The Library Bistrot

Besides the Colosseum and the Pantheon, consider The Library a must stop during your trip to Rome. Subtly tucked away in an alleyway near the popular bustling café and shopping area of the city, you might just walk by The Library’s quaint entrance if you didn’t know about it before.
Perfect for a romantic couple dinner or for a pair of close friends or family, The Library seats only a few parties, so be sure to make reservations ahead of time.
On the charming handwriting menu, The Library states that they aim to nurture a «Philosophy» of sorts — to maintain a comfortable, romantic environment in every inch of their restaurant. In my opinion, this was totally, utterly achieved. Exposed brick, dripping candles, and thoughtful decorations create a peaceful pocket in the city of Rome.
The service at The Library is top tier. Though unfortunately I missed our waiter’s name, he was kind, attentive when appropriate, and very gracious about sharing information about the menu and even gifted us champagne and other treats throughout our meal. He also spoke several different languages with ease.
Throughout my three days in Rome, The Library’s food remained my absolute favorite. We began with the duck appetizer, a fulfilling plate of tender duck slices that literally melted in your mouth, then each tried the truffle pasta and pesto pasta. (I think I died and went to truffle heaven.) In effort to try as many foods as possible, we split the beef «main course» and found our stomachs making room for the dish despite feeling close to combustion. We ended the experience with the hot chocolate cake which, unsurprisingly, was absolutely delicious.
Though the meal is certainly not cheap, you will absolutely receive a memorable, quality meal for your money. The Library falls under high range, but still reasonable for couples on a honeymoon or vacation budget.
Don’t hesitate to schedule in a dinner at The Library for your trip in Rome. I promise, you won’t regret it.

Visiting Rome as a college student from New York! My boyfriend and I came here on a Thursday night. We made our reservation only 4 days before, and we were very grateful that Dana had space for us.
The restaurant is extremely cozy. It only has 6 tables that serve 2 people each — something that does not exist in New York. The feeling of the entire restaurant is very romantic, and the service is the best we’ve had in Europe so far. Our waiter was Chaddy (sorry I probably spelled it wrong!) and he was very attentive and kind. It definitely seemed like he genuinely wanted us to have a great time. The menu is handwritten, adding to the ambience.
The welcome wine was delicious. I ordered the duck for appetizer, and my boyfriend had the gnocchi. Both were delicious. Every slice of duck was placed perfectly in a circle.
For the main course, I had chateaubriand and my boyfriend had the sea bass. I have had one of the best chateaubriand in NYC, and this one was definitely comparable. Its honey sauce is sweet and unique, but I absolutely loved it. It is definitely something I don’t think I’ll ever find again. My boyfriend’s sea bass was delicious as well. The zucchini slices on top were individually hand placed. It was a work of art.
For dessert, we shared the tiramisu. The recipe is by the chef of a 2-​Michelin star restaurant. I am not a tiramisu expert, but it tasted very good.
Overall, definitely 5 stars for the ambience that can’t be found arguably anywhere in the world and incredibly delicious and beautiful food.

This place is the best in Rome !!! Do yourself a favor and try it out !! The meal was great the service was outstanding and the wine list surly delivered !!!

The experience we had here could not have been more magical. Incredible authentic and inventive food, absolutely amazing service, wonderful music and the most romantic setting in Rome. A jewel to be discovered.

Very beautiful restaurant. You should reserve a table as there are only 7 tables for couples. The price is high but you can spend it for your lady ;) Pasta, meat an dessert was great. After we finished dinner it started to rain really bad and the waiter gave us his umbrella. Juste bringe ite back tomorrow or so. (this was before tip and a nice umbrella) Great people, great service, great food. And yes, we returned the umbrella!

They decorate the restaurant as a warm cozy library and play light jazz music in the background. Their handwritten menu explains their Feng Shui philosophy. So if this sounds pleasant and romantic to you, then check it out. On the other hand, if you are not tolerant of a slightly cheesy atmosphere, then you might want to steer away from here. As for food, it varies from decent to very good — my wife’s sea bass was amazing. The sommelier was very helpful in choosing wine, which was excellent to our palate. He made a bit of a spectacle of opening the bottle, which was cute although arguably for show. My main warning about prices are the red wines — they start at 40 euros and end in outer space. But the sommelier will politely ask your price range, so don’t worry about that!

My wife and I found this place on Unilocal during a recent trip to Rome and we were not disappointed. The food and service were excellent. They really went out there way to make sure we had a good dining experience. The waiter was very friendly and attentive. He took his time to explain the history of the Chianti we were drinking and the orgins of grappa. He even stopped by a couple of times to refill my glass of grappa on the house. The also had great vegetarian options for my wife. We went on the first night of our trip and it really set the tone for an amazing vacation.

