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Trattoria Roma Ristorante
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
580 Walnut StSte 400
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Neighborhood: Downtown
(513) 723-0220
- Hours:
Mon 11 am - 9 pm
Tue-Thu 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 2:30 am
Sun 3 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
19 reviews for Trattoria Roma Ristorante
19 reviews in English
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Review from Ben N.
8/15/2011
Last year I wrote a review of Mr. Sushi, now Trattoria Roma's next-door neighbor on Sixth Street, as being the "Average Guy" of sushi restaurants, insofar as everything about it--concept, restaurant name, decor, food, service, prices, etc.--seemed so entirely average as to qualify as a fungible Japanese/sushi-joint widget.
With the full disclosure that I have only been for lunch, Trattoria Roma is pretty much "L'Uomo Medio," Mr. Sushi's Italian-restaurant equivalent. "Trattoria Roma" is about as unimaginative an Italian-restaurant name as you could reasonably come up with, short of a shingle that says "Italian Restaurant." At lunch, its menu features a modest range of Italian stand-bys: chicken marsala, various pasta dishes, personal-sized pizzas, etc. (Admittedly, the dinner-time menu is broader.) Decor is almost comically stereotypical: white-and-red checkered table-cloths; wax-covered, basketed Chianti bottles as candleholders, etc. But to their credit, the proprietors have actually done a nicer job than I would have expected with the new location, and while the deep-red color scheme seems a bit sterile right now, it should look better when it ages a bit.
A few months back, I'd have rated this place a very average three stars, but the new location seems to have reinvigorated Trattoria Roma somewhat. And my memory may not be serving me well, but I'm pretty sure that the restaurant has actually reduced prices at lunchtime, such that this is now a really solid midday deal. You're going to get an entree and salad combo for $9 to $12. And the portions are quite generous. Food, at least at lunch, falls well short of spectacular, but they seem to have stepped it up slightly: Sauces seems a little fresher, as do the salads, even if most flavors don't exactly pop. Conceptually, the food is pretty much by the book: chicken marsala and parmigiana, a puttanesca, lasagna, baked ziti, etc. Waitstaff has evidently been instructed to affect a tone of Old World formality, but they have always been more than competent.
Although Trattoria Roma doesn't set out to do anything particularly great or unique, it fills a reasonably-priced Italian-food niche, at least at lunchtime, that not too many other Cincy restaurants occupy right now. -
Review from Alex S.
12/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I always feel strange about writing a three-star review, since it's neither good nor bad. And yet, there are times when it's absolutely called for. When something is down the line average on all levels - atmosphere, food, price. This is Trattoria to a tea.
I'd heard good things about this place so I went to check it out. Inside, the atmosphere is cute. It's like their trying to recreate the feeling of a quaint restaurant somewhere along the shores of Italy, but maybe trying a bit too hard. Fake bricks painted into the wall, cute little figurines everywhere ... eh. It also was much too bright - a little mood lighting would have been perfect for this spot.
They brought out warm bread, which I love, but with little pads of butter. I love some olive oil with bread at an Italian spot and it felt lacking to not have it here.
There menu is long and full of authentic Italian food (and all made from scratch.) I got the gnocchi with vodka sauce which was tasty, but again, nothing that blew my mind. My friend got the chicken parm and she felt the same way.
They have a nice selection of wine that's reasonably priced. We each got a glass and it was the perfect accompaniment to the food.
We were the only ones there on a Sunday evening at 7pm and our waiter was just a little too eager to help us. It was nice he was so attentive but he kept reappearing asking us if we needed anything. No, we're good. Thanks though.
There's no parking lot but there are many garages around the area and street meters as well.
In the end, we spent about $50 for both our meals, which included our entrees and a glass of wine each. Not too expensive but not cheap either and I wasn't blown away with what I got. Ah well. I would be willing to try it again and maybe be more impressed next time. -
Review from Trisha K.
8/19/2011
We started off with a new appetizer on their menu. Proscuitto Melon for $9.95. It was 1/2 melon sliced into 4 large chunks with a slice of mediocre proscuitto slapped across the top of each.
