(62a Via Vittorio Veneto in Rome, Italy)

On the Via Veneto and just by the American Embassy – how fitting – the Hard Rock Café has set out it...s stall of down home American cooking, international rock god and goddess memorabilia, and snazzy souvenirs. Madonna togs feature here, as does Elvis’s jogging suit, Dave Gilmour’s guitar, and some other highlights. One day when the archeologists of the future unearth this cache of treasures, we’d love to know how they explain it. The décor is fun and modern, with a painted rotunda ceiling depicting rock n roll heaven, and a great glassed-in patio for people-watching. Thumping music keeps the buzz going, as do the Hurricanes and frozen alco-drinks – all good fun. Dishes are reliably the same as other HRCs: chicken wings with three different sauces, mountainous nachos, burgers (difficult to find in Rome), pulled-pork sandwiches, various steaks and BBQs, and hot fudge brownie sundae to make the meal complete. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Sun - Thu12pm - 12am Fri - Sat 12pm -1am [moreless]

(25c Via dei Soldati in Rome, Italy)

A molto trendy destination restaurant – claimed to be the city’s oldest hostelry -- that can give y...ou a fine meal and a terrific evening out. Set in a beautifully restored medieval building with views of the Tiber, Hostaria dell’Orso has been a bar and hotel at various stages and hosted such historical luminaries as Rabelais, Goethe, Onassis, Clark Gable. Now you’ll find a three-level establishment with piano bar on the ground level, ristorante in the middle, and lively disco/nightclub on the top, with the ancient details cheekily offset by modern ones, like orange leather chairs . The menu is under the direction of starry masterchef Gualtiero Marchesi, the Michel Roux of Italy, and features both antique dishes and newer interpretations of Roman cuisine. Dishes include seared scallop salad with ginger and pink pepper, homemade tortelli stuffed with pumpkin, butter and marjoram sauce, caramelized suckling pig with honey and spices and apples and celery tart. The waiters wear dinner jackets. The sommelier is widely acclaimed too. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. A credit card is required to reserve a table, if there is availability - this is simply to secure your booking, absolutely no money will be charged to the card except in the case of late cancellations. A fee of 30€ per person will be charged for a cancellation within 3 days or for a no show Opening hours: Mon - Sat 8pm - 1amSun: closed all day [moreless]

(129 Via dei Banchi Vecchi in Rome, Italy)

Il Pagliaccio, named for the weeping clown, is a winning balance of elegance, even formality, and ca...sual warmth. The area, between the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and the Tiber, is charmingly characteristic of the not-so-heavily touristed areas of Rome. The two dining rooms joined by an arched doorway featured checkered tiled floors, traditional wooden ceiling, one with stone paneling the other with a blood-red brocade wall, indirect lighting, white table linens, leather chairs, restrained original artwork. The two chefs, for whom Il Pagliaccio is a labour of passionate attachment to this great city and its culinary tradition, have worked all over the globe and bring a sense of discovery to their creations. Even so, the Mediterranean is the main inspiration here, and the things that swim in it. Starters include starter of brandade of salt code with potato rolls and crisp spring vegetable salad, pasta course of cuttlefish cannelloni filled with artichokes and Granny Smith apple salad, main of lightly-smoked roast duck in asian broth with shitake and tapioca, and dessert of mango beignet in yoghurt and rose water soup. Nearly 150 wines populate the list. Sampling menu available. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. A credit card is required for bookings of 8 or more people and the management requests that at least 7 days notice is given for cancellations. Opening hours: Wed - Sat 12:30pm - 2pm Mon - Sat 8pm - 10:30pm During the 15th century, Charles the V lived for several years in the building. [moreless]

(1 Via dei Bastioni in Rome, Italy)

Dining at Les Etoiles roof garden restaurant, you’ll be so close to the floodlit dome of St Peter’s ...you’ll feel you’re touching the skies of Rome. However, you shouldn’t let that distract you from the rest of the 360 degree panorama. Set atop the Hotel Atlante Star, Les Etoiles offers sophisticated modern and classic regional cuisine in a smart setting. The views are the thing, whether from the flower-bedecked terrace or inside beside the great windows. Dishes might include quail in casserole with mushrooms and herbs, artichokes stuffed with ricotta and pecorino cheeses, Venetian-style squid-ink risotto, roast suckling lamb perfumed with mint. Wines are Italian and French. This sublimely romantic setting would be the perfect spot to both pop the question and celebrate the wedding with a feast. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Sat 12:30pm - 2:30pm & 7:30pm - 10:30pm Sun: closed all day [moreless]

(6 Via Capo d'Africa in Rome, Italy)

Maud in Rome is bar, art gallery, and restaurant all rolled into one sleek, glamorous package. Locat...ed not two steps from the Coliseum down a charming street in the Celio quarter, Maud has a vivacious buzz that attracts artistic types and social butterflies. They adore the minimalist chic with a playful edge – everything at eye level is whiter than white, from the witty button-tufted high-backed banquettes and bar to the walls, highly-style light fittings and scribble place settings. The pale and interesting tones make a perfect backdrop to the changing array of modern art and the vibrant people adorning the venue. The menu is turbo-charged, innovative Italian (though Thursday is sushi night) with dishes like Iberian prosciutto with melon in port in a parmesan basket, tagliatelle in Chianti sauce with salsiccia and fennel, fillet of Argentinean steak in Barolo and pecorino sauce with sautéed potatoes, and ginger millefeuille with hot chocolate sauce. Interestingly, the water menu is even more international than the wine list, and both are worth exploration. This intriguing restaurant with its serious party ambience would be a very cool, in-the-know location for corporate or private entertaining. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Tue - Sun 7pm - 2am Monday closed all day Maud has a mineral water menu [moreless]

