Boy, I was really worried that we wouldn’t be hip enough to dine at Retrobottega in Rome. It’s dark and moody, there are communal tables, the staff is young and perky, and the front of house is jammed full of local Roman 20-somethings hanging out drinking delicious wines and snacking. Luckily, we weren’t the only ones here over the age of 40, and the lovely staff were welcoming, friendly, and attentive. I really should never worry while eating out in Rome, where I always feel at home! We had dinner here on January 12, 2025.

Retrobottega is a Michelin-recommended restaurant, but I think that’s totally underrated, since this is one of the best meals I’ve had in Rome of all time. The dual chefs forage for local ingredients, and the dishes are extraordinary and memorable. The menu was looking so good, that it was impossible for us to choose what to eat, so we went with the SABOTAGE tasting menu, which is a total surprise, totally off-menu, and a huge value at only 75 Euros per person.

The tasting menu starts off in a big way, with the first course actually being seven different plates of goodies to share. Each one of these dishes was a fountain of flavor, and I have to smile whenever I think about them bringing plate after plate to our table, our eyes growing wider and wider!

Out of the seven dishes, which were all excellent, there were a few huge stand-outs. I thought that the cauliflower with buckwheat was a surprisingly fresh dish, with the buckwheat giving the otherwise somewhat mushy, yet firm cauliflower a nice little crunch. Additionally, the local fried cabbage with a spicy, harissa-like powder, was to die for. Super light, flavorful, and melt-in-your-mouth.

There were truffles too – and no up-charge for them! The radicchio dumplings with rib meat topped with truffle were delightful pockets of flavor. Another stand-out dish was the gazpacho which was somehow basic, yet full of excitement. Considering all of the time we’ve spent in Spain and Latin America, this was still the best gazpacho I’ve ever had. Additionally, the Russian Salad with purple potatoes was fun and bright, not heavy at all, and a nice, colorful addition to our table.

Finally was the gorgeous artichoke, perfectly cooked, although slightly over-sauced in my opinion. Have you ever seen something more beautifully edible, though?

Our second course were pillowy lamb agnolotti topped with truffles. These were rich, buttery, and just some of the best pasta on the planet. I could’ve eaten several helpings of this stuff!

The last course in the tasting was steak with pumpkin puree and the most ridiculously delicious rainbow chard. The steak was an extremely small portion to share, but it was all definitely enough food for the two of us overall.

We did have room for dessert though, and even though it was not included with the tasting menu, we had to try a couple of their specialties. We ordered a “milk slice” and their special tiramisu. The milk slice was an extremely light and fluffy sort of ice cream sandwich, with the milk fluff (not ice cream) sandwiched between two pieces of chocolate sponge cake. It’s a really great option if you are full but want to have something sweet.

The tiramisu was sultry, creamy, and super-coffee flavored. The cream really stole the show here, since it was really ultra fresh and light.

Our dinner at Retrobottega was one of the best meals I’ve had in a very long time, and an extraordinary value. Besides all that food, we had a total of 10 glasses of wine (!!!), and the entire bill came to only 250 Euros. A serious bargain, and half the price of our meal the night before at a Michelin-starred restaurant that was not quite as memorable. We had a fantastic time here, and I would highly recommend coming here for dinner when you’re in Rome. Don’t hesitate to book a reservation here, and definitely try the SABOTAGE tasting menu!