Zio Ciro

I can’t tell if this was a tourist trap or not, since it was right outside the Piazza Navona. But there seemed to be a good amount of Italians dining there. (I’ve been told that the general rule of thumb is that the more Italians there are eating at a restaurant, the more authentic it is. And so far, I had found that to be true in Italy. I guess Zio Ciro proved this theory wrong).
The food was just okay.
For appetizers, we started off with the prosciutto and melon, and the rice croquettes. Or at least what we thought were rice croquettes. It turns out that 2 out of the 3 croquettes were actually potatoes. And by the time we figured it out, we had already devoured it. Nothing special — nothing you can’t get from the freezer section of your local supermarket. The prosciutto and melon was interesting. It was sweet and savory. But the melon didn’t really taste ripe enough.
For my main, I went with the fettuccine al bolognese. In keeping with the general theme of the restaurant, this was just okay. The pasta was a tad too cooked for my taste. But other than that (again), it wasn’t anything amazing.
The waiter was really nice though — he let my friend charge her phone behind the bar. He was also pretty attentive the whole time, so can’t say anything bad about the service here. It’s just their food that needs a little bit of fixing.

Hands-​down, the best food we had in all of Italy. We stumbled upon this little alleyway eatery while exploring Rome, and we ended up visiting this place twice more before leaving Italy. The food, service, and atmosphere are all spectacular. The alley is a busy one that is great for people watching. Chances are you’ll have a roaming band stop by and serenade you for a few songs… or you might get the quirky magician who chants «Guarda!» (Watch!). He deserves his own Unilocal review.
The dish that hooked us was the Seafood Risotto. We tried the same dish at many other restaurants, but none compared to Zio Ciro’s. It was so rich and tasty, and jam packed with shellfish. The pizzas here are great, too. You can peek inside and see the beautiful woodfired oven where the bread & pizzas are baked. The bread they give you with your meal is a delicious rosemary herb bread that was great for sopping up sauce from your plate. The pasta dishes are so tasty… Try the homemade pastas. I had the sausage & mushroom at one visit, and it nearly made me forget all about the risotto. :)
In short, just go visit. It’s closer to Piazza del Fico than Via della Pace. Look for the yellow & red tablecloths, and the TV outside on the wall which will likely have a futbol match playing.