Da Dino e Toni

One of the best if not the best restaurant in Rome. This place can be easily passed because of its outside appearance. Owners Dino and Toni make up for the outside with the energetic atmosphere they set. Full of life and entertaining hosts, they guided us into ordering a few things that we hesitated at first but turned out to be the right choice! Everything is simply amazing. The owners are very funny and will spontaneously sing. They even took a picture with us and gave the girls in our group items to take home! I am so glad we picked this spot

Vu les bons avis sur ce restaurant, nous y sommes allés lors de notre séjour à Rome. Quelle déception ! Cela a été le plus mauvais restaurant de notre séjour et nous avons bien regretté d’avoir perdu une soirée dans ce restaurant cantine. Nous avons tout trouvé nul: le cadre, la salle, la vaisselle et même les plats. Effectivement, à chaque étape, on vous apporte à chacun plusieurs plats en même temps sur la table. Ce qui fait que déjà, le temps de manger le premier, les autres sont froids. Mais surtout ce n’est pas bon ! Il vaudrait mieux privilégier la qualité plutôt que la quantité. De plus, nous avons longuement attendu entre l’entrée et le plat de résistance. Les patrons sont gentils, certes, mais cela né vaut vraiment pas le déplacement. En plus, l’addition est salée pour ce qu’on mange. Il y a bien d’autres restaurants à Rome où l’on mange bien mieux et pour moins cher !

By far the best restaurant in Rome. Dino and Tony are absolutely amazing human beings. The service is the Italian hospitality that you hope for but rarely actually experience. The food is incredible!
Don’t ask for a menu, just let Dino bring you food– everything will be amazing!!!

Esta es una casa de comidas cerca de los Museos Vaticanos a la que no debes faltar aunque no vayas a verlos. Es considerablemente más barata que cualquier trampa para turistas de los alrededores, la comida es casera y está muy buena, y los hermanos Dino y Toni montan un espectáculo digno de cualquier estereotipo xenófobo de serie de mafiosos calabreños. Pero es real, ellos son así y hay que quererles en sus términos.
Ahora bien, es su casa y juegas con sus reglas: no hay carta, solo unos platos aparentemente fijos que te van cantando y que, aunque digas que no, te van a acabar sirviendo ante la insistencia (lo único negociable parece ser la cantidad en el plato). La pasta amatriciana estaba buenísima, la mejor que probé en toda Roma; los entrantes eran curiosos, muy diferentes a los que probamos en el resto de sitios y siempre consistían en fiambres fríos; y el surtidito de postres era espectacular, no sé ni cómo logré sobrevivir a semejante ingesta calórica.
Lo que sí me resultó bastante curioso es que Dino y Toni tienen un don para calar a la gente, básicamente para distinguir al turista que está algo perdido del que sabe lo que quiere y es suficientemente asertivo como para pedirlo; tienen un doble rasero de trato (y hasta ahí voy a leer), por lo que os recomiendo que, si vais a hacerles una visita (¡debéis hacerlo!) os mostréis asertivos, porque si os ven un poco pardillos la experiencia puede resultar abrumadora cuando realmente es muy divertida.

We found this spot in the Fodor’s Guide. I expected it to be a little touristy being so close to the the Musei Vatican, but it was all locals dining there for lunch. Tony and Dino don’t speak a word of English, but they really knew how to express themselves. These two welcomed everybody that came in for lunch like long lost friends. The atmosphere was loud with everyone yelling and talking over each other. We couldn’t help but stare at them in fascination.
We had the recommended antipasti which comprised some prosciutto and salame with assorted pizza slices. We tried the carciofi (artichoke) which actually tasted pretty good. It was baked in olive oil and the leaves were crispy. We also had 2 pasta dishes. The pasta with tomato and bacon; the noodles were just right, and I could taste the bacon blended with the sauce. The pasta with white sauce and bacon was creamy and counterbalanced the red sauce of the other dish.

Mein erster Urlaub in Rom — und am besten verlässt man sich da doch auf die Empfehlungen der Unilocal-​Gemeinde, oder…
In diesem Fall könnte ich mir den Bericht sparen und mit zwei Worten eine kurze und aussagekräftige Bewertung abgeben:
NIE WIEDER
Für alle, die unter «authentisches italienisches Restaurant» einen kleinen Raum mit blaugrün gestrichenen Wänden und einer… ich suche gerade das «größtmögliche Gegenteil von angenehm» in meinem Wortschatz… Beleuchtung versteht, welches von zwei «Originalen» laut und hektisch geführt wird, mag dies das Paradies sein. Aber für meine Familie und mich war das der Tiefpunkt in Sachen Speisen, Ambiente und Preis-​/​Leistungsverhältnis schlechthin.

