I Clementini

We love this place! The waiter is amazing and the food was excellent! We definitely recommend this restaurant for a memorable experience.

Perfect affordable restaurant with great food and service. Pastas were homemade and waiter was phenomenal. Dessert was excellent as well

It was a good meal. We sat in the open air and the staff was friendly… A little too eager in some ways by okay. It’s hard to find good service in Rome. The food was just so so. It’s advertised as a traditional restaurant but I wasn’t so impressed by their menu. Good food but I wouldn’t go back again.

Had lunch of the special anchovies which were excellent and I had a ravioli pasta which was quite good. Husband had pasta with calamari which was fair a bit salty for my taste.
Overall a good place for lunch
English menu

This was our first eating experience in Rome and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Located just down the road from our apartment, and a stones throw from the Colosseum, I was initially worried of falling into the tourist trap of over priced, poor quality food. However, I Clementini proved it is possible to get great food without going too far off the tourist trail.
In fairness, we were recommended this place by our host, so we had a good feeling before we arrived. It’s a fairly small restaurant with only a handful of tables but we grabbed a corner spot and they accommodated our little one by dusting off a highchair. The waitresses spoke little English, and my Italian is fairly non-​existent but we found out the specials and ordered a bottle of house wine. Bread was brought to the table but to be honest, I found it a little stale and unappetising.
We started with a selection of antipasti — Mozarella and tomato salad with proscuito, deep fried artichokes which are in season at the moment, and bruschetta. All were delicious. For main course I went for the carbonara as everyone insisted it was the go-​to dish in Rome. It didn’t disappoint — al dente to the point of undercooked, fresh sauce that was like nothing I’ve ever tasted on an equivalent ‘British’ carbonara and salty bacon. It was a fantastic dish. My partner went for the gnocchi which was another special and thoroughly enjoyed it, and my little boy tried and enjoyed all the dishes.
The waitresses were great with my little one, picking him up and playing with him when he was getting bored and we were still eating.
A great first dining experience in Rome.

My wife and I have gone to Rome and Naples. We picked i Clementini from other reviews. This food was unbelievable. Our waiter (I believe his name was Andreo) was amazing… he said it was his first night there but I hardly believe him — he took such great care of us! He knew every bottle of wine on the menu and made great food and wine suggestions for us. I had the eggplant Parmesan which was AMAZING! Easily the best I have ever had. He also recommended a pasta with pecorino & pepper which was delicious. I HIGHLY recommend visiting i Clementini if you have the chance in Rome!

We usually don’t eat the same place more than one time when on vacation.
This time we did, saving the second visit for our last evening in Rome.
Excellent food, good wine, extremely friendly staff.
We will return next time in Rome.

When my family and I vacate, we have a rule: we never dine the same place twice. This is the first exception.
The ambience at this small dining place is wonderful. You are greeted by smiles and a vibe oozing of family by the mama of the restaurant. First night we were seated in the roofed garden in the rain, which only made it a better experience! Second night in the main area with partially bricked walls. We felt like we were dining in acient Rome!
Moving on to service we were not able to point a finger. Attentive staff who truely cared about our experience and a male waiter whom felt both professional and like he loved his job, we never were needing or waiting.
Now, as the ambience and service is enough to dine at this place the food spoke for itself. First night we were treated with a homemade sourdough bread we paired with an (according to me and my dad) amazing balsamic vinegar. My parents chose the saltimbocca — they described it as a explosion of veal and sage in their mouth. Paired with a recommended portion of fried potatoes it was both filling and fulfilling. My brother ate a perfectly medium-​rare lamb chop, and I had the main calamari. It was perfect.
Second night we were greeted by cheek kisses and a «welcome back». We shared a plate of amazing deli meat and made sounds of delight with every bite. We tried the suckling pig — amazing quality! A veal roulade which made my mother smile of delight, and my tuna steak was so well cooked the angels at Basilica Sankt Peter sang! Both nights we were humming over the lemon sorbet and tiramisu. All in all, the best meal any of us have had on a vacation!
For the staff — thank you so much for making our trip to Rome even more memorable!

Wonderful food! Delicious. I had the ravioli with ricotta cheese. Mmm. The staff spoke great English and were kind. Excellent location next to the Basilica di San Clemente and ruins. I would return and recommend.

We came here because a friend recommended it and loved it, however, we were very disappointed. Easily one of the worst meals we had in Roma. Besides the initial eggplant and mozzarella we had in the beginning the rest of the food was average at best. I ordered the carbonara which had a funny smell and taste and left me sick to my stomach for several days following this meal. Like I said, my friend had a great experience so maybe we just went on the wrong day but I would suggest approaching with caution.

I cannot even tell you what all we ordered, except the one obvious thing I photographed, which was calamari (which was totally amazing by the way). I think my husband had a steak and I think I may have had a ravioli dish, either way though, I imagine everything on the menu is delicious! I wish there was a way to duplicate this restaurant and put it in San Diego because I loved it. Our waiter was adorable, so sweet and offered great service. It was a convenient walk from our hotel, however, if you are visiting the colosseum, it is just a few blocks!

