Trattoria da Alfredo e Ada

Super super incredible! Some of the best food we had in Roma!
The prices are incredibly cheap and it is definitely a spot for locals. We came for lunch and they were able to accommodate our group of 4 at 2:30pm. They close at 3. In addition, they allowed us to have the lasagna even though they typically reserve it for lunch. It was so delicious!!!

I don’t know who they are but I love them like family. You need to be here on the dot of 7 to get first sitting (not sun, mon tho), and they basically serve mains. I’d suggest most tourists have snacked enough in cocktail hour to just want mains, and these gals know their stuff. Limited menu, 10 main courses, but within three or four explanations you have chosen a dish. Our group has a beef lasagna challenge going so that was a given. I chose artichoke lasagna which was great, others chose lemon veal and stuffed chicken. All delish, all simple flavours and completely recognisable, tasty and out quickly. Gorgeous girl serving, kept the waiting crowds happy and serviced us well. Even ended with a biscotti and a morsel of wine to wet it. 5 mains, a litre of white, bread and biscotti, € 56. Gotta be happy with that.

This place is amazing. If you go to one restaurant in Rome, you should make it this one. The artichoke lasagna is to die for and the Waitress is phenomenal. Would also second the fact from other reviews that while they do not give you the prices when you hear the menu, it is a very reasonable restaurant so do not worry about it – sit back, relax and enjoy the food/​wine. My only regret is that we did not try the entire menu. Cannot wait to go back to this place again.
Get there early as the restaurant is small and it fills up. Also, we tried this place two nights in a row but one night it was closed. Am not sure why, but we were very glad we tried again since it was open and definitely worth it.

Phenomenal food, friendly, generous service, and great little atmosphere. Veal and potato dish was delicious like my Sicilian grandfather’s home cooking as was the stuffed zucchini in a red sauce. Bread was very tasty. Free water And cookies to dip in wine were perfect end to our meal.
Received free wine while waiting for a table late at night near closing. Couldn’t have found a better place for dinner with my wife during our first night in Rome.

Super authentic Roman cooking place, it was absolutely booming when we arrived. The place opens for supper at 7pm, and instantly fills up. This restaurant embraces the idea that people should eat their meals together and share a conversation, regardless of whether or not they know each other, so you will be seated with others if your party is small or can’t take up an entire table. Frankly, I thought this was a plus.
There is only one waitress/​hostess/​front end person, and she does everything. From taking orders, to busing tables, to delivering the food to the tables. She is extremely efficient and I can’t say the «lack» of staff made anything harder to get or that we lacked attention. She also seems to speak at least 3, I heard her speak Spanish, Italian, and English.
The food was a great many Roman favorites, from Tripa to Carbonara, with various other delicacies thrown in for good measure like sausages with spicy spinach to cod in a sweet tomato sauce. Everything was fantastic!
I highly recommend this place, don’t be intimidated by the wait, it’s worth it.

Trattoria da Alfredo e Ada (A&A) is the definition of a mom and pop shop. We went for lunch and there were literally 2 people working: our server, who spoke Italian/​Spanish/​English (possibly more!), and a lady working in the kitchen that can only feasibly fit 2 people MAX. A&A is small, cozy, and intimate. Really a great atmosphere to dine.
The nice server recites everything the kitchen is making that day — keep in mind, no prices are listed off, so you kind of just go with it and order whatever you want to eat. No problem; I’m on vacation! Splurging is my game!
Thus, my family pretty much ordered everything our server listed off, barring a couple of meat courses. 2 first courses, 4 second courses, and 3 side veggies.
The pastas (carbonara, amatriciana) were pretty good — I think my family contended this was the best carbonara we had in Rome. For some reason we ordered 2 each of the stuffed chicken and cod, but both were really good, especially the chicken — the sauce, the stuffing, the chicken — woo that was a good dish.
The broccolini, eggplant, and zucchini are pretty much what you’d expect for a veggie dish (especially in Rome) — nothing particularly special, but they were fine to complement our meal.
At the end, we also received cookies on the house, which are supposed to be dipped in wine, but we didn’t order wine… oops. The server did offer to get us some wine, though, but we declined. Even without the wine, the cookies were great! The name escapes me, but they’re donut-​shaped and similar to biscotti in terms of texture.
So remember how no prices are listed off? We also had water with our meal (seemingly unlimited, by the way), and the total price of the meal for everything was…
€ 64. I’m pretty sure the wine for cookies would have been complementary, too, but feeding 4 people for under € 20 each? And being satisfied and not feel like you’re starving yourself? Really cannot beat the value for what you get at A&A.

