Roma Sparita

Reviews

• Rodrigo T.

  star star star star star 11 June 2026

  When i saw that Anthony Bourdain special on Roma. I wanted to go to every place he went to. When i saw him order Caccio e Pepe. I tried it the first time I was here in some tourist restaurant in rome. Didnt quite like it, quite frankly, didnt even quite look like the dish i saw on tv. So i told myself that when i return i will hunt this restaurant down and have whatever the late Anthony Bourdain had and maybe even fabricate it for myself.
  
  So we came, got seated and barked our order to the waiter.
  
  Fried Artichoke:     This was a first for me and my hubby. The outer petals were a little bit tougher, but ate like fibry chips. You gotta put a little effort in chewing it. Kind of like pumpkin seeds. Not everyone likes it, but I do!! And i'll probably be fabricating this dish too.
  
  Fried Prawns:     These guys were pretty good. Seasoned very well and cooked perfectly. Best eaten by unshelling them with your hands. It's just easier that way. Trust me!
  
  Caccio E Pepe:     This dish was the truth. I can understand why this would be Tony's favorite pasta dish. Simple and totally extraordinary. I will totaly fabricate this dish at home with the flavors i experienced from this plate.
  
  The restaurant a located about a mile out from the last tourist trap castle/building/church/fountain. So most, if not, all of the patrons are locals. The setting definitely rustic, but who cares! Service was dope, the food was super yummy and I would dine here again and again and again if given the chance.
  
  Thank you so much for reading my review. I hope this helps with your decision making experience. Enjoy your awesome yelptastic day!!!

• Jenna D.

  star star star star star_border 5 June 2026

  AMAZING AMAZING FOOD!
  Known for their cacio e pepe which was seriously amazing. The spaghetti with clam dish was also fantastic.
  However, one of the waiters is quite creepy. He started to play with one of my friends hair at the table and wouldn't stop for awhile. He then started massaging another girls shoulders which was completely unwarranted.
  Other than that guy everything else was great!

• Benjamin F.

  star star star star star_border 30 May 2026

  I'll be the first to admit, the only reason I know about this place is because of Anthony Bourdain. That said, I like many others respected his culinary opinions and in the case of Roma Sparita it was no different. The sight of that Cacio e Pepe in a parmesan bowl is enough to make your mouth water from a million miles away and guess what? It was as advertised and so damn delicious.
  
  Since this place has become so popular I'd advise sending an email with a reservation request weeks in advance because I noticed a ton of people getting turned away. Keep that email handy as the seating system is pretty old school and it's best to have proof. That's what happened to me...
  
  It's worth the stop not only for the cacio but, the other dishes too. We had some deep fried olives, veal scallopini and nicely priced bottles of wine.

• Elysse P.

  star star star star star_border 29 May 2026

  We tracked across town after watching one of Anthony Bourdain's shows hyping up Roma Sparita's cacio e pepe. Served in a bowl made out of parmesan cheese - YES! I don't really know what else to add to my review to convince you to try this place. It is certainly worth the visit.

• Carla D.

  star star star star star 16 May 2026

  We came to this restaurant for lunch. We had made reservations in advanced to ensure we got seated and although I'm sure that's imperative during the peak of the season, it didn't seem that critical now (September '19) unless you want to sit inside.
  
  Our server was lively and although his demeanor could be misconstrued as sarcastic and stand-offish by some, I think he really means well and tries to keep things light and sort of entertaining. He made food and wine recommendations to us that worked out great and eventually we warmed up to each other and he kinda grew on me.
  
  We ordered a couple of dishes to share, starting with the gnocchi with vongole and zucchini flowers. I must say I've never had gnocchi with seafood and actually never even considered it as a good combination for a dish, but this one was delicious. The dish was light and so flavorful. The cherry tomatoes added a nice mild acidic sweetness and the zucchini flowers are my new favorite thing to eat (forget the actual zucchini!). The vongole (labeled on the menu as 'veraci' or 'the one' meaning the real deal kind of vongole) tasted better than the ones we had while in the Amalfi Coast and were meatier.
  
  For our main dish we ordered the whole fish, seabass in this case, which was grilled and served whole for deboning table side. The fish was perfectly cooked, the skin was slightly charred while the meat was moist and tender. The fish was large enough for two people to share.
  
  We paired our food with a bottle of their house white wine (Malvasia, Caspide) which was fresh, crispy with good acidity for a table wine and paired great with seafood.