience worthy of an excellent kitchen. She also selected the Fresh pasta with asparagus, toasted pine nuts and pecorino di Moliterno cheese and it was thankfully shared. The first night I ordered the lamb chops and I would have preferred Abbacchio a scottadito baby lamb. I had the Osso Bucco, which they were out of the first night that was a tad small, but covered with a pea and brown sauce that was very good.
For dessert my wife had the outstanding Ancient Rome cake, which the German couples next to us rated higher than the Tiramisu’ all’Armando. I had a Sambuca (con la mosca, which means «with the fly») with Espresso with our new German friends at the next table.
I have not been able to lower this restaurant to only 4 stars, but there are some simple improvements that I would recommend.

On pourrait croire que ce restaurant est un attrape touriste vu sa situation dans un quartier hyper touristique en plein centre de Rome, a seulement quelques metres du Panthéon. Poussez la porte et vous voila plongés dans un autre univers, loin du brouhaha de la ville. Carte courte, plats maitrisés et belle présentation. La sommelière est d’excellent conseil. Nombreux vins du Lazio.

Don’t let the location near the Pantheon fool you – this place is a quiet refuge from the tourist craziness, with excellent service, fair prices and great food! I had an amazing egg-​drop soup to start, which was memorable, and then the Matriciana – the sauce was a bit mild for my taste, but the pasta itself was a revelation! Tiramisu was great, too, even though the portion was a bit small. A wonderful experience overall…

One of the best meals of my life. Only daily specials of egg plant Parma and sausage with garlic and spinach. Wow. So simple so good. Lovely tiramisu cake and the grappa on the house. Hard to get better in Rome with perfect lovely service in Rome. Thank you Claudio.

Commercialized but there is no denying the food is excellent. Some of the best matriciana I’ve had since I moved to Rome. Reservations are strongly recommended.

First night in Rome, thought it would be a great experience to dine at Armando’s.
As soon as we get in the door, the waiter says no. We proceed to ask politely if there’s a table available for 5. He says no, no table yet there’s empty tables around him.
As soon as we walk out a group of 6, a group of 2, and a group of 3 get seated right away without any reservations.
No matter how good the food might have been, the service was terrible.
The waiter was rude, inconsiderate, and ignorant.

I really wanted to like this place. The reviews on Unilocal were so good. Everyone commented/​reviewed that it was their best meal here. I was greatly disappointed.
Upon seating down we were asked if we wanted water. We had been ordering tap water throughout Europe now, knowing that a question for «still» or «sparkling» also meant at least a 4 euro charge. We were told that there was no tap water, and only still or sparkling… WTF. Really? You can just turn on the tap water and give me a glass of water. Great!
The menu wasn’t the greatest. We opted for spaghetti cabonara and a pasta dish with asparagus. They were about 10 – 14 euros each, so about $ 13 – 16 USD. The cabonara was more than al dente, and more undercooked than perfectly cooked. The other pasta was better, and had a consistency of Japanese ramen which was good. The asparagus was also cleaner tasting. The cabonara was good, but not amazing. I wasn’t wowed by anything, or had that «wow this is what real pasta is supposed to take like» feeling.
We actually really liked the bruschetta with quail egg and truffle and the bruschetta with lardo. There was a good amount of acid and salt to both. We also liked the grilled artichoke, but for a half piece for 6 euros is robbery.
I wouldn’t return. Maybe we ordered wrong? Maybe people come here because they speak English, and maybe this is the best of what the area has to offer compare to other tourist spots. This place misses the mark for this Unilocaler…

We were recommended this place by our tour guide for the Vatican and I have to admit were a bit skeptical based on it being so close to the Pantheon; how could a restaurant so close to a tourist destination be a true authentic experience. Boy were we wrong. We had excellent service and were immediately told the specials for today; black rice with seafood and porchetta for anitpasti, and lasagna (roman style) for primi. I had heard enough and ordered everything. My husband ordered the traditional pasta dish of this region armatriciana that we didn’t even see on the menu but were told we had to order. You can tell the chef enjoys making this food and the passion that goes into it. Everything was delicious! The place is fairly small so in prep for your trip to Rome make a reservation around the time you will visit the pantheon as it’s on the street to the right when facing the columns of the pantheon! Enjoy!

This restaurant is worth the hype and serves meals cooked to perfection. This is not a tourist trap but rather an excellent restaurant which happens to be in a beautiful location. Armando offers a variety of classic and creative dishes as well as catering to vegetarians and those with dietary requirements.

This was first on my list after my long flight to Rome. This place will not let you down. I tried the fresh Mozzarella for my Antipasti, Spaghetti ala Griscia for my first course, and Eggplant lasagna for my second course. The pasta was perfectly al dente… My mouth is watering just thinking about it. This place is small and cozy and definitely worth trying. Don’t forget to pair it with a bottle of their house red wine.

We were lucky enough to get a late lunch table for 2 today for a fantastic meal. We took the advice to consider the specials of the day and we were not disappointed. We shared eggplant Parmesan appetizer and it was wonderful and not fried like we usually get in US. The special of the day was Ox Tail and it was hearty, complex and delicious. This combined with the Thursday special of gnocchi Gorgonzola made this a special meal. The wait staff were accommodating and welcoming.

A very quiet restaurant in this overly touristic neighborhood. Really amazing that it has survived and still served outstanding food. We arrived on the early side of lunch and were lucky to be seated without a reservation.

Excellent squid ink pasta. A bit of a cramped spot, but there is a lovely vegetable buffet in the back, and service is friendly if you greet it with a smile. Excellent pricing considering how close it is to the Pantheon.
They have a seasonal barley soup that will set you straight if you are ailing and fill you up. But I still prefer the squid ink pasta, which is quite authentic and hard to find done well.

Un restaurant ordinaire
Attiré par le commentaire précédent, nous avons essayé ce restaurant bien placé sur le sentier touristique. L’accueil est ordinaire. Nous avons commandé une assiette de pâtes et un osso buco. Les pâtes étaient convenables. Il a fallu attendre 5 min de plus pour l’osso buco qui est arrivé alors que les pâtes étaient presque froides et la qualité était vraiment bas de gamme. La déco est sympa, mais sans plus. Il y a vraiment mieux pour le prix.

A né pas manquer…
A 30 mètres du Panthéon, sur la gauche en sortant de l’édifice. Entre les touristes (peu), les romains (la majorité), on y mange avec des costumes-​cravates qui travaillent à côté. Mais quel régal, le numéro deux de ma sélection. Patron sympathique, accueil agréable, petite salle charmante. Pas très cher, 15 € un antipasti et un primi piatti.

estupendo restaurante romano
Un sitio ideal para comer despues de visitar uno de los lugares más famosos de Roma: el Panteón. Este restaurante familiar prepara cocina italiana con el exquisito toque romano a muy buen precio. Destaco los spaguetis a la carbonara, la lasaña y todas las ensaladas de pasta para comer y para el postre helado de tutti fruti

comida romana casera
Un restaurante romano con mucha tradicion familiar, elabora tipicos platos italianos a muy buen precio, comida casera, bastante cantidad y rapidez en el servicio. El lugar a pesar de estar cerca del Panteon, es muy tranquilo y agradable, y el trato del servicio es admirable.