Words can’t express what an utterly phenomenal restaurant this is. It was so good that we went back twice. Heck, we would have gone back more than twice, but it wasn’t open when we tried.
We stumbled on this little hole in the wall after there was an insane wait (for a higher ranked restaurant on Unilocal) down the street. We ended up getting to that higher ranked place later in the week, but it was utter garbage compared to the perfection at Trattoria da Alfredo e Ada.
The décor is so perfect, exactly what you’d imagine a little family owned spot in Italy with a grandma cooking in the back would look like. Lots of momentos on the walls, dim lights, dark wood. I’d say it’s romantic, but not just in the hot date sense (this would be a great date spot), but in the way that an old leatherbound book can be romantic.
The waitress was phenomenal. While she leads by telling you her English isn’t great, she communicated just fine. The waitress was super friendly and helpful in every way. She recites the night’s menu to you, which is how you know the food is going to be amazing– when the menu can change on the whim of what’s fresh and what the chef feels like cooking, it’s always better than a preset situation. Anyway, the waitress is so good that on our last night, we left her a 50 Euro tip on our way out the door (our bill was less than half that)– she truly made our trip to Rome something special.
We had all kinds of things from here, but they were all amazing. I had the stuffed balsamic chicken breast and it was BEYOND flavorful. The eggplant Parmesan was out of this world. We had a few other entrees over the course of our visit and every single one was great. Seriously, you simply can’t go wrong here.
Finally, at the end of your meal, they bring you some cookies and wine. Perhaps I’m just an American savage (perhaps?), but she instructed us to dip the cookies in the wine. Holy cow! Amazing. Seriously, blew my little American mind.
Anyway, ignore the other places with long waits and pop into this place. It will hands down be the single best meal you will eat while in Rome. I seriously want to go back to Rome just so I can eat here some more.
PS: Did I mention everything was so cheap? Because it is.

Somehow found this restaurant just 2 min from our apartment rental. Walking far for dinner was out of the question with the heat. I looked in and decided it was simple and would suffice.
Unlike most places we received water without asking, but maybe that’s also because there was no A/​C. Just something to know for those visiting in summer.
«I will try and recite the menu» our waitress said. We listened, heard what we wanted, and ordered. Traveling around Europe a lot recently this was actually a plus to be prompted somewhat to order off the bat. Too often, after receiving a menu, you are left alone for long after you’ve been ready to order. We also didn’t know the prices of what we ordered but that showed they were confident the food would be enjoyable and reasonably priced (both proved to be true).
You look around and realize this tiny (borderline congested) space can sit no more than 25 – 28 people. It is and looks old and as if updating it is of no matter to them. They like it as is and I’m inclined to agree. That said, it is very clean and maintained.
Ordered:
Salad
Meat roll with spinach– flavors were there but the meat did feel prepared the way I like. The spinach was excellent.
Artichoke Lasagna– perfectly baked and fantastic
Just and FYI — there is no dessert here. However you are given cookies that are supposed to be dipped in red wine — we were told. They were great.
Excellent spot– highly recommend

Very very good! Inexpensive and charming. Food was terrific and ambiance was really great. Rolled beef was mouthwatering. Eggplant and lasagna equally tasty!

Mon gros coup de coeur de Rome!
Cette cantine est l’endroit où il faut aller pour déguster une cuisine familiale et vraiment pas cher !
On ressort de cet endroit avec un sourire jusqu’aux oreilles et cela grâce: au lieu, au service et à la qualité de la cuisine qui est simple mais tellement bonne !
Passage obligé !

