La Scaletta

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Aussi surprenant que cela puisse paraître, on peut louper une pizza à Rome, faire des pâtes fades et des tiramisus sans intérêts!
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This place is great! We ended up here completely by accident and were not disappointed in the least. The food is very cheap in comparison to just about any of the other restaurants in the Rome/​Trastevere area (I was able to have the Penne all’Arrabbiata as well as the Sauteed Mussels for the same price if not LESS than what I would have paid for the same portion of penne at any other local restaurant!) and there was NO sacrifice in the quality of the food as you might expect (and other reviewers claim…) for this price difference! On top of that the house wine was great, the servers all very friendly and attentive, and the service (or cover) charge relatively cheap (only € 1 per person while many sit down places in Italy I’ve found thus far charge at least € 2 per customer). All in all I can’t wait to go back to try some of their other dishes!

My wife and I came here on the advice of our bnb host. The prices are very reasonable for an area that us becoming increasingly touristy and the food is excellent. On our first visit we tried the oxtail stew, vegetable soup, and steak. The oxtail and soup were great, though the steak was was a bit chewy.
We enjoyed the place enough to come back a 2^nd time. We ordered mussels and pizza and they were delicious.
I read some complaints about service, but our experience was all very positive. The wait staff was all really warm and friendly and patient with out poor italian. I also can’t see why you would complain about service charge (which is just 1 euro per person) when you’re basically paying half as much as you would at similar places
nearby.

The pizza wasn’t great and they charged us a service fee, which is something I’ve never seen at any other restaurant in Rome. I wouldn’t eat here again.

There are a million restaurants in the Trastevere section of Rome, why go to this one? Well, we were really hungry one night, our feet hurt, there was no line, and this place was really cheap! So in we came.
We came with rather low expectations, and La Scaletta met them! The pizzas on a neighboring table didn’t look so great, so we both ordered pasta, a salad, and a carafe of house wine. The wine was bitter and terrible, the salad was literally a few greens and tomatoes, and both pasta dishes had unpleasant sauces accompanying them. This was probably the worst meal we had in Italy, but it was also the cheapest! So I guess you get what you pay for…
If you’re a foodie looking for an experience in Trastevere, go elsewhere. If you want to fill up for cheap, then maybe this place is for you. I can’t say I would recommend it, but it can’t really be any worse than a lot of those other tourist traps, can it? At least it won’t break the bank.

Yep, five stars for a restaurant in Rome… and I’ll explain why (It’s all about meeting — and exceeding… expectations).
Rome is a most unique city. Sights galore and something for everyone. Yet, amid of that, Rome presents itself to the first time and even occasional visitor as as place where you can really get ripped off in a hurry. There are few other spectacular destinations so marred by the likelihood you will be upsold, overcharged, and otherwise, ripped off by restaurants/​bars. Rome is notorious.
Not all establishments, bars, restaurants and such are equal. It is always my sincere opinion, to take the advice of those who have specifically been to places (especially in Rome) to avoid an unpleasant experience. Afterall, Rome is fabulous. It’s the Eternal City and the center of Western Civilization.
Okay…now to La Scaletta.
Just by the Tiber into the Trastavere, you have just eliminated your likelihood of a bad dining experience. The neighborhood here is less touristy. This rewards the visitor with a great selection of honest establishments among which is La Scaletta (a fond and frequent destination for me).
As other reviews have mentioned, the menu here is varied, extensive, but very reasonable. There are 3-​course selections for 15 € which back across the river would be 25 € and of poor quality. It’s not all about the price, but to me, reflects a measure of honesty in presenting a great meal without trying to fleece you.
That’s why La Scaletta is frequented by repeat customers. Plenty of local Romans as well.
I am in Rome often throughout the year. Every time, I try to bring friends/​colleagues to places like La Scaletta to show them that there are indeed very friendly, high quality Italian restaurants that don’t try to fleece a customer once… but make such an impression that they long to come back.
In keeping with that, I took some work colleagues that had not been here yet. We each ordered a few items to share for starters and then had our pick the the menu, and thus a review of the visit.
Even if you don’t go for one of the 3 or 4-​course plans with their choice of selections, you can easily order a la carte and still come out close to the coordinated course offerings.
Started off with some appetizers to share. First off: an order of the fried zucchini flowers (Fiori du Zucca). I love these. At home, I will stuff them or serve them in soups (the flowers are sweet). Here they are stuffed with cheese then fried. They were good.
In addition, enjoyed the bruschetta and the prosciutto & melone.
Entrée-​wise, I opted for my frequent favorite 1^st Course of the Penne all’Arrabbiata (5 €): Perfectly al dente penne tossed with a delicious sauce of tomatoes, chilies and fresh parsley. Add some grated cheese and the dish was superb.
This visit I had the grilled lamb chops as a main (8 €). It was a tasty choice, light and a great addition to the bulkier 1^st course. Excellent.
Wines are reasonable. A delicious bottle of Italian Montepulciano d’Abruzzo goes for 10 €. A liter of house red or white is 8 €.
Usually by the end of the meal, which with friends or just chatting up with the staff can last hours, I don’t have room for dessert, so cannot attest to the sweets.
Service is great. I am perplexed by one of the other English reviews that on their visit stated otherwise. As for me, I enjoy meeting/​talking with others including the staff rather than being ‘waited on’. Yes, I am a patron, but enjoy blending in with the ever convivial, outgoing, friendly and attentive staff here.
Check La Scaletta out. It’s a great spot in a great neighborhood.
See you there!

The restaurant had very cheap pizza, and while it was pretty good, the service was pretty bad. I believe they lost out order, since the tables next to us arrived later and got their food much sooner. I’ll be willing to give it a second chance, though!

I really liked this restaurant! The dinner menu deal is probably one of the cheapest in this area. 15 euro for a 3 course meal that’s amazing. If you’re into white sauces, get the «house specialty pasta!» Only gave it 4 stars because the waitress was a bit rude.