(14 Via Di Porta Pinciana in Rome, Italy)

Mirabelle restaurant in Rome is a Michelin-starred, gloriously lavish, exceeds-all-expectations supe...rstar. The mirrored seventh-floor dining room with its sumptuous pale gold décor and elegant crystal and china frames a magical rooftop view of the Eternal City. Chef Giuseppe Sestito uses superbly-sourced ingredients for haute cuisine dishes like artfully-presented seabass tartare with fennel salad and orange, oven-baked rack of lamb pre-sale with rosemary, and the famous Settimo Cielo – ‘Seventh Heaven’ – dessert. The excellent wine list is mostly Italian with some heavy hitters from beyond. Manager Bruno Borghesi, formerly of The Ritz, leads formal, friendly service, attracting jet setters, politicians and other beautiful people. Wear a jacket and be ready to have your senses ravished. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. A credit card is required to reserve a table, if there is availability for all bookings - this is simply to secure your booking, absolutely no money will be charged to the card except in the case of late cancellations. A fee of 100€ per person will be charged for a cancellation within 24 hrs or for a no show Opening hours: Daily 12:30pm - 3pm & 7:30pm - 11pm The lobby chandelier was used by Visconti in the ballroom scene of The Leopard [moreless]

(3 Via G. Moscati in Rome, Italy)

Ristorante Moscati restaurant is found in one of Rome’s residential areas, Monte Mario, with superb ...views to the dome of St Peter’s over the leafy boughs of Parco di Pinetto. This design-led restaurant is warm and inviting, with cool, neutral walls, midnight blue banquettes and seating while the terrace with its panoramic views is the perfect spot for romantic dinners for two. The seasonally-changing menu features fresh, excellent quality ingredients in central Italian dishes with home made pastas and desserts. Dishes might include anchovy pie with oregano-herbed veg, pasta with cavolo rosso and flakes of pecorino, lamb chops with Mediterranean herbs, flaming crepes suzettes. More than two hundred fifty wines are listed on the carefully-chosen wine carte. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Sat 12pm - 3pm & 7:30pm - 11:30pm Sun: closed all day Moscati is only 15 mins away St Peter's Sq. where you can access the free shuttle service to the restaurant from the nearby Ottaviano station... [moreless]

(5/6 Via delle Coppelle in Rome, Italy)

Quinzi & Gabrieli restaurant in the heart of Rome’s centro storico, is celebrated for the freshness ...and quality of its fish menu. The dining rooms, set in a 16th century building near the Pantheon, are small, with vaulted ceilings, open kitchen, and tables that spill onto the terrace in warm weather overlooking a typical Roman square. Trompe l’oeil murals of seaside scenes set the tone, as do the VIP diners and starry big names who show up regularly. The fish is the freshest from Italian waters, cooked as little as possible so the flavours shine through. Wines are French and Italian and the service is renowned. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. A credit card is required for group bookings, absolutely no money will be charged to your card, this is just to secure the booking. Opening hours: Mon - Sat 7:45pm - 11pm Sun: closed all day [moreless]

(8/9 Via Della Rosetta in Rome, Italy)

La Rosetta restaurant – one of the few things on which Romans agree. La Rosetta is widely known as ...the best fish restaurant in Rome, and therefore one of the best anywhere. Chef-owner Massimo Riccioli took the helm twenty years ago, twenty years after his parents founded La Rosetta as the first all-fish restaurant in the city. On the doorstep of the Pantheon, the small, white, luxurious dining rooms attract high-rollers who adore the innovative Eastern-inflected new dishes as much as the traditional Sicilian ones that the restaurant was founded on. Fish are bought quayside daily so the menu is at the mercy of the catch, and all the stronger for it. Dishes include carpaccio of fresh fish drizzled with olive oil, tagliatelle of Mediterranean tuna with greens, chocolate mousse with candied orange. Tasting menu available. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Please be aware that Ristorante La Rosetta does not allow children under 6.A credit card is required to confirm all bookings. Absolutely nothing will be charged to the card, unelss in the event of late cancellations (less than 48 hours notice) or no-shows.There is a strict 2-hour time limit on all bookings, and sitting times for dinner are at 7:30pm & 9:45pm (please book the 9:30pm slot for this sitting). Opening hours: Mon - Sat 12:45pm - 2:45pm & 7:30pm - 11pmClosed Sundays and most of August. [moreless]

(7 Via della Penitenza in Rome, Italy)

Rivadestra restaurant is appearing on more and more ’10 Best Restaurants of Rome’ lists and you’ll u...nderstand why. Set in the Trastevere, Rivadestra reinterprets the luxury of the aristocratic papal Rome of the 1700s. The original 18th century doorway opens onto an intimate dining room set with scrubbed oak tables, coats of arms, suffused lighting, and impressive appointments. The menu changes every three weeks, and fresh ingredients are used to create a light new Italian Mediterranean cuisine. Past dishes have included home made tortelli filled with prawns and broccoli in cardoon stock, ravioli with rabbit and potato in cheese fondue, guinea fowl with foie gras, artichokes, and walnut sauce, and crème brulee with tobacco sauce. The forty-bottle wine list has been meticulously researched to present the most intriguing of Italian wines, representing every region. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Thu 7:30pm - 11:30pmFri - Sat 7:30pm - 12am Sun: closed all day [moreless]