Got here right when it opened so we didn’t need reservations.
We started with the fried calamari and shrimp, which was perfectly crisp and lightly battered. My main was the speghetto al vongale (clams), which was phenomenal. And he had the spaghetti with sausage.
Would definitely come back if we had more time!

Recommended by the owner of the apartment we are renting near the Colosseum as a place he goes with friends and family for authentic Roman cooking, this place is located in a lovely area that has a number of other shops, restaurants and gelatto places in the area. It was our first night in town, after a long flight from the West Coast. It is recommended you call ahead for a reservation though when we gott there close to 8 pm they were able to get us a table in the back room, which was great as we had locals eating around us as well (always a good sign).
For drinks I ordered the 750 ml of the lowest priced wine, which was 12 Euros, and it was delicious, and it was the red wine, they have a white wine at the same price.
Had the house mixed salad and it was incredibly fresh and had a nice mix of arugala, I believe — we just dressed it with the olive oil and balsalmic at the table. I also had the squash blossom stuffed with mozzarella and anchovy (but a tiny bit on that last one), wrapped in dough and fried — that was interesting but I would probably skip.
We had 4 people at the table so tried a number of dishes. The pasta with sausage was great (all the pasta was al dente, nothing overcooked) and I had the pasta with clams, olive oil, garlic and herbs — I found it a bit salty but delicious and the clams were amazing fresh. I also had the grilled veggie plate — the grilled eggplant and peppers were delicious but in the future I would go with the mixed salad — costs a bit less and more refreshing.
Oh, we also had an order of the brochette — tomatoes were fresh and it was light and delicious — a great addition to the mixed salad, for the meal — I think Italians may eat this towards the end of the meal but the owners adjust for American practices, I believe, and you can get it first and yes, they do have menus that show the names of the dishes in English.
Finally, just a friendly place, wonderful staff and a lively atmosphere though like I said, if you can call ahead and make a reservation — they can take a reservation in English — once again, my first dinner in town on this current trip to Rome — decent food and great location and pleasant staff makes for a winning combination. Good place to ease yourself into the local dining scene and the locals also go here to eat.

Service was great but I’m sorry the food was just okay. Got the special of the day, gnocchi with mussels. Mussels were tiny sadly and the gnocchi was just kinda subpar to be honest.
Waiter was really nice though!

Definitely the WORST place I’ve eaten at in all of Italy. HORRIBLE SERVICE and MEDIOCRE FOOD! We were tired and wanted to stay near our hotel, took reviews from Unilocal and tripadvisor and I was fooled.
I should’ve seen the warning signs when I noticed that the server barely paid attention to the first guests seated. I’m not exaggerating. They completely forgot their water and even forgot to take their order before us.
Their «outdoor» terrace is a bootleg room within open ceiling with only cement walls around. Really? When the locals (group of Italian men) began to smoke while we were having dinner, we asked to be move and the lady just said yes yes let me check and ignored us till we asked for the check.
For the most part, it seemed like a teenage boy was running around doing most of the work while the woman was busy flirting with the Italian speaking guests or attending to her (what it seems) as her daughter, who was roaming the restaurant. (Baby daddy was around somewhere too– really strange)
NOT WORTH YOUR MONEY AND TIME, we quickly ate and left.

Nous avons suivi les conseils des gens sur Unilocal et vraiment ce petit restaurant est tres bon ! Nous avons bien mangé pour des prix pas excessifs !

My family and I are so happy we found I Clementini. The family that owns this place is wonderful and full hearted about life, the restaurant, and the food they serve. Don’t be afraid to ask there suggestion or get a few added apps because the waitress (or the owners mother… Whom is the chef) recommends it. It will be delicious. Our waitress, was the mother of the owner who typically doesn’t give her name so I will leave that to myself :) was a joy! Talking to us like family and just having a good time.
Ok the food. Well wine. We got the colle picchioni white wine (recommended) and it was light and slightly dry. Perfect. She even let me check out the wine fridge.
For apps, we got all 3 bruschetta, one with olive oil, another with salt and another with lard. Yes lard. It tasted like Parma or bacon. The tomato bruschetta was my favorite, which also had sea salt on it. We also had the buffalo mozzarella with bacon and balsamic which paired perfectly well with the bruschetta.
Entrees: 2 of us had the pasta with tomato bacon, olive oil and Parmesan cheese (red sauce). This was the best dish on the table! Al debate, and great flavor with a realistic portion. Another had the octopus bolognese, which came with a white sauce and pecorino cheese, he said this was great and it absolutely didn’t skimp on octopus.
Desserts: tiramisu and after 8. Both amazingly light and portioned to share. Let’s just say I took my fair share of both :)
After that rant, I could say so much more. But go for yourself, it’s where the locals go and tucked away so it won’t be overly packed. Oh and it’s delicious and fun. What’s not to love?