What a neat concept to create such a lovely atmosphere — dining by candlelight! The Library is a small and intimate restaurant — totally charming décor. We had a wonderful dining experience made special by our waiter, Shadi. He had a great personality and was just terrific in explaining the dishes. The dinner gave us all a new culinary experience. The flavors were intense and stimulating… Thank you so much.

This quaint restaurant has an environment that is perfect for a date or other special occasion. The service is great and the gnocchi is absolutely amazing!

My husband and I were backpacking through Europe in June 2013. On my birthday we decided to try and find a special place, boy we found it! The library is a small restaurant that has an amazing ambience and the food is spectacular.
I order the ricotta gnocchi which was perfectly delicious and filling. My husband ordered the Risotto which was equally as good and a bit spicy. We also had a cheese platter also fantastic and the waiter (I can’t remember his name but he was probably the best waiter we’ve ever had) recommended a wine for us (and my husband who does not like wine) loved it! We asked for it by the glass since we were unsure if he would like it and ended up buying the whole bottle. They found out it was my birthday and made it extra special. All in all best restaurant of our trip!

A very nice restaurant. The atmosphere is five stars and for that alone you might HAVE to go here if you’re on a romantic trip that brought you to Rome, especially when coupled with what I felt was the kind of attentive service that was hard to find in Europe, and normally seen only in the finest dining establishments. Which is probably why this placed charged like one. It’s quite expensive. While not egregiously so, most dishes were at least 21 Euros and up. I had an exotic slow cooked wild boar that was 30 Euros and tasted somewhat underseasoned and pedestrian. About 50% of what we ate was really good and the other 50% was just okay. So, go for the experience and service, but don’t expect the food to live up to the price. Just to clarify, I am saying you SHOULD go here, but be forewarned that just as places with good food lose stars due to collateral non-​taste issues, this place is gaining stars because of them. Also the bathroom messed up while I was here but not really a big deal.

After eating at a slew of great restaurants including the famed La Pergola, this was still my wife’s favorite place in Rome. I may be convinced as well, as it truly delivers on what it promises. Hidden, romantic, unassuming, the food and wine were top notch and I plan to come back as soon as possible.

Great small restaurant in a great little Roman alley-​way near where there a lof of things going on. Our waiter was absolutely terrific — helping us pick out delicious wine and recommended a dish that I really enjoyed. My wife had the pasta with Truffle and in our opinion there was too much truffle in it, but otherwise it was well made. Our appetizer was delicious!
We had a traveled all day so we didn’t have dessert but we really enjoyed the atmosphere — very romantic and great for the first dinner in Rome on our honeymoon.
The credit card thing can be a bit of a drag, but I just made sure I brought cash and it was no big deal.
Strong recommendation to check out this restaurant for a romantic evening in an older Rome setting with great food and service.

I just came back from Rome yesterday with my wife and had the good fortune of eating here on the last night of our trip. Like other reviewers have noted, this restaurant is the epitome of romance. There are only 6 or 8 tables in a small space tucked down an alley just off Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II. The entire interior is lit with only candles, lending an almost mystical atmosphere. Exposed brick walls, empty wine bottles doubling as candlestick holders, the iron circular staircase and other touches make it feel a bit as if you’ve stepped into someone’s living room in the 15^th century. A beautiful soundtrack of Sarah Vaughn was playing on the speakers in quiet tones.
Our waiter was a very eager young man who greeted us warmly and professionally with a glass of Prosecco. We ordered two glasses of the house red (though there is an impressive wine list) which was delicious. The decanting of the wine was a spectacle, with our waiter playing sommelier as he twirled the wine to aerate it and even heated it over a candle to bring out the aroma. I tasted it (delicious) and our night was off to a great start.
The menu is small (perhaps 4 to 5 choices each of appetizers, prima and secondi plates), but every item was homemade. Even the bread basket was filled with homemade bread that the chef had prepared.
We started with the meat and cheese platter which was served for two but was easily enough for four. We had five different varieties of ham and salami as well as five different varieties of cheese served in thick slices and rectangular slivers. There was sheep’s milk cheese, raw cow milk, goat milk, etc… with tastes of grass, black truffle and cream. They gave us a kiwi fruit chutney and a mild curry chutney, both of which paired perfectly with the cheese and meats.
The next dish we had was a shared plate of riccota stuffed gnocchi served in a pear and walnut cream sauce. It was heaven on a plate. The gnocchi were pillows of flavor with the cream sauce perfectly complementing the riccota cheese. Most cream sauces in the states are heavy, but this seemed remarkably light and flavorful. We both had entrees coming, so we did not finish all the gnocchi (it was a very large portion), but we kicked ourselves on the flight back for not eating it all.
For entrees, my wife had the fillet of beef served in a brown cream sauce and I had the fillet of pig served in a white cream sauce over truffled potatoes. Don’t be frightened by the cream sauces, they’re not like they are in the states. They were very light. The smell of the truffles filled the area around my plate and it was a wonderful highlight to the small slices of perfectly cooked pork. The potatoes were not quite mashed but not quite hard, and it was a pleasure to eat them. I found myself sopping up the cream sauce with some of the homemade bread and my wife and I were very happily stuffed.
Incidentally, my wife’s beef was ‘perfect’ (her words) and while she normally shares her dishes with me, she offered up nothing as she wanted to have it all to herself!
When the waiter, who had been exceptional in his service, came to ask about dessert and/​or drinks, I declined him. We had eaten too much and couldn’t have another bite. I did ask for some Frangelico, having just seen Fra Angelico’s tomb that afternoon, but they didn’t have any. He offered Grappa, which we declined. He went into the kitchen, for what I assumed was the bill and my wife and I spent a few moments finishing our water and gushing over the wonderful meal.
When the waiter returned, he had small appertif glasses in his hand and a bottle of aged Grappa. He insisted we try it and said it would help with our digestion. We couldn’t refuse such a gracious gesture and we did try the Grappa. It had a slightly bronze color and tasted very much like whisky to me. A few moments later, a woman appeared from the kitchen, evidently the owner?, and insisted we try the strawberry mousse which the chef had just prepared. We tried to refuse but she was persuasive and so they brought it out to us. It was a revelation! The mousse was light and airy and the strawberry taste was fresh and not at all cloying or overly sugary. Most impressively, the Proseccon, Grappa and Mousse were all free to us and we were greatly taken with the gesture and hospitality shown.
After lingering a bit longer (the whole meal was nearly three hours but it felt shorter), we paid our bill and got up to leave. Our waiter was in the kitchen at the moment and when he saw us in the doorway, he rushed over to shake our hand and thank us for coming.
I’ve eaten in every big name restaurant in New York City and quite a few overseas as well. Hands down, this is one of the top three dining experiences of my life. The ambience, food and service all blended seamlessly to create the perfect dining experience. Run, don’t walk, to eat here.

