Antica Osteria Da Giovanni in Trastevere, Rome

As soon as I walked into Da Giovanni, I instantly sensed that this was not a restaurant to take photos in.

I slowly slipped my camera back into my bag and asked for a table for two.

The osteria is seriously old school and it was immediately apparent that we were the only non-regulars in the place.

… So I was going to have to be sneaky and use my phone, obviously.

The menu is simple, with few choices for lunch. However, the main draw is the setting and the prices.

All of the primi (pasta dishes) and plates of the day (piatti del giorno) are just €6 each.

In fact, this was how I heard about Da Giovanni – someone commented on my post about where to eat for seriously cheap in Rome, asking if I had ever tried this osteria.

Nope! But I was finally ready to:

Now, there may be white table cloths, but this food is absolutely about convenience and value. There is no fancy plating here.

However, the deal is incredibly hard to beat – especially in Trastevere which has becoming increasingly trendy (and thus pricey) over the years.

We were brought the bill, which boldly declared on top that the restaurant offers “squisita cucina casareccia” – exquisite homemade cuisine.

It was good, and it was cheap.

€23 total. €1 each for bread, a primo and secondo each ringing in at €6. A half liter of wine for €4 and a liter of water for €2.

But the best part was definitely the setting.

Antica Osteria da Giovanni
Via della Lungara, 41a

+39 06 6861514

Open Monday – Saturday from 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm for lunch, and 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm for dinner. Closed Sunday.

4 thoughts on “Antica Osteria Da Giovanni in Trastevere, Rome

  1. Lisa DeNunzio says:

    You know what they say, ‘ a day late and a dollar short’. Peccato . My husband and I just had one night in Rome at the airport Hilton after having spent 5 weeks at our house in Ficulle. The Hilton offers a free shuttle bus that brings you into Rome. We did go to Trastevere which we found hugely picturesque, but of course finding a place to eat was a shot in the dark (although it is difficult to eat badly in Italy). Allora, next time we will refer to your blog. A presto.

    • Natalie says:

      I actually really did have these debate for myself before posting this! Largely because the food is only ok – its more about the atmosphere which I certainly do not want to change!

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