Old Bear

Old Bear, also listed in Italian as Vecchio Orso, is a restaurant at Via dei Gigli d'Oro 2 near Piazza Navona in central Rome, occupying premises that were a carpenter's workshop before becoming a tavern towards the end of the 1990s. A Spanish chef working there around 2000 shaped a menu blending Spanish and Italian cooking, and the restaurant is still known for paella Valenciana and sangria alongside Roman pasta and dishes such as fondue bourguignonne and quiche Lorraine; gluten-free options are offered. The dining room keeps features from the building's working past, giving it an informal, workshop-like character rather than a conventional trattoria fitting. It trades Monday to Saturday from 17:00 to 01:00 and takes bookings by telephone or through its website. Its position on a quiet side street keeps it away from the busiest tourist routes despite being minutes from Piazza Navona. Bus routes run along Corso del Rinascimento and Corso Vittorio Emanuele II nearby.