Ristorante Roma

08/12/09

ROMA!

by myohmygood

LOVE this little hole in the wall - YUMMY good. No better than that, PERFECTO! Seriously - i swear the chef jumped of the plane from Rome yesterday. The quality and flavor was the best i've had since i was in Rome.

GO!

• Pros: Perfect flavor - this is the real deal
• Cons: atmosphere is so so

06/23/09

Delicious Italian food, what more could you ask for?

by lilajax

My boyfriend and I went to Ristorante Roma tonight for dinner. We got there around 8 and were immediately seated. For appetizers we both had salads and the homemade minestrone soup. The soup was AWESOME! We could tell that it had been made fresh and was bursting with flavor. For dinner I ordered a simple penne with spicy tomato sauce and my boyfriend ordered the pesto with green beans and potatoes. Both were excellent.

This is our new favorite restaurant, and it is very reasonably priced as well. I also like the fact that it seems to be family owned. Before you spend your money at a mediocre chain Italian restaurant, try this place out. You won't regret it!

We'll be coming back very soon.

• Pros: Best Italian food I've ever had
• Cons: None!

06/08/09

Execution of Excellence

by Sophey

Ristorante Roma's is the top notch authentic Italian spot in Portland as far as we are concerned.

We had the most wonderful lunch here. My husband who travels extensively all over the world and loves

to try gourmet food. He was highly impressed with the authenticity, the attention to detail and overall execution was superb ! The chef's signature is not just excellence, but that he truly understands cooking is an art form .

• Pros: Cozy, local, easy parking in structure or on street

05/30/09

Superb food, wine and company

by Maede

A nice varied menu where I've tried just about everything and it's all delicious. The staff remembers you and makes feel welcome! A great place!

• Pros: As good as the food is the owners are better...we love it!
• Cons: None that I've experienced

05/30/09

Best Date Restaurant Ever

by Welikefoodalot

My boyfriend and I discovered this place a couple of years ago and now we always go for anniversaries and birthdays. It's incredibly cozy and romantic. Authenticity is really the word here--amazing food and a family-run vibe. It's reasonably priced, especially for a "go to special occasion restaurant."

I'm not sure what the guy below me was talking about? Perhaps he ate at a different restaurant.

• Pros: Great food, good service, awesome atmosphere, Never a wait

03/31/09

I got duped by all these other good reviews

by 1carbon

I thought it was a sure thing coming here being that all the reviews were 4 and 5 stars. Either these reviews are bogus or the people just don't know what good food is and/or have low standards.

I'll try and be as specific as I can here. We started with appetizers. The caprese was lackluster. The carpaccio was drowned in lemon juice and your lips puckered just eating it. Would you like a side of raw beef with your lemon juice? More proper would be to have a lemon wedge on the side so the patron can decide how much they want.

The restaurant consistently brought entrees to one member of tables around us and not the other. The other person was left waiting for theirs to arrive. I know I'd rather have my dish fresh than have it waiting and getting cold while my friend's dish is finalized, but the kitchen can plan ahead to have them come out at the same time.

Both pastas came with far too much cheese on top. There's something about a good pasta where even when you're full, you still want to just keep eating and eating it. This X factor was quite absent from these dishes. My rigatoni was supposed to feature pecorino romano cheese and the mountain on top just seemed like a basic parmigiano-reggiano.

Other notes:

The silverware was cheap. Cafeteria-style utsensils would be one way to put it. Not the kind of thing you would find at a fine dining establishment. Besides cooking, our server was doing everything (hostess, server, and busser).

• Pros: cloth napkins
• Cons: everything else

03/18/09

Great Authentic Italian

by reareaotu

The food here is excellent, lots of great choices. It appears to be family run with the husband in the back cooking and the wife in front waiting tables. Be prepared for dinner to take a while especially if you order salads and dessert . It's definitely worth the wait, just don't go if you have some place to be. Coffee is great too!

• Pros: Delious Food
• Cons: Slow service

02/06/09

The Perftect Filet Mignon and EXCELLENT wine!

by Neesers

Well, I just moved here from San Francisco, CA last July only to be thus far very, VERY disappointed with the food in Oregon. Eating at Ristorante Roma turned that disappointment into joy, by providing, honestly the best italian food I have eaten ( I have not been to Italy), and a tie for first on filet mignon...the other restaurant is the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA....honestly it was just as good, if not better! The chef cooked it to a TRUE medium rare, which almost NEVER happens when you go to a restaurant. The clams were fantastic and I don't even usually like clams....I am so glad we found this place, and I guarentee to you, not only will not be disappointed - you will be PLEASANTLY surprised at the prices. Chiao!

• Pros: Absolutely adorable... quality service and food!
• Cons: NONE whatsoever!

12/08/08

If you liked the food in Italy you will love this place

by hooleywho

I swear the same thing happened the first ten times my wife and I ate at Ristorante Roma: there would be only one other table with people and they would be saying the same thing we were. "It tastes like the food we had in Italy" or, "It is just like the trattitoria in Florence" or, "It is just like that bistro in Rome." We took eveyone we could there and they all said the same thing.

Word has gotten out and the dining room is now full, although we still have been able to walk in and get a seat every time. And the food is still very good and the prices very reasonable. The big changes are the chef's wife's English has improved, and their son has been born and gotten older, and the wine menu has gone from 6 bottles to 20. But be warned: if you loved Italy and the food there, this place will make you want to go back, possibly forever.

• Pros: Pasta, Appetizers, wine, essperesso, desserts, price.
• Cons: You will want to move ot Italy.

12/01/08

Best Italian Food in Portland

by Greg43

The food is amazing!!! My family and I went here and everybody loved their dinner. The atmosphere is simple, but nice with seating for maybe a maximum of 30 people. The service was excellent...... very attentive and very authentic. The location is not in the trendiest neighberhood, but it's right in the heart of downtown. The prices are very reasonable as well, with most main course dishes running from $12-$17 or so. I highly recommend this resaurant to everybody.

• Pros: Food was amazing and reasonbly priced
• Cons: Nothing worth mentioning