Best meal in Roma!!! We had a group of 6 people and all shared several pastas and entrees. I highly recommend the pappardelle con bolognese di polpo. The food is hands down was amazing!!! I can’t wait to come back to Roma and eat here again.

Excellent food. Try the parpadelle. And the house made pastas. Avoid the grappa and the «grappa reserva». There is a reason why it only costs 6 euro.

All I can say is: Go. Small place run by a cute Italian family. Delicious food. Whatever they have specially homemade that day I recommend ordering. Everything is fresh. The owner came out with hand picked wines to offer us and her choices were perfect. A must if you are dining near the Colosseum!

This little gem was so good I ate there twice suing my one week stay in Rome. Despite being an American tourist, the woman who appears to own the place was very friendly. She spoke fluent English and Spanish… and possibly German. This place has a mixture of Italian classics and modern dishes for very reasonable prices. Our party of three ate lots of food and drank two bottles of wine for only € 120.
For appetizers I got the stuffed zucchini flower, my fiancé got the mozzarella bufelata with crispy pancetta soaked in balsamic vinegar, and our friend got bruschetta. The «Fiori Ricotta» was fluffy and creamy with a hint of salt. The bruschetta was of course made with fresh tomatoes, an the pancetta was by far the best dish. I’d never thought of having bacon with balsamic vinegar but it was a great combination.
For the pasta dishes, I got the pappardelle bolognese di polpo, which is egg noodles in a cheese sauce with octopus slices. My fiancé got the cacio e pepe and our friend got stuffed ravioli. The pappardelle was of course house made pasta and the ingredients fresh and flavorful. The cacio e pepe was al dente (firm to the bite… as it should be) and had just the right amount of olive oil to give it a buttery flavor without being too oily. I also had a small bite of the ravioli and it was creamy and delicious. Not your dried out pre-​made frozen ravioli you find in the states.
For the second course, I got the melenzane parmigiana (eggplant Parmesan) and my fiancé got the veal saltimbocca. The eggplant was so good I had to have it again before I left, which is why I ate here twice. It is served in a small clay pot boiling in olive oil with bread crumbs and tons of delicious cheese (see picture). The saltimbocca was also worth a second try on our return visit.
I also tried the grilled calamari in arugula pesto (see picture). It was a light and flavorful dish, perfect as a precourse to more lovely melenzane parmigiana.
Lastly, I would suggest asking for a wine to suit your taste. The wine list seemed to be outdated as every time I asked for a certain bottle they offered something else instead. All were great suggestions.
I will definitely come back to this gem when I return to Rome.

Local. pequeño pero resulton. Cerca del Colisseo y de la. iglesia de San Clemente. La pasta buena y la verdura tambien. No saben español pero si inglés :)

Le restaurant né paie pas de mine avec sa salle où quatre cinq tables vous accueillent. Demandez à être, s’il fait beau, dans l’arrière salle ouverte vers le ciel. Le service est attentif et la cuisine est de bonne qualité. Une petit carte des vins agrémente le tout. Un restaurant tout à fait agréable a proximité du Colisée.
Très bon rapport qualité/​prix

Ausgezeichnetes römisches Essen in der Nahe des Colosseums. Eine Perle unter den vielen Touristenfallen in dieser Gegend.

Großartiges essen und sehr nette Bedienung. Der Pinot Grigio war gut, alles in allem recht preiswert und wir würden das Restaurant jederzeit weiterempfehlen.

Wir waren letzte Woche in Rom und insgesamt 2 Mal im i clementini obwohl wir sonst jedes Restaurant nur einmal besuchen wollten. Wir waren direkt angetan, das Personal ist wie eine kleine Familie und alle sind extrem herzlich. Die Cheffin sorgt mit ihrer Art dafür dass man eigentlich jeden Tag dort essen möchte. Alle Speisen waren perfekt für den recht günstigen Preis fast noch zu billig. Wenn man bedenkt dass man 2 Strassen weiter noch abgezogen wird ist das Restaurant ein Schatz. Wir kommen gern wieder, wenn wir mal wieder in Rom sind.

Das kleine und süße I Clementini liegt — abseits des Touristentrubels — an der Via di S. Giovanni in Laterano, so ziemlich auf halber Höhe zwischen Kolosseum und Lateran. Das Personal ist authentisch, schnörkelfrei und sehr gesatfreundlich. Die Karte ist eher klein, dafür wurden wir von keinem bestellten Gericht enttäuscht. Die Gerichte bestechen durch ihre klaren und kräftigen Aromen, eine wirklich tolle und einfache italienische Küche. Besonders zu empfehlen ist der Vorspeiesenteller «Misto di terra» (verschiedene Salami– und Schinkenaufschnitte). Die Tiramisu ist nur zu empfehlen. Der Hauswein ist lecker und bei den kleinen Preisen bestellt man immer noch einen zweiten, dritten… usw. nach. Wer also noch was sehen will, sollte der Verführung zumindest ein wenig standhalten.