Al Duello has some honest Roman food, you’ll find cacio e peppe, Roman pork, and some good carbonara if you want something on the richer side. I’d be sure to try a truffles plate of you like shrooms or try the Roman pork as they seem to have a very particular version somewhat their own.
Julia Q.
Rating des Ortes: 5 West Chester, PA
Amazing! One of our favorite meals in Italy! We ordered a tasting menu, and had the waitress pick out the courses. She was very sweet and attentive. Loved our meal at Al Duello. Grazie, Al Duello!
Dennis D.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Miami Beach, FL
One of the best meals in Rome. We were here for a week and did not have a reservation for our last night. I found this place thru Unilocal and cross referenced thru Tripadvisor. It lived up to the reviews and more. Excellent service. We had the pulpo with chickpea purée– outstanding. I wanted more. We also had the gnocchi and filet. Delicious and cooked to perfection. My experience with red meat in Europe is that the always over cook it, but the filet was perfect.
Jamie W.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Los Angeles, CA
Just when you think you’ve reached a dead end, you come upon a magnificent little restaurant. It was the final meal of our vacation and it was nice to get a well-curated mix of items. We had the bacon wrapped squash blossoms, the octopus and chickpeas, and the lamb and potatoes, along with a bottle of pinot nero. Great cozy, romantic ambiance!
Swavino T.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Pittsburgh, PA
After going on a food tour today and eating some of the best pizza and pasta and gelato in Rome I was quite full but not that hungry when I went to this restaurant. nonetheless, this was definitely the best food I’ve had in Rome so far and I’ve been here for several days. The service was outstanding, the décor was wonderful and the food was absolutely amazing. Try the mussels for appetizers and any of the pasta dishes. For second plate we had the Seabass which was brilliant.
Lisa B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Denver, CO
Lovely location, outstanding food and service. 4.5 stars would be our rating(0.5 stars off as interior is somewhat plain), but the overall experience, fresh unique flavors and attentive service handily compensate.
Andi S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
I hadn’t scoped a restaurant for a Saturday night dinner and the family was very concerned, so during our pit stop back at the apartment I started trolling the review sites. After some looking I kept coming back to a 5 *(!!) restaurant(on another review site) that happened to be um, right next door to our flat… so we went for it! So lucky we did, what a gem. Al Duello was so wonderful. My daughter and I ran down to look at the menu and while we were peering in, a darling young woman opened the door to tell us that they didn’t open until 7 pm which was fine – we asked for a 7:30 reservation which she kindly took down. At 7:30 we left the apartment and went downstairs and into the restaurant. She remembered us and showed us to a table. I am always interested to see who else is in the restaurant, and it was nice that both Italians and tourists were there. Like the other reviews say, by 8 pm all of the tables were full. We had a delicious dinner, accompanied by a Cutizzi Greco di Tufo Feudi de San Gregorio(€ 22) which we had been drinking just the night before in Positano. This sweet little restaurant is definitely worth seeking out, you will feel like a local and dine like one too!
Jimmy J.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Eugene, OR
A gem of a restaurant in Rome! We discovered this wonderful restaurant while looking for a nice place to eat in Rome. Upon arriving, we were greeted warmly by one of the owners. The setting was comfortable, yet very intimate. I enjoyed perusing the wine list — to which the owner was very knowledgeable, suggesting a Super Tuscan wine — a 2010 Guidalberto Tenuta San Guido — which was delicious! For appetizers, we had the Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Squash Blossom — simply wonderful! From there, we moved on to dinner — we had the Filet of Beef, and the Tagliatelli — again, simply amazing! Finally, the dessert. I had the Crème Brûlée, and my wife had the Tiramisu — wonderful, and fantastic! For us, this was simply the best meal in Rome… so much so, we went back a second night!
Felippe M.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Manhattan, NY
Al Duello was definitely one of the best Italian-cuisine restaurants we dined at during our stay in Rome. All the dishes that we tried were great and lived up to our expectations based on previous reviews. The restaurant is also conveniently located at a walking distance from major attractions. For instance, we walked to the restaurant after visiting Piazza del Popolo(13 min walk) and after our dinner we continued to Trevi Fountain(9 min walk) and ended our night with a delicious gelato(the italian word for ice-cream) at the well-known San Crispino Gelateria(also recommended; 2 min walk from Trevi). However, be aware that Al Duello is a relatively small restaurant and can get easily full. We arrived early(around 6:30 pm) and found an empty table, but companies arriving just 30 – 45 min later had to come back after two hours since all the other tables were already booked. So it is wise to book a table beforehand. Buon appetito!
Jean-Guillaume D.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes
Un peu déçu… Accueil assez distant et surtout sans aucun effort pour parler anglais. Du coup le choix des plats et des vins se fait entre le client et la carte, cette dernière étant par ailleurs assez limitée. En revanche, l’assiette est bien présentée et les saveurs sont bien présentes. Ce restaurant est donc plutôt réservé à des couples souhaitant une soirée tranquille et une assiette de bonne qualité.
Michelle C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Napa, CA
This was by far the best restaurant I ate at in Rome. Times two! I highly recommend the lamb and potatoes as well as the gnocchi special with clams and white fish. The chocolate soufflé with pear and vanilla is a great way to top off a meal. The service is impeccable and the people wonderful. It’s even better that we stayed next door.
