Life Ristorante
Via della Vite 28
00187 Roma RM
Italy
TripAdvisor
Rome attracts many tourists for its many famous remnants and relics of ancient Roman culture and civilization. You go to Rome to see the Vatican, Colosseum, St. Peter’s Basilica, the list goes on and on. At times, we felt like we were just looking at one pile of old rocks after the next (I’m looking at you Roman Forum). Some things, like the Trevi Fountain, simply took our breath away, in the figurative sense. Literally, you might find it hard to breathe while trying to snap a photo due to hoards of like-minded tourists squeezing the life out of you or just using up all the surrounding oxygen in the air. Still, it’s definitely a “bucket list” destination. I did it once and I’m good for the next 20 years. Finding something ancient and famous to take a selfie with is not hard to do in Rome. Finding something great and memorable to eat is probably a bigger challenge.
Panda Bear recommend Life Ristorante. He said it was solid and not too pricey. They had tasting menu options ranging from 4-5 courses from 50-60 euros. It all sounded delicious. The Annoyer opted for the “sea essence” tasting menu and I filled in with some a la carte selections.
Scampi Carpaccio julienne of celery, lime fruit
Red King Prawns Carpaccio black salt from hawaii
Carpaccio of Sea Bass black truffle
We were really pleased by the strong start with the trio of carpaccios. The seafood was light and fresh. The seasonings were flavorful enough to bring life to the dish, while not overpowering the inherent delicate flavor of the seafood. YUMS!
Carpaccio of Beef Fillet black truffle and lime
Another wonderful carpaccio. The portion looks decent, but these thin slices of meat were gobbled down in seconds. I’d be happy with 2 more servings. The truffle flavor was magical.
Homemade Ravioli burrata cheese, parmesan cream, black truffle
Ravioli is a tricky thing because it’s usually pretty tasty, but I’m always left wanting more. 4 ravioli is the usual portion and you’re lucky when its 6. The flavors were elevated yet simple. I wouldn’t expect to find something like this in my neighborhood Italian restaurant. The burrata and parmesan were so delicate and then the truffle just knocked it out of the park.
Homemade Spaghetti seafood, bread crumbs
More of the same delicate and tasty flavors. The seafood wasn’t exactly plentiful, so I would have been happier with more lobster and shrimp chunks.
Paccheri sea bass, rockfish, cherry tomatoes, basil
The 3rd course of the “sea essence” tasting menu was a bit bolder in flavor than the last course. The cherry tomatoes were sweet and tart. The fish flavor was not to be missed. The paccheri was wonderful al dente with great toothsome chew. YUMS!
Turbo Fillet cooked in own potato crust
As with most Italian meals, the meat/fish courses are almost always a let down from the pasta courses. Unimpressive fish dish.
Grilled Fresh Lobster salad of arrugula, mango fruit salad, daikon, pink peppercorn
I’m not sure what I was thinking when I ordered the lobster. Whole lobster is almost never good and/or satisfying outside of a Chinese restaurant. This dinky thing was such a disappointment for it’s price of 30 euros. It was almost as bad as the underdressed salad next to it.
Fruits filled with handmade ice cream
The Annoyer’s “sea essence” tasting menu included a really simple dessert. Nothing too special here.
About 60% of the meal was delicious. The other 40% was totally unimpressive. I would come back here and just eat more appetizers and order every one of their pasta dishes. They are very friendly with tourists. Menus are in English. Reservations are accepted online or by email. The location is within walking distance to many of the cities top sights including the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps.
10 – You NEED to eat here
9 – Awesome
8 – Very good (for the appetizers and pastas)
7 – Good (factoring in the main courses and dessert)
6 – OK
5 – Average
4 – Not bad
3 – Not good
2 – Terrible
1 – Do NOT eat here
Overworked. Underfed. 