I had a nice glass of reisling, which was refreshing and flavorful.
The entrees we chose were Chicken Marsala and Gnocchi with Vodka Sauce. The Gnocchi was VERY good, but a little dry for my liking. I asked for a bit more sauce from our waiter, who proceeded to tell me that is how it's usually served. Great, I see that. Now bring me the extra sauce. The Chicken Marsala was breaded then covered with a brown pepper gravy with a little bit of Marsala Wine mixed in and was served with fettucini. Meh, I pass on that one. Bread and butter came out with the meal, not beforehand, but it was very, very good. -
Review from Sherry F.
Indianapolis, IN
1/24/2012
A group of friends and I were in Cincinnati over the weekend and went here for dinner. I think our overall impression was "meh." My dinner was halibut over some seafood risotto. The risotto was acceptable, but the fish was way over cooked and so dry I could barely swallow it. My bill, however, was adjusted after pointing this out to our server. One friend had the chicken marsala which was unlike any chicken marsala we've ever had. Virtually no taste of marsala in the sauce which was more like a thick brown gravy. Two people had the chicken parm. which they both liked. Two others had the porketta which they loved. Our server was wonderful. She was flying around the room trying to take care of, probably too many, people yet she was excellent at making sure we were being taken care of. I think her name was Angelina or something close, she's from Kakistan (sp). She made up for the lackluster food.
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Review from Sandra F.
12/1/2011
Hands down the best italian restaurant in Cincinnati! They make everything from scratch! My favorite is the Bruschetta for appetizers and entree Salamon alla portofino. Very delicious! Great wine selection, friendly staff, and clean restaurant!
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Review from Todd P.
West Chester, OH
12/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food was great, the atmosphere was amazing, and the service was top notch! My wife and I really enjoyed the restaurant. Very romantic and pleasant.
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Review from Kara C.
5/9/2011
We visited Trattoria Roma tonight for the first time and it was great! We sat on their patio but the inside of the restaurant looked very romantic. Perfect for a date! All of the staff members we encountered were very friendly and our waitress was especially attentive.
Before the entrees were brought out we were served fresh from the oven rolls. Delicious! I always love a restaurant that serves bread with the meal, although olive oil would have been nice. My fiance and I both greatly enjoyed our food. When I asked if I could order an entree that wasn't on the menu (fettucine alfredo with grilled chicken), they were very accommodating. I had enough left over for at least one more meal. When the waitress boxed it up she said she put some extra bread in it for me which I very much appreciated.
The restaurant was almost empty which made me sad. Admittedly, it was a Monday night and was kind of late for dinner. I was still surprised that it wasn't busier though considering how delicious it was. I hope others will take the time to experience it. I highly recommend Trattoria Roma for a delicious meal with great service! -
Review from Sarah F.
3/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Trattoria Roma recently moved to the recently christened (but not yet fully realized) "Restaurant Row" on 6th Street at Walnut and their new space is fairly large and decorated in an attractive, but slightly clichéd, Tuscan motif.
I had one of the daily lunch specials today--a seafood stew, which was very good with big chunks of fish as well as shrimp and mussels in a spicy tomato broth. It would have benefited by a slightly heartier broth (it was a little watery) and being served with a slice of grilled crostini on the side, but nonetheless was a filling and enjoyable lunch at around $11.
They do serve bread here before the meal and the rolls seemed homemade and were still warm and very good. Service was courteous, but not particularly quick (not outrageously slow either; just don't go for lunch if you only have 45 minutes or so).
The rest of the lunch menu looked really good as well and I'm definitely planning on trying one of the pastas or calzones the next time I go. -
Review from Jason B.
Batavia, OH
8/31/2010 ROTD 4/29/2011
I can think of no better way to celebrate my recent acceptance as an Elite Yelper than by writing a review about my favorite restaurant in Cincinnati. It's a place I actually discovered on a business trip about two years before I moved to Cincinnati. And when I got here, it was one of the first places I returned to. It took me awhile to find it again (it's located right across the street from the Aronoff Performing Center for the Arts), since I didn't know the city all that well. But when I did find it, ohhhh, but happy day.
