Osteria Da Zi Umberto In Roma

I had high hopes as I had heard many great things and read plenty of stellar reviews. Maybe we got them on a bad day, I can’t be sure. One thing to note is that not a single customer that night was Italian. There was a buzz of American and English conversation. We got off on the wrong foot as two of us arrived promptly ahead of the rest of our party of 5, at which point we discovered we could not sit at the table and wait, we needed the full party present. This is understandable as a busy establishment. I have not included this as part of my rating. After being seated, it took 20 minutes for our orders to be taken even for just drinks. The thing I tend to judge a Roman restaurant on is its ability to cook the basic classic dishes. Their cacio e pepe was decent - a nicely emulsified sauce, adherence to the recipe. However, their carbonara was a massive let-down after all I’d heard about it. Three of us ordered it, and three of us received scrambled eggs. They cooked it far too hot. You could tell by the colour of the sauce that the yolks were not best quality. There was no sauce, just clumps. The photos do not demonstrate this well, however once the spaghetti was separated, you could see how hot it was on the interior. They however were friendly, and once the orders were taken the service was quite quick after that.

It was ok, the spaghetti carbonara was scrambled. However, the prosciutto and rockmelon was delicious. If I returned I would try the cacio e pepe.

We visited Osteria da Zi Umberto during our recent trip to Rome, and overall, it was a charming experience with some standout moments. We kicked off with Aperol spritzes, which were perfectly refreshing, a great start to our evening. For our appetizers, we shared a dish featuring cheese, tomato, and olive oil, and it was absolutely delicious—simple yet fresh, with the flavors really shining through. It was the perfect way to warm up our appetites. As for the rest of the meal, things were a bit hit and miss. I ordered a salad, which was fine but nothing extraordinary. It was a bit underwhelming, especially given the incredible quality of the other dishes. My wife opted for a vegetable dish that was somewhat similar to spinach, but it wasn’t to our taste. We didn’t quite finish it, as it was unlike anything we’d had before, and it just didn’t appeal to us. For the main courses, however, things really picked up. I had the Carbonara, and it was fantastic—rich, flavorful, and indulgent. Every bite was packed with that perfect balance of creaminess and depth. My wife went with a stuffed beef dish, which she loved. It was fresh, tender, and full of flavor. Overall, Osteria da Zi Umberto has a lot to offer, especially in terms of quality mains and excellent starters. While not every dish hit the mark for us, the service was warm and welcoming, and the atmosphere felt very genuine. If you’re in the area, I’d recommend trying the Carbonara and the cheese, tomato, and olive oil starter—it’s worth the visit for those alone!

Typical Roman food restaurant, a bit small but acceptable, very good food, very good service.

Non fussy excellent pasta. Doreen to earth, very tasty. Would come back.

We tried their arugula and pepper pesto, amatriciana, meatballs, and fried zucchini flowers. Everything was excellent!

One of the most tasty, well cooked and with best service in Rome

Amazing place! Highly recommend! The best vongole I had! (And I had it in 6 different restaurants)I made my reservation the night before and was greeted by my first name the next day and given the best table. Great atmosphere, great food, great service. It was my last night in Rome and I’m so happy we finished our vacation with a bang!!

Besides that the carbonara was slightly overcooked, food was great

Very friendly and helpful staff, incredible location in the heart of Trastevere, just steps from Piazza Trilussa, highly recommended.