After eating my way through Italy for the last two months, I can honestly say this was the worst Italian dining experience I’ve had (ever). I truly love Italian food, and love cooking Italian dishes myself, so I was looking forward to this place after reading the reviews.
The proprietors are brusque, frantic comedians, but hardly seemed very welcoming or thoughtful. One of them was constantly scampering around like a wild man, more concerned about being the show of it all rather than delivering good food to the customers. Indeed, we was a funny guy, but I came for some delicious food.
The pasta was sloppy. Some rigatoni box noodles topped with cold sauces. The appetizers were cold cuts and greasy hunks of blah, something like the cafeteria food you’d find in a nursing home. The house wine tasted like ancient vinegar with some tap water added.
I can’t say the service was bad as it just plain did not exist, at all. The place itself was dirty and the florescent lights inside are more nauseating than the food.
This is not a good Roman restaurant. It is cut rate eatery that falls sloppily behind countless other fine establishments that offer well crafted, delicious fare in this amazing city. Go anywhere else.

I’m probably going to lose credibility by going against the grain but this place ain’t all that and I’m baffled by the high reviews.
We ate here after reading an article somewhere online and rode the hype train only to be let off at a disappointed stop.
This place has a prefix menu so we started with antipasto which consisted of some prosciutto, salami, fried olives, fried artichokes some kinda flat pizza concoction which was part eggplant and other part cheese.
Then we had the pasta course which was 2 bowls each, one carbonara and the other some kinda red tomato sauce dish, the tomato sauce dish was actually pretty good but typical rigatoni with tomato sauce.
After that we had this overly dry meat dish I couldn’t finish and my partner had this fried fish platter.
We topped it off with 4 desserts 2 pastries and this cheesecake thingy and a whip cream coffee drink… I will say the whip cream coffee drink was omg good.
All this and 2 little pitchers of wine cost us 80 euros.
I think this place is popular because of the brothers, they’re pretty entertaining but as far as food is concerned, there are far better places.

Great fun! Not a tourist trap, but very much a place to visit early in one’s visit to Rome. The local people eating seemed to know how to order their own choices, but Dino otherwise will choose spontaneously what you are to eat — and he can’t miss with the wonderful food they serve. And the price is very reasonable.

Le vraie restaurant italien comme dans les vieux films des années 50 où on mange la bonne cuisine faite par la MAMA! Allez y le ventre vide! Les portions sont très généreuses !

Generous Dino and friendly Tony .The restaurant runs by two brothers and got 20 years history. The start pizza bread was so crispy and we just can’t stop eating! We had pasta for lunch, it smelt amazing and unforgettable .I will go there again if I have chance to go back to Rome some day.

The best dinning experience ever… Dino will bring what he wants you to eat, it will be terrific! Bring your appetite, it is a lot of food. Great local spot
The entire staff is a blast, he made our Rome trip…

Do yourself a favor and go to this place. The food is amazing. Just have Dino bring you out whatever he recommends. The house wine is amazing as well. The antipasta is a must try and so is the pasta. It’s what Italy is all about

This is what happiness tastes like… Great atmosphere, delicious food, much laughter, tasty wine, sinfully good desserts, all for a great price! I cannot recommend this restaurant enough! It’s a tiny little hole in the wall place that will delight the senses and warm the heart!

Une osteria ou vous né regretterez pas de vous arrêter! Plongé dans une ambiance familiale aux sonorités italiennes, ce petit Resto aux nappes à carreaux est parfait pour un déjeuner en terrasse! Un peu éloigné du Vatican, il conserve son authenticité en servant pizzas, pasta, artichaut frit et antipasti de meilleure qualité! Dino et Tony sont deux personnes accueillantes qui sauront vous mettre à l’aise sans aucun doute! Vraiment une très bonne adresse pour vous initier à la cuisine romaine, simple, sans chichi et avec du goût!

Usually when I eat, my primary concern is either sustenance or gastronomic pleasure. When those two things meet — I’m a pretty happy camper. What makes Da Dino e Toni so great is the addition of family charm to the dining experience on top of the really well prepared meal.
So far as I can tell (the owners and staff don’t seem to speak a lick of English so I’m guessing here), this place is run by two brothers and their respective families. When we sat, we weren’t offered a menu at all — the younger of the two brothers just simply asked if we wanted to some antipasti. We nodded yes and the food just started to come out and we ate whatever they put in front of us. Everything was terrific including a mix of prosciutto and salami, a couple of small pizzas, fried olives and a fried artichoke. The artichoke was the highlight and a don’t-miss if you come here during the season.
They next asked us if we wanted some pasta. The antipasti was pretty plentiful so we agreed to a single plate. They brought back two — a carbonara dish and something we couldn’t identify but it was awesome. Even though I had passed sated a half-​hour earlier and I was actually coming up on uncomfortably full — I couldn’t help myself from picking at my plate til the pasta was gone.
Lastly, he asked us if we wanted dessert. We refused the dessert but some showed up with our bill anyway. Really glad that it did as it was some sort of frozen espresso. I asked for seconds.
I suppose that some might feel uncomfortable in a place like this. Language barrier and some guy randomly bringing food — some of which we didn’t order. It did occur to me that Da Dino e Toni was simply taking advantage of an obvious tourist (BTW, this place is located just around the corner from the Musei Vaticano entrance) and I feared it would show up on our bill. But in the end, lunch for four was just a little over € 50 — one of the more reasonable meals we had all week.
In the end, the family that runs this place are simply charming local Italians that enjoy having fun with tourists and run an outstanding eatery.
Quick sidebar: Some of the reviews of Da Dine e Toni are for some other place. The actual restaurant does have a sign that says Da Dino e Toni right out front. The address on Unilocal is correct but that map points you to a different intersection. The actual place is on the corner of Via Leone IV and Via Andrea Doria.