As I mentioned I first discovered this little hole-in-the-wall on a business trip before actually moving to Cincinnati. I was attending a conference downtown and during the lunch break my colleague and I decided to avoid all the restaurants all the other delegates were going to (a list of nearby eateries had been given to all of us when we checked in) as we wanted to avoid the long waits we had encountered as all 3000 delegates went to the same six restaurants that had been listed. Plus we wanted to see a little more of downtown Cincinnati. So we decided to take a stroll.
As we walked we noticed a small table with a red-and-white checkered tablecloth with a lone candle covered in overflowing wax in front of small window that was covered by a small canopy. Catching our eye we made our way there and realized it was an Italian restaurant.
"I could go for Italian," my co-worker said, and in we went.
Now in an earlier review I explained how I had lived in Italy for three years growing up, and as such I am very much a snob when it comes to Italian food, having tasted the real thing and all. Pretty much every Italian restaurant I've been too since returning from Italy is just a stereotypical Americanized version of an Italian eatery. And so I really wasn't expecting all that much from this place.
How happy I was to be wrong.
For starters walking through the front door was almost like walking right back into some of the tiny shops I used to visit when I was a kid in Italy. Up front the place is jam-packed with tables and booths, aiming to sit as many people as possible...just like a real Italian restaurant. As you make your way farther back in you get a little more room to stretch out and relax...just like a real Italian restaurant. The wait staff spoke in Italian...just like a real Italian restaurant. And the food was authentic Italian food...just like a real Italian restaurant.
I am not ashamed to say I fell in love.
I've been here for both lunch and dinner on multiple occasions. During lunch it's extremely busy as many local business-folk make their way from their offices downtown to have a power lunch. It's loud, it's cacophonic, it's fast-paced, it's exciting. Dinner is the exact opposite. Very quiet, relaxed, with an air of the romantic. The perfect place to bring that special someone.
I've tried almost everything on the lunch menu at least once. That includes all of the soups and salads, the specialty breads (garlic, cheese, and plain rolls), the calzone, the panzerotti, the cutlet rolls, most of the Panini's, most of the pizzas, all the pasta dishes, and all but one entrée. And they were all perfection incarnate. The only things on the lunch menu I haven't tried are the Eggplant Parmigiane panini and entrée and the Trattoria Roma Pizza.
The dinner menu is just as equally exquisite. There is more to choose from as almost every item on the lunch menu is available for dinner and there are a number of items that are only available for dinner. Although I must be honest, I've only done dinner here twice. Not because the dinner menu is any way inferior to the lunch menu (it isn't), but it is far more expensive. But it's worth every penny. Just me personally...I don't have that many pennies very often.
Everything about this place is perfect. I love coming here and will continue to do so again and again and again. You should too.
Mahalo, and enjoy. -
Review from Amy T.
Cincinnati, OH
3/9/2011
We were hoping for authentic Italian, but this is more Americanized. It looks just like the places my husband and I went on our Italian honeymoon, which had us excited. It was fairly empty when we arrived, which we were worried about at 7:00 on a Friday night. Our first courses were good, but the sauces lack that explosion of flavor that you want in a good sauce. I agree that the pasta itself seems fresh and well done. The waitstaff were very pleasant.
Bottom line: I WANT to love this place, but I just like it. If you want to revisit romantic dinners in Italy, go for the ambiance. And, hey, it's better than Olive Garden... -
Review from Joe M.
Dallas, TX
10/25/2010
I liked this place, but wasn't great. Inside was cute, and I had one of the most amazing psycho experiences of my life. They had a regular (this is 2 years ago) who came in, and told me that a number of celebs (Jessica Savich and Roger Staubach) were part of a massive conspiracy by aliens to take over the world. I commented that I live by Roger, and thought Jessica was dead, to which she responded "oh, no, they've just been hiding her." Safe to say I remember this place well.
