u/Tigersan25

I was saw this photo while in a random cake shop in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown last year. I think man in the picture with Bruce is / was the owner of the bakery. Clearly a big fan. Just sharing.

https://preview.redd.it/p1v3g7w81m2h1.jpg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2b94afa08feffeff29255e91b3281b71c74326fa

https://preview.redd.it/finz17w81m2h1.jpg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2f40bc8adf3de1c5fd78cfc3dbe29ba20d44c165

I am posting this for others who might be in search of places to eat in Rome. I also wanted to thank all of the other reddit folks for the gazillion responses to posts on where to eat, visit, etc. Those previous posts were instrumental in trying to avoid the "tourist food traps" :-)

I am from the USA and just returned yesterday from Rome. I stayed in the Campo Marzio area, basically a 3 minute walk from Piazza del Popolo. My trip was from Sunday until Saturday. My main goals were to see Tennis at the Italian Open, eat well (which I did not do on my previous trip to Rome), and see a few sites. This was my second trip to Rome.

Restaurants I would recommend:

• Trattoria Al Gran Sasso - 5 minute walk from Piazza Del Popolo in Campo Marzio. I don't know what an old school trattoria is supposed to be like, but if I had describe a restaurant, this would be it. Great food. Service was exceptional. When I realized I had ordered too much food, they graciously offered to cancel one of my dishes. I won't bore you with details of the food as I am not a food critic. That being said, the food was very good and was a great meal on my my first day in Rome. Also, the meal was quite affordable. $60 Euro for two people. Reservations highly recommended!
• Salmoneria - also in Campo Marzio and right down the street from Al Gran Sasso. I was a looking for a casual spot for lunch that did not include pasta. Reviews on this place were all good, so I gave it a shot. Basically, smoked salmon sandwiches is what they serve. They have quite a variety. If you are in the area and want something casual that is not pasta, then you might want to give them a shot.
• Ristorante Ad Hoc - this place has exceptional reviews and lives up to the hype. It is a little pricey - $80-$90 Euro per person with vino. If you are looking for a romantic / special place for dinner, this restaurant might fit the bill for you. The grilled octopus was the best I have had in a very long time. The salmon ravioli was quite good as well. The secondi dishes were just okay. The beef cheek was quite tender and served in a nice sauce. It was a huge portion, which I could not finish. I have come to realize that slabs of beef are not my cup of tea. However, if you like beef this dish may be a winner for you. The highlight of the meal though, was the dessert: cocolatissmo. If you have a sweet tooth, this is the dessert for you. It was out of this world. The ambiance of the restaurant is next level as is the service. It is definitely worth the money. Reservations needed or at least highly recommended. I ate at the location on Via di Ripetta, which is also where Al Gran Sasso and Salmoneria are located.
• Terazza 121 - this restaurant is a 10 minute walk from the Borghese Gallery (highly recommended). Ate dinner there after my visit to the Borghese. Terazza 12 served the best meal I had in Rome. All of the food was good. Great service. The spritz with limoncella was a nice way to start the evening meal.
• Poke House Roma - pretty good spot for a quick casual non pasta dish. Unfortunately, I had a very late lunch there and the chicken (yes they serve more than just fish) was not warm. I would go back again and actually ate their food during the tennis match and it was good.

One more item that might be useful for others;

• Borghese Gallery is tough to get tickets for. A lot of the 3rd party ticket sellers have prices that are outrageous ($100's of euros) and while the gallery is quite impressive, I would not spend 100's of euros to see it. I was able to find tickets directly from the Borghese for a tour, but it was a an Italian language tour. If you need last minute tickets, buy the Italian tour tickets. I arrived a few minutes early and started my visit before the tour began. I don't know if I even saw the Italian language tour group. If you like art, this place is a must see. I didn't know it existed on my first trip to Rome. I think the Borghese is a much better museum than the Uffizi in Florence.