When you conjure up the most romantic, charming European restaurant you can muster, it’s pretty darn close to the reality that The Library offers.
Small and slightly tough to find, The Library has no more than 10 tables with only candlelight lighting the room. Service was impeccable, from recommendations from our server, wine selections from the sommelier, and little touches like prosecco to start and dessert wine to end on the house.
We ordered the best meat and cheese plate I have ever had in my life. I could have ordered 3 more. The homemade fettuccine with white duck ragout was absolutely delicious and the salmon with a pistachio crust was perfectly cooked.
This was the best dinner of my entire trip throughout Italy, what a wonderful way to cap off our trip!

It’s a tiny little place on a quiet street and provides an intimate, comfortable setting. After a glass of prosecco, We started with a Amerone wine, which the waiter recommended (and was cheaper that what I had picked out). The chef’s recommendation to start was eggplant flan, which was fantastic. The gnocchi was also delicious. My main pork dish with black truffles was also delicious.
We loved it and after the meal the chef came out to thank us for coming. It really was a nice evening.

If you’re looking for quintessential European charm then you must try The Library. This little restaurant, tucked down an alley, is a wonderful respite from the sometimes jarring hustle and bustle of Rome.
Admittedly, it was a few years ago that I dined here with my now husband on our first trip abroad together so I don’t quite recall our full meal but I remember my first encounter with a real, authentic Caprese Salad with the best Italian olive oil and perfectly fresh mozzarella. I will also never forget the taste of the complimentary Cynar apéritif that was offered to us. It was a bizarre, bitter yet aromatic flavor that left me confused as to whether I wanted to spit it out or ask for more! :)
Above all else, is the Library’s ambiance. Dim lighting, centuries old brick walls, iron stair case and the wonderful, friendly staff and owner. I remember feeling a little worried that, as (young) Americans we wouldn’t be well received in such a nice little restaurant but my worries soon melted and we were welcomed with open arms by our worldly waitress who happened to be British and just moved to Rome from the States.

What a wonderful place. We rolled in here jet-​lagged and wet from a a passing thunderstorm, and the environment was so welcoming. Small, and perfectly charming with a 2000 year old wall inside.
The food was great, service spectacular (back home servers could learn a thing or two about true service from these folks) and the owner completed our experience by sending us back into the night with a glass of grappa on the house. If you’re in the area, go here!

On a trip to Italy 4 years ago, myself and Fiona celebrated our engagement with a dinner at this restaurant. We returned to Italy this year and were due to be in Roma on the same night, so booked a table.
We were not disappointed, the service, food and wine were all excellent (again). This is a very small restaurant, not far from Piazza Navona. It is best to book a table. This is not a touristy type place, the menu is not very long and changes regularly.
The owner is very friendly and explained all the dishes to us, and knew a good bit about the wine too.
Recommended for a special occasion.