Small restaurant, reasonable prices, good food and nice staff. We paid 20euros for a dinner for two including wine. However, they didn’t have desserts :(

Flat out amazing. As long as you do not read this is the next 30 minutes I will not need to worry about someone being in line before me. Going again tonight! My balsamic chicken dinner was the best non Indian chicken dish I have had to date (Been to a lot of restaurants around the world). My 14 year old son had the artichoke lasagna and loved it. My 10 year old daughter’s pasta carbonara was fantastic (I finished her’s) and my wife loved the fish dish (she did not let me have any). The veal stew sounded fantastic which is what I will probably get tonight. I love a great Barolo or Barbara, but the house wine here is equally as good (far cheaper too). Fantastic service from the grand daughter of the founders. Can you beat that! She actually gave me a little extra wine to go with the free cookie desert. Thanks for a great experience which is what I always cherish when on holiday.

A lovey little place serving simple, delicious food. Seats maybe 20, no reservations, leisurely pacing. Everything was very good. Zucchini wrapped beef in red sauce, warm artichoke in olive oil & veal w/​potatoes in gravy were highlights. Super nice server. Very reasonably priced, € 50 for 3 including wine.

Small and tucked away. There are no menus — you are told what is available for the day. Good food and friendly staff. Highly recommended.

Vraiment un excellent rapport qualité prix. Belle découverte dans un coin où nous né serions pas aller normalement.

Do not miss this restaurant. Though we came in a few minutes after they began cleaning up the restaurant, the owner was gracious enough to let me and a friend eat a very late dinner.
Like the other reviews said, they have a pre-​set menu from which to choose. The waitress listed off all of our options and took down the dishes that we chose. I got a peppery meat stew with potatoes and my friend got the balsamic chicken. We also ordered a house wine.
The stew was perfect paired with the crusty bread that they give. The balsamic chicken was juicy and cooked perfectly. Afterwards, they brought out a plate of cookies and some amarao liqueur as a digestif to go with the cookies. It was, without a doubt, one of the best meals that we had during our trip. Unpretentious Italian food served by incredible servers who offered their suggestions. I couldn’t recommend this place more.

This place was nice. Food was average and service was good. There was no menu so everything was from the waitresses’ mouth. We don’t even know the prices but we just went along with it. Even the bill was written out on the table. Just a total number of how much was due. Very authentic and nice. I enjoyed the artichokes a lot but very lemony. The carbonara was ok and the spinach needed salt. The rest of the meal was average. They don’t take cards which makes sense but overall I like this place and would come back again just to eat the artichoke.

Small but delicious portions! The artichoke lasagna was a perfectly balanced pasta — creamy but not too rich, with the perfect amount of cheese. The chicken was juicy and flavorful, with a nice fluffy filling. To top it off, the waitress proffered six complimentary buttery white wine biscuits that were meant to be dipped in red wine. Delicious!

Great local spot. We were the only tourists in here. I can imagine it would be a very long wait if you come after 815 and especially on the weekend. The house red wine was very good. Best pasta amatricata I had. I love the selection of lasagnas they had that night. I had one with white sauce and artichokes. My husband had a chicken stuffed with cheese and bread crumbs in a balsamic white sauce. It was all very good. Ended with a free cookie, and a reasonable bill.

For my 400^th review I choose the best restaurant I’ve been to this year in Rome Italy.
If I could give this place 10 stars I would it’s that special and delicious.
My husband Unilocaled nearby good restaurants and it came recommended.
On a walk from the Vatican, over the bridge, down some alleys and passed parked Vespas to sit down for a special lunch.
Seat yourself to one of the 7 tables, and the owner comes out with water carafe for the table. This is normally charged at other restaurants. Maybe they did ?
He will have a seat at your table and write down on your paper tablecloth cover what your choices for lunch are.
He takes your order to the little kitchen in the back where his daughter cooks her grandmother’s recipes.
I heard the loud crunchy bread being freshly cut. This bread was so good. Soft pillowy center, crunchy rustic Roman bread, what you dream about.
I chose chicken breast stuffed with cheese & breadcrumbs, secured with a toothpick and cooked in a yummy Balsamic reduction sauce. I ordered a side of broccolini and another olive oil sauteed bitter greens. I haven’t had much veggie options through Italy, mostly pasta, pizza’s, pannini, or salad.
My meal was very tasty I highly recommend.
My husband ordered the Pasta Amatriciana (in Roman dialect) is a traditional Italian pasta sauce based onguanciale (cured pork cheek), pecorino cheese, and tomato. His pasta was all home cooked, and it was great meal.
After being stuffed from such a great lunch and home cooked experience, we get a little plate of biscotti, yum.
We had bread, and had two refills of water, ordered entrees and sides, and complimentary cookies for 30 Euros.
I highly recommend this Mom and Pop restaurant. I saw local business men eating here, and find the places with the fewer dining tables are the best!
*I’m adding the great photos soon