Service was good, had a nice menu and I liked the inside. Great location. Not a top notch place, but I respected them and would have gone if I stayed downtown more.
Beware of dead celebs, 'they' are just being hidden'. This was really impressive, I travel the world, and this was a Top 5 lifetime nutcase encounter. Pasta & psycho chicks. Hmm, mmm! -
Review from Amy C.
Cincinnati, OH
11/8/2010
I like Roma. The pasta is quite fresh - perhaps homemade in house, you can definitely taste the freshness. Their lasagna is top notch and on my next visit, I want to try their Chix Parm - I know, pretty pedestrian, but hey, they are classics for a reason, right? I love the location of course - convenient. And I love the old-dive Italian style atmosphere. Service was very good. Prices are ok, it's tough paying that much for pasta, but it does taste delicious. Oh, and their bread is delightful.
Two downers: 1) in the ladies' room the sewer drain was exposed with some sort of water sitting there. Luckily that was at the end of the meal - not very appetizing and 2) they don't appear to have a kids menu. On the plus side, portions are sizable that Doug and I were able to easily share with P, so we made do.
All and all, we'll likely return, perhaps for date night though rather than family outing. -
Review from Alexandra K.
Cincinnati, OH
5/3/2008 1 photo
Located directly across from the Aronoff Center for the Arts, Trattoria Roma is the perfect place to go for a post show dinner before seeing a show at any of the downtown performance venues.
When I was growing up and my father was working downtown, he used to bring me here to get pizza by the slice. Back then, the restaurant was more of a fast food Italian lunch restaurant. About 7 years ago they closed up the kitchen and turned it into a fine dining Italian restaurant.
I came here before both of my high school proms with my date. It is the perfect date restaurant. The atmosphere dark and romantic. The low lighting and candelabras dripping with wax really make the evening. The waiters are all tall, dark, handsome, and have thick accents. My mother and I used to joke that they are all "fresh off the boat"!
This little restaurant isn't very well known, but is definitely worth checking out. Make sure you try their tortellini!Listed in: My favorite Cincinnati Haunts
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Review from Mike M.
6/2/2011
my favorite italian restaurant downtown - not too pricey and the new location is very nice. the veal rocks and the pasta is not too shabby. i choose roma over scotti's any day. not that scotti's is bad:).
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Review from Robert M.
8/22/2009
Ah the old classic Roma. Solid Itialian downtown. Not the best but really good. Had the Chicken Marsla. Yummy
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Review from Jennifer R.
OH
2/24/2009
My husband and I were on our way to dinner before a show at the Aronoff. We had planned on eating at Nicholson's, but the wait was too long. We walked out the side door and decided to try Trattoria Roma. I'm so glad we did! My husband had a bleu cheese-stuffed steak and I had a chicken dish. Both were wonderful. The service was great, our food came quickly and it was an overall wonderful experience.
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Review from Patrick K.
San Francisco, CA
6/26/2008
This place is great! I've been here twice. Once we were the only people in the entire restaurant, and once the place was so packed we had to sit next to the bar. The veal with prosciutto was amazing and so was the eggplant parm. If the place is empty...still go in! The service and food were excellent.
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Review from Doriean S.
Los Angeles, CA
9/8/2010
Yummy! Visiting cincinnatti and was told to try it. Was completely empty when we walked in, which had us worried, but the food was great. I had the creamy chicken dish with penne pasta. Amazing. Friends had the broccoli penne and another had the mussels. Both were happy with their choices.
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Review from Katie M.
Cincinnati, OH
5/17/2009
I can't believe I've never been to Trattoria Roma, well at least until last night...it's right in between some of the city's hottest spots, but somehow goes unnoticed and manages to stay "uncrowded" as well. The atmosphere was a little mellow and quiet, but the food and service were wonderful. We had the mussels for an app - delish! best I've ever had! and shared the Chicken Marsala (split plate charge for sharing an entree $3, but worth it, the portion was just right) which had yummy mushrooms and wine sauce. We were both happy with our meal and the pace was just right.
