Vicolo della Monte Giordano 12, Rome

This quaint little taverna is hidden in the alleys and streets off the beaten path of the sightseeing crowds near the Piazza Navona. It's name is appropriate since it is located in the same district which houses many of Rome's best antique and curiosity shops. We ran across the Antica Taverna while wandering and later decided to return for lunch. The difficult part was finding the place again.

The interior is decorated in a 'cozy' style with postcards on the walls from previous visitors which enjoyed the tavernas food and hospitality. The Antica Taverna also has a patio in the front which is wonderful for people watching on warm spring day or a balmy summer evening.

We went to the Antica Taverna on a Thursday and as tradition goes, Thursday is Gnocchi Day in Rome. Although we wanted Gnocchi, our waitress suggested the daily special which was ravioli in a cheese sauce. Well, we didn't want to break with Roman tradition, so we did not take the waitresses advise and ordered gnocchi as planned. We were not disappointed. The two gnocchi dishes we ordered were one in a basic spicy tomato sauce and the other in a vegetable sauce. Both dishes were delicious and unforgettable. We accompanied our gnocchi with a simple 'Insalada Verde', a carafe of red wine and 'una bottiglia di acqua con gas' (a bottle of water without gas).

As we finished our meal our waitress sat at a nearby table and prepared to eat her own lunch. I noticed that she had two extra little plates and was separating some of her food onto them. Since she was having the previously recommended ravioli for her lunch she was not going to let us leave without giving us a taste of the daily ravioli special. After one taste I learned a valuable lesson,'if a restaurant suggests the house specialty, get it'. We told her that it was delicious and she replied, "gnocchi, gnocchi, gnocchi" as if we were some sort of gnocchi eating maniacs.

After we finished our meal we were treated with a small taste of an 'amaro cordiale un digestivo'. An amaro is a bitter cordial digestive which is made from herbs and extracts. The flavor of these digestives can vary by brand and not every style will appeal to everyone's taste, but it is an elegant way to finish off a meal and put a relaxing touch on the afternoon (it should, since amaros have up to 50% alcohol).

My two biggest regrets on leaving Italy were not having ordered the ravioli dish at Antica Taverna and that we didn't eat at the Antica Taverna twice! This was by far my favorite restaurant in Rome and I highly recommend it. The Antica Taverna is open for lunch and dinner. During lunch we were one of only a few people eating here. When I walked by the taverna at night, it was busting with fashionable crowd relaxing and enjoying their meals.