• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Tiny Urban Kitchen
  • About Me
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • Michelin
  • Subscribe
  • Taiwanese
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Me
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • Michelin
  • Subscribe
  • Taiwanese
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About Me
    • Travel
    • Recipes
    • Michelin
    • Subscribe
    • Taiwanese
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » World Travel » Europe » Italy » Rome

    Etabli (Rome)

    Published: Jun 14, 2012 · Modified: Oct 28, 2014 by Jennifer Che

    Untitled
    This is the second post in the Spontaneous Weekend Trip to Rome Series. Other posts in this series include: Dal Paino Pizzeria in Rome

    When you only have a weekend in Rome, you're pretty strapped on the number of meals available to you, especially dinners. We flew in on a Friday afternoon, and were leaving early Monday morning.

    That means we only had three dinners.

    So I strategized - big time.

    I scoured websites, travel books, and forums. I asked friends and coworkers who had visited Italy for recommendations. I made a spreadsheet of potential restaurants, listing pros, cons, and summarizing reviews.
    Untitled
    Piazza Navona

    Then, after all that research, I narrowed down my list to places that

    1) Consistently received rave reviews from multiple sources
    2) Were "walkable" (walkable meaning within 5 miles) from our hotel on Via Veneto
    3) Served Bryan's favorite foods (yes, pasta, pasta, and more pasta!)

    It's true - my method most likely won't unearth the best hidden finds or hot new spots. But hey, when you only have a weekend, you don't want to take chances. I knew that the restaurants I chose would be tried-and-true awesome, approved by scores of people before me.

    So on Friday night, after a frustratingly long flight (yes, our plane had mechanical problems and we had to sit inside the plane for 2 hours to wait for them to fix it), we settled into the first of our three dinners, at Etabli, a cozy wine bar, cafe, and restaurant tucked behind a bustling, tourist-laden square.
    Untitled
    A few blocks west of the famous Piazza Navona (which seemed to be the central hub of most of our dining escapades), Etabli is popular with locals and tourists alike. Because it functions as a cafe, wine bar and restaurant (depending on the time of day), it's open all day, making it a great place for lunch, pre-dinner drink, dinner, or post-dinner drink.

    The staff is very friendly, and everyone we met spoke excellent English. The waiter was even able to describe various wines to us, and recommended a lovely bottle of Sicilian wine.
    Untitled
    We started with some bread, which was delicious. Do you know they virtually never serve it with butter or olive oil? Or bread plates, for that matter?  Not sure if it's just a Roman thing, or whether we actually invented the dip-your-bread-in-olive-oil thing as a starter in the US.
    Untitled
    Because we were in Rome, we decided to try at least some Roman style dishes. One dish we saw everywhere was the traditional Roman style artichoke, Carciofi Alla Romana. Preparation involves cutting off most of the hard, inedible leaves and cooking the remaining artichoke heart + stem in garlic and herbs.

    The artichoke we had did retain a few hard petals, but overall the rest of the dish was soft and tender (almost mushy). The dish was a bit oily, but came with a lovely flavorful dipping sauce.
    Grilled Vegetables and Buffalo Mozzarella
    We absolutely loved our antipasto, which included a fantastically gorgeous Burrata in the center (mozzarella with cream inside). The burrata was accompanied by grilled vegetables, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed tomatoes, and olives. Everything was good, though cheese seriously stood out.
    Untitled
    Bucatini Alla Amatriciana
    Similarly, the pasta was incredible. Pasta alla amatriciana has a gorgeous, flavorful sauce made from guanciale (smoked pork jowls or cheeks, sort of like bacon), tomatoes, and garlic. It's so simple, yet when executed well, it's simply divine.

    Here, the homemade bucatini had a fantastic, al dente texture, and the guanciale was simpling amazing. It was crispy, thick cut, and had a wonderfully deep smoky flavor. The Parmesan cone was also a cute, decorative (and delicious!) addition. We absolutely loved this dish.
    Untitled
    The other pasta dish we got, which consisted of (more) guanciale along with broccoli rabe, was also fantastic. Because this one had an oil-based sauce (instead of a tomato-based sauce), the pasta was even more al dente, which I loved.

