3 Best Restaurants in Villa Borghese, Piazza del Popolo, and Flaminio, Rome

At this sleek Michelin-starred restaurant inside the Hall Tailor Suite hotel, chef/owner Riccardo Di Giacinto and his wife, Ramona, make fine dining a fun and entertaining experience. Di Giacinto worked with Ferran Adrià in Spain and uses some of his techniques without veering too far into the territory of molecular gastronomy. Instead, he playfully transforms Roman classics, keeping the flavors but changing the forms. For example, his All'Origine tasting menu features a pasta-less carbonara reduction served in an eggshell and coda alla vaccinara (oxtail stew) presented as an oversize Ferrero Rocher. The service is professional but friendly. Each meal starts and ends with an array of amuse-bouches and petit fours creatively served on vessels that might include a ceramic banana or a toy carousel.

This two-Michelin-starred restaurant turns out delicious and high-quality seafood dishes that surprise and evoke a sensory experience. Spaghetti is served with citrus and sea urchin, and all the dishes are artfully presented. Desserts are surprisingly sophisticated. Service is helpful and thorough, but beware of the sometimes slow kitchen.

Parallel to posh Via del Babuino, Via Margutta was once a street of artists' studios (including Fellini's), and this chic vegetarian restaurant, with changing displays of modern art, sits on the far end of the now-gallery-lined street. It turns out tasty meat-free versions of classic Mediterranean dishes, as well as more daring concoctions. On weekends, brunch is a vast serve-yourself buffet, while dinner offers à la carte and prix fixe options.