Disappointing. After all the fantastic reviews, I thought this restaurant would be a delight. When we arrived at 12:30 for lunch, it was completely empty, surprising considering the proximity to Vatican Museums but we prevailed. Unfortunately, it fell well below my expectations. Let me caveat this by saying that, like another reviewer, the restaurant did not have the name that is indicated on Unilocal but is at the exact same location (and is the only restaurant on this spot).
The food was mediocre at best, akin to a food court fast food version of Italian that I would get at home. Portion sizes are much smaller than what I’ve seen elsewhere in Rome. To add insult to injury, they charge you for bread that you’d assume is complementary and then auto-​grat themselves a 15% service fee. I don’t have any issue tipping but find it interesting that this restaurant has this fee when we were a table of 2 at lunch and I’ve seen this no where else in Western Europe.
There are much better places to dine in Rome, don’t bother wasting your time here!

Such an authentic little Rome experience at this little Italian restaurant gem! My boyfriend and I are vegetarian so we went for the simple Spaghetti Arrabiata and Pizza. Tony and Dino are brothers and run this restaurant while singing, joking and giving each table a personal touch (we got some dessert wine!). A place to come back to and conveniently located close to Vatican.

Wonderful food, wonderful staff.
We landed from London and got to Rome for lunch. Ate way more than we should, the amazing food just kept coming, it was amazing. We had to call a stop after the epic pasta barrage and never made it to secondi — we hadn’t had time to enlarge our stomachs into Roman size (we should have prepared Homer style and pre-​ate all day).
The staff were just lovely. I want this restaurant to come home with me in my suitcase but we were flying EasyJet and they wouldn’t let me carry it on.
Highly recommended (bring an extra tummy).

This is a must go! This is our second time here this week. The food is great and the atmosphere is awesome. Just say «Si» to everything… trust me. Oh! And bring your appetite they will demand you clean your plate and there are plenty of plates to clean. Enjoy!

Plenty of food, drink (alcohol and otherwise), atmosphere, and italian friendship. We enjoyed our experience here and said «si» to everything. We left full and happy.

This was our favorite restaurant experience on our 12 day Italy trip. The family that owns it are amazingly friendly/​fun and the food is really good. When we arrived at noon it was quiet but when we left at 2 it was loud and fun with tables of italians celebrating something or other :)
They’ll suggest what to order and just go with it. Share everything (e.g. so if there are 2 of you just get 1 appetizer) and get an appetizer, pasta and some meat or desert. I just told them I don’t like fish. Also you’ll need a carafe or two of wine.

The name may be wrong on Unilocal.In exact same location is a place called «hostaria dei bastioni» but I believe it is the same place.
I had the spinach ravioli with almond sauce and I didn’t leave a spot of sauce left on my place. It was so creamy and I did not want to waste a single drop.
Good location, good prices.

This place needs more reviews! It’s a cute family-​owned restaurant with the stereotypically Italian (yet awesome) staffs. The staffs pretty much just yell at each other and you, but they definitely mean well. They don’t speak much English except the girl, though you’ll prob be just fine — because whatever you order, they’ll prob recommend what they think you should eat. They will blab a bunch of Italian at your face, and make hand gestures that suggest whatever they are recommending is delicious. This is when you just nod your head and say «Si». Once you do, congratulations, you are about to devour some of the most heavenly made food! They will bring you plates after plates of deliciousness and your only job is to eat until all the pasta is gone and all the sauces has been wiped clean with bread. Don’t forget to order dessert! Come here and you will not regret

Went here on the recommendation of a friend with the only instruction being «if they ask if you want something say ‘si’ «. They were super busy, but squeezed us in and from there it just got better. They brought us whatever their specialty courses were for the night, all the food was very good. Went through all the courses, dessert and even had a shot of limoncello with Dino.
Friendly atmosphere, and even though we spoke almost no Italian we felt very welcomed just as if we were a local. If you’re very particular about food, might not be your cup of tea, but if you’re open to eating whatever the chef’s nightly special is and are looking for a great fun local atmosphere then its a fantastic place.

Trattoria pour amis
Si nous n’avions pas été conseillés par notre hôte Massimo, jamais nous né serions rentrés dans ce petit temple de l’amitié et de la convivialité. Né pas chercher la carte, elle n’existe pas. Faire une dégustation de charcuterie, pizzas et pates ou se laisser faire comme je le fais à chaque fois que j’y retourne. Mes amis français sont aussi à fonds pour ce lieu qui né connait pas les touristes pour ainsi dire. Deux petites salles obligent à né pas venir à l’improviste et donc le succés demande de réserver. Quant au prix… 75 euros pour 4 après avoir mangé et bu plus que raisonnablement.

Super
J’ai été conseillé pour découvrir ce restaurant où il faut à tout prix réserver. Je vous conseille une dégustation de plusieurs plats et vous serez ravis. Une ambiance assez exceptionnelle.