Oh my goodness do not pass this place by when you are in Rome! It’s a bit hard to find, especially when their door is open. There was a sign I happened to see, hand written, which said Alfredo e Ada. We sat right down in this unique place. Immediately we were brought water (this is a big deal in Italy — most places you pay for still water, but here it was free). We ordered the house wine which they had on tap. Very good.
This place has a set menu, so don’t expect to go in and be given a menu. They tell you the menu, and you choose on the fly. If you aren’t good at decisions let me make one for you! The lasagna was to die for. Definitely get it. I wish I could have it right now.
To finish it off we were given a dessert, some sort of shortcake cookie, which is to be dipped in wine. Luckily we had ordered wine with dinner. When in Rome, right?
Staff is super friendly and the guy who owns the place was working. The restaurant has been passed down three generations. I even heard him say the wood on the walls of the place were in their original restaurant from 3 generations ago. Such a great atmosphere off of a small road. Don’t miss this place, it’s a must.

Good food
Great and helpful staff
Intimate
Good wine
Personnalized service
Great prices
love it !

In einem Führer von diesem Laden gelesen. Es ist sehr klein und man wird ggf. bei anderen an den Tisch gesetzt. Als ersten Gang gibt es Nudeln, als zweiten Fisch oder Fleisch, als Dessert Kekse. Dazu wird je Person ein viertel Liter Wein und ein viertel Liter Wasser gereicht.
Das Essen wird nur noch aufgewärmt, alles ist sehr spartanisch, und trotzdem hat es ein gewisses Flair. Wenn ich mir die alten Fotos anschaue, dann scheint dieser Laden jedoch von seinem Ruhm zu zehren. Und so lange er noch in Reiseführern steht, wird dies auch gelingen.
Für mich war es eine interessante Erfahrung, noch einmal brauche ich die jedoch nicht.

Super nette kleine Trattoria nicht weit weg von der Engelsburg. Ich hoffe Ada gibt es noch — bei uns war sie leider nicht im Lokal. Aber das Essen war super — typisch Italienisch Pasta als Vorspeise und dann ein Fisch oder Fleischgericht + die anscheinend obligatorischen Süßigkeiten zum Schluss. Sehr herzlich und echt Bella Italia!

Eine wirklich alte Tratttoria zwischen Engelsbrücke und Piazza Navona. Die Seniorchefin, Ada, ist bereits seit 65 Jahren in dem Laden und betreibt es mit Sohn und Schwiegertochter.
Es gibt ein Menu fisso zu EUR 20,00. Beinhaltet Pasta, Hauptgericht, Dessert, Wein und Wasser.
Man kommt rein, die alten Holztische sind mit Papierdecken gedeckt, viele alte Bilder an den Wänden. Bedienen tut der Sohn, Ada selbst geht von Tisch zu Tisch, redet mit den Leuten und trinkt ein Weinderl. Soweit so gut, leider kann sie nur italienisch (Dialekt!!) und mein Italienisch ist nicht gut, aber irgendwie haben wir uns trotzdem verstanden. Und unseren blonden Sohnemann hatte sie ins Herz geschlossen.
Gäste sind eine Mischung aus Einheimischen und Touristen.
Essen war sehr gut, allerdings nicht besonders üppig — Riesenhunger sollte man nicht mitbringen. Wein wird bei Castelgandolfo selbst gemacht — sehr guter, ehrlicher Hauswein.
Trotz der kleinen Portionen 5 Punkte, weil alles ander optimal war und es hier authentisch war.

Cette trattoria est appelée «le vecchiette» par les commerçants du quartier, car elle est tenue pas deux soeurs, de gentilles mamies qui préparent chaque jour un menu fixe (30 000 lires vin compris) delicieux et extrêmement copieux, qui se termine par des ciambelline trempées dans du vin santo. A chaque fois j’ai l’impression d’aller diner chez ma grand-​mère!