    It was hard to choose a favorite, they were both so good.
    Untitled
    We shared a secondi (main entree), which was a stuffed squid. At this point, I was so full I could only taste a bite of this one. It was well executed and nicely flavored, but it didn't stand out to me the way the pastas did. Perhaps I was already too full and my tastebuds were tired. In any event, we ate about half but really couldn't fit any more food at that point.
    Dessert at Etabli in Rome
    Except for dessert, of course.

    "You have to at least try one dessert, for the sake of your readers!"

    Bryan, always looking out for you guys. So we ordered a tiramisu upon the recommendation of the waiter. This tiramisu was less cake-y than the ones I've seen in the US. It's almost like a parfait inside of a glass. It was good, though nothing mind shattering compared to even the ones I've had Stateside.
    Untitled
    Wine bar section of the restaurant

    Overall, we loved Etabli. The  the ambiance is warm and cozy, the pastas are fantastic, and the food is very, very good. The menu leans toward Mediterranean and seafood, although there are plenty of traditional Roman dishes (such as the pastas) from which to choose. The pastas were probably our favorite, though I still can't stop thinking about that burrata.

    Etabli
    vicolo delle Vacche 9
    Rome
     00 39 06 9761 6694

    ©2009-2014 Tiny Urban Kitchen
    All Rights Reserved

    More Italy

    • La Cucina dei Frigoriferi Milanesi - Milan
    • A Week in the Italian Alps - Solda /Sulden
    • Day Trip to Chianti Classico Region
    • Il Palagio - Florence, Italy

    Recent Posts

    • La Salita Valencia Spain January 16, 2023
    • El Poblet Valencia Spain -2 Michelin Stars December 29, 2022
    • MercatBar by Quique Dacosta - Valencia December 9, 2022
    • La Pepica Waterfront Paella - Valencia December 5, 2022
    • Llisa Negra Valencia Spain December 1, 2022
    • Central Bar by Ricard Camarena - Valencia Spain November 29, 2022
    • Casa Ripoll Valencia - Beachside Paella November 27, 2022
    • Valencia Spain Trip Report - Itinerary November 23, 2022

    Primary Sidebar

    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen
    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen

    Hi, my name's Jen and welcome to my cooking, eating, and travel site! I am an expat who moved from Boston to Hong Kong 5 years ago. Born and raised in Ohio to Taiwanese immigrant parents, I am a chemistry nerd, patent attorney by day, blogger by night, church musician on weekends, and food enthusiast always. Feel free to explore away, maybe starting with the Recipe Index or one of the travel pages! I hope you enjoy this site!

    More about me →

    Explore

    • Recipe
    • Restaurant
    • US Travel
    • World Travel

    Popular Posts

    • La Salita Valencia Spain
    • El Poblet Valencia Spain -2 Michelin Stars
    • MercatBar by Quique Dacosta - Valencia
    • La Pepica Waterfront Paella - Valencia

    Recipes

    • Appetizer
    • Snacks
    • Meat
    • Vegetables
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Seafood
    • Noodles

    Recently Traveled

    • Hong Kong
    • France
    • Belgium
    • Boston
    • California
    • United Kingdom
    • Germany
    • Spain

    Support Us

    Recognition


    Featured on the front page
    of the FOOD Section: 2015

    Best Food Blog Awards:
    Restaurant & Dining 2012

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • My Equipment
    • In the Press
    • Project Food Blog
    • Privacy Policy

    Eating Guides!

    Eating & Travel Guides
    Trip Reports
    "Kawaii" (Cute Foods)
    Around the World

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube
    • Mail
    • RSS Feed

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Shop at Amazon

    Copyright © 2022 Tiny Urban Kitchen