A lovely dining experience with good dishes in an interesting setting: Restaurant Retrobottega (29. December 2025)
The booking was relatively last minute, so, I was only able to score a table for the second seating at 9.30pm, which is not necessarily my favourite slot for dinner, but something which works fine for me. The place is quite interesting as you first enter a small wine bar with a large communal table, and get to wait and enjoy a glass of wine or two. Then, you’re brought to the back of the place, and you’re seated at a communal table again, which is conceptually nice, but given the people at the table weren’t the most interactive ones, it kind of defied its purpose. That being said, at least you get to watch the chefs how they prepare your food, which is quite enjoyable.
The evening then starts with “bread & water” (EUR 3.00), which was fine, but nothing mind-blowing.
The idea was to get a few items à la carte and we started with “roasted pumpkin (herring and capers in carpione)” (EUR 19.00), which was actually quiten ice, and “mushroom salad (chestnuts and marinated egg sauce)” (EUR 21.00), which was much less my cup of tea.
The “vitello tonnato (‘Rossini’ style)” (EUR 20.00) was great in terms of flavor and texture combination, but it was a bit small for the price – but the modern interpretation was great from a flavor perspective.
The “risotto (pumpkin, mussels and chili)” (EUR 22.00) turned out to be delicious too. I mean, the rice was perfectly cooked – creamy, still having a little crunch – and the toppings were quite lovely too.
The “tagliatelle (baby goat ragù, mushrooms and chamomile)” (EUR 21.00) were quite amazing. The combination with the freshly shaved munshrooms really made for a great bite.
What I truly enjoyed was the “secret pork (confit Jerusalem artichokes and salted lemon)” (EUR 31.00), which was exquisite. The meat was tender, rich, and full of flavor. Something where you would take a bite and your taste buds would just celebrate the flavor profile. I absolutely loved the dish.
The “roasted seasonal veg (shallots and yeast sauce)” (EUR 22.00) was … fine.
The staff is friendly and attentive and makes sure you have everything you need and want within no time. Besides maybe the very beginning where it took them a while to organise things and bring the glass of wine I had ordered.
As mentioned, then you’re basically moving towards the back area through the wine cellar …
… ending up at a communal table …
… with interesting deco around it.
What I really liked awas their shirts – I mean “food is the drug” is the perfect description of how things are – I couldn’t agree more that food is the drug. Or, at least, it’s my drug.
So, the Retrobottega is a lovely and interesting place, which offers great dishes in an interesting setting. I would highly recommend you to book your table in advance to make sure to actually score one.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Retrobottega
Via d’Ascanio 26A
00186 Roma (I)
Homepage: https://www.retro-bottega.com
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
