Restaurant in Rome, Italy
Old-school Roman cooking, no theatre.
Da Enzo al 29 is one of Trastevere's most consistent Roman trattorias, ranked #52 on Opinionated About Dining's Casual Europe list in 2024. Book it for precise, unfussy Roman classics at trattoria prices. Skip it if you want a deep wine list or creative cooking; go if the meal itself is the occasion.
Da Enzo al 29 is one of the most consistent places in Rome to eat traditional Roman food at trattoria prices. It ranked #52 on Opinionated About Dining's Casual Europe list in 2024, up from #139 in 2023, which tracks with its reputation among locals and repeat visitors as a place that does not overcomplicate the classics. If you want cacio e pepe, coda alla vaccinara, and abbacchio done properly in Trastevere without a fine-dining bill, book here. If you want creative cooking or a big wine program, look elsewhere.
Da Enzo sits on Via dei Vascellari in the quieter, residential pocket of Trastevere, away from the most tourist-heavy piazzas. The kitchen runs on Roman trattoria tradition: offal, pasta, slow-cooked meat, and seasonal vegetables. There is no attempt to modernise or reinterpret. The cooking earns its OAD ranking through repetition and discipline rather than innovation.
For a special occasion, this is a considered choice. It does not have the white-tablecloth formality of a destination restaurant, but that is not the point. A birthday dinner or anniversary lunch here means honest, precise Roman food in a room that feels lived-in rather than staged. Compared to the high-end Roman options like La Pergola or Acquolina, Da Enzo trades ceremony for authenticity. Whether that trade suits your occasion depends on what you value.
On the wine side, the list at a Roman trattoria of this type tends toward regional bottles at fair markups: Cesanese, Frascati, and central Italian reds that pair straightforwardly with the meat-forward menu. The wine program here is not a draw in itself, but it is functional and priced to fit the food. If wine depth is a priority for a special meal, a venue like Enoteca La Torre will serve you better. At Da Enzo, the wine exists to support the food, not compete with it, which is the right call for this format.
The Google rating sits at 4.3 across more than 8,800 reviews, a meaningful signal at that volume. High-scoring Roman trattorias with that kind of review count typically maintain quality through kitchen consistency, not front-of-house theatre. That holds here.
Da Enzo is closed on Sundays. Lunch runs noon to 3 pm; dinner runs 7 to 11 pm, Monday through Saturday. Both services are worth considering depending on your priorities, but more on that below.
Trastevere has no shortage of trattorias making similar claims, but very few of them have climbed 87 places on the OAD Casual Europe ranking in a single year. Flavio Al Velevodetto and Velavevodetto ai Quiriti are the most direct comparisons for Roman trattoria cooking in the city. Da Enzo sits comfortably alongside them in terms of pedigree, with the OAD ranking as a verifiable differentiator.
For context on how Rome fits into the broader Italian dining picture, our full Rome restaurants guide covers the range from trattorias like this to tasting-menu destinations. You can also explore Rome hotels, Rome bars, Rome wineries, and Rome experiences if you are planning a longer trip.
If Da Enzo represents the trattoria end of Italian dining, the country's tasting-menu tier is equally worth knowing. Osteria Francescana in Modena and Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence are the two most recognised reference points nationally. For northern Italy, Le Calandre in Rubano, Enrico Bartolini in Milan, and Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico cover the creative and ingredient-driven end of the spectrum. Dal Pescatore in Runate offers a multi-generational family-restaurant alternative for something between trattoria warmth and fine-dining precision.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Da Enzo al 29 | Roman Trattoria | Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Ranked #52 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Ranked #139 (2023) | Easy | — | |
| Enoteca La Torre | Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Il Pagliaccio | Contemporary Italian, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Aroma | Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Idylio by Apreda | Modern Italian, Italian Contemporary | €€€€ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| La Palta | Country cooking | €€€ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
Comparing your options in Rome for this tier.
Book at least two to three weeks ahead, especially for dinner and weekend lunch. Da Enzo ranked #52 on Opinionated About Dining's Casual Europe list in 2024, which means word is well and truly out. Walk-ins exist but are a gamble — the room is small and turns over predictably.
Yes, solo diners fit well here. Trattoria-format seating in a compact room means you won't feel conspicuous at a table for one, and the lunch service on weekdays is a lower-pressure window. Arrive at opening — 12pm — to avoid a wait.
For the same traditional Roman trattoria format, Da Remo (Testaccio) is the go-to pizza and suppli alternative. If you want a step up in formality without leaving the trattoria price band, Flavio al Velavevodetto in Testaccere covers similar dishes with more space. For something at a different tier entirely, Il Pagliaccio and Idylio by Apreda move into tasting-menu territory.
Groups of up to six are manageable with advance booking; larger parties will find the small room limiting. Call ahead and be direct about group size — there is no private dining room. For groups above eight, a more spaciously configured trattoria in Trastevere will be a smoother experience.
Lunch is the easier booking and runs at a slightly more relaxed pace. Dinner has more atmosphere but books out faster. Both services run the same menu, so the decision comes down to scheduling rather than quality — though a weekday lunch at Da Enzo is one of the more sensible ways to eat well in Rome without a long evening commitment.
Only if your idea of a special occasion is an honest, well-executed Roman meal rather than ceremony. There is no tasting menu, no elaborate service, and no wine spectacle. For a birthday or anniversary with those expectations, Il Pagliaccio or Aroma (with its Colosseum view) are more appropriate. Da Enzo is the right call if the occasion is celebrating good food at fair prices.
It is closed Sundays, so plan around that. The address is Via dei Vascellari 29 in the residential part of Trastevere, away from the main tourist drag. The menu is Roman and seasonal — expect pasta dishes like cacio e pepe and carbonara, plus offal if you're open to it. This is not a menu-grazing venue; order with intent and let the kitchen do what it does.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