Carol P.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Carrollton, TX
The food was okay! But the service … the BEST! From the moment we walked in we were warmly greeted by a nice waiter. I do not thing I madegood choices with my dishes but the night was perfect because of the service. If you want to be treated like a king, this is your spot!
Michael S.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
Enjoyed an excellent dinner at this white tablecloth restaurant. Had a Silician Nero d’Avola red wine for an superb beef with black truffle. Waitress spoke both English and French. Remember to book table as this is a popular place.
Mike H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Crested Butte, CO
This outstanding small restaurant is run by two sisters. Located on a quieter street just a short walk from the Pantheon, they serve a nice variety of high-quality, perfectly prepared dishes. Creative appetizers, delicious fresh pastas, and fish offerings based on the freshest they could up that morning. A mixture of Romans and tourists. Reservations recommended. Fair prices for the quality of the food and creativity of the menu. This was one of our top dinners In Italy.
Matt B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Boston, MA
This is literally the best restaurant I have ever eaten at. I’ve been to dozens of restaurants in Italy and thousands in the U.S. and have never experienced such incredible flavors. Absolutely unbelievable experience. Make a reservation ahead of time and enjoy the best dining experience of your life.
Rory K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Saint Peter Port, Guernsey
Outstandingly good experience. Quiet but central location — charming waitresses and wonderful food. Nothing to fault — even the bill was palatable. House wine is all you need ask for.
Casey R.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Honolulu, HI
Someone we met on a Colosseum tour recommended this restaurant as it was near our apartment in Piazza Navono. We checked it out on TripAdvisor and decided to make reservations for the next night. We are so glad we did! From the moment we walked in we were greeted warmly by a beautiful waitress and seated immediately since we had reservations. The menu was small compared to most restaurants in Rome which I thought was nice break from the gastric chaos you encounter usually. We ordered several appetizers and really enjoyed the Roman style artichokes. We had several pastas and bottles of wine as well and everything was delicious. This was definitely the best overall meal we had in Rome. The service was also by far the best we encountered on our entire 10 day trip in Italy. We were also given a free after dinner shot of grappa. How can you complain? This is a great place for good food, service and upscale and romantic atmosphere. A must when in Rome.
Camille R.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Paris
En déambulant dans les rues du centre historique, nous avons vu un panneau indiquant ce restaurant situé dans une petite ruelle. La carte affichée à l’extérieur nous a alléchés, et nous sommes rentrés. Le décor est plutôt classique moderne, chaleureux et intime. Les deux serveuses ce soir là charmantes, souriantes et à l’écoute. Nous avons commandé des pâtes à la norma et des gnocchi aux palourdes, deux plats réalisés avec justesse: ingrédients très frais et saveurs au rendez-vous. Nous avons poursuivi avec des escalopes de veau à l’orange(bonnes mais un peu plus d’orange aurait été top) et un filet de bar aux légumes parfaitement cuit. Enfin un tiramisu pour finir(délicieux) et un millefeuille chantilly et fruits rouges ont achevé ce repas copieux mais délicieux. Le tout fut accompagné d’un pinot noir du Trentin très agréable.
Cindy L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Houston, TX
We came here based on TripAdvisor reviews also(October 2011), and I think it needs some Unilocal love too. Hands down my favorite meal in Rome and my dish was one of my personal favorites of all time. First off, it is a little hard to find, but don’t let that stop you — we thought the alley ended but there was a slight zig zag and we found it, so a hotel map is sufficient. We didn’t have reservations so got there when it opened and they had no problems seating us. Ambiance was very romantic yet fairly simple. Everyone was friendly. Their homemade olive oil for dipping was amazing! I got one of the specials, a gnocchi with some sea bass in a light orange-y sauce that makes me salivate just thinking about it as I type. Best gnocchi ever, so light and fluffy and unlike any I’ve ever had. In fact, I ordered the dish because I love sea bass and not a big fan of gnocchi because it tends to make me disgustingly full. Yes, I ate the entire plate except I had to share some with the new hubby. I swear I had a stupid smile on my face with each bite. The sauce is what really made the dish. I would have licked the plate if I could. Hubby got a quail dish, very good also, but I think my gnocchi was the star of the night. We didn’t have much room for dessert but they gave us complimentary cookies that were delicious. Plus, the prices were very reasonable for the type of restaurant and quality of food. When in Rome, come to Al Duello! I would come back in a heartbeat.
Stephanie B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 West Hartford, CT
We made reservations here on the strength of the TripAdvisor reviews and we were not disappointed. This place is a bit hard to find at night but with map in hand we did ok. It has a contemporary décor and wonderful service. Both waitresses were pleasant, spoke English well, and cultivated a relaxing and enjoyable experience. The complimentary prosecco set the mood, and homemade crostini were salty and delicious. My husband had the pork with lard(can’t remember the name) that melted in your mouth. I had a roasted quail special which was served butterflied and seasoned with rosemary and roasted potatoes. It was divine. We finished with crème brûlée and a special millefoglie with strawberries and chocolate, and my husband had a complimentary liqueur. It was a supremely relaxing and delicious dinner, and though pricey, we felt it was appropriate given the quality of the food. This was one of our very favorite meals on our tour of Italy. Wish we had eaten here more than once. Visited September 2011.