Il Portico

Pretty decent and affordable Roman food in a great area. Set right off the Via del Portico d’Ottavia, it is at the heard of the historic Jewish Ghetto. The service is good, as are the prices, and definitely don’t miss the Carciofi alla Giudia (Jewish-​style artichokes.) I don’t really recommend the Spaghetti al Ragu, but the Spaghetti alle Vongole was pretty good. The menu is extensive and it’s generally good but not great. Though, if you’re in the area, it’s well-​priced Roman fare in a killer location.

I stopped here for lunch after wandering through the old Jewish Ghetto, and I’m glad I did! I saw a few reviews reference issues with the service, but I had the opposite experience. I was seated outside, had a menu, bottle of water, and my order taken in the first 5 minutes. The service was very attentive.
It was hot, and seemed too hot to eat much, so I just chose a few snacks to tide me over to my next gelato. I had the fried artichokes (highly recommend, delish!) and a radicchio bruschetta. Simple, and perfect.
Given it’s location it probably is a bit touristy, but there were plenty of Italians enjoying meals when I was here. Their menu is limited (to what they do well) which means you can avoid the «special tourist price» mistakes that dot the center of Rome. Give it a try! It’s an excellent spot for people watching.

Reasonable food, reasonable prices. Service was mediocre, barely passable English for our waiter. Crust was extremely thin, even for Italian Pizza. Tiramasu was better than average. Salads were large and almost could have been a meal themselves. Both the avocado salad and the pear salad were great.