Eat with a Local at Francesca's Home in Rome!

24 reviews

From

38 EUR

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Would you like to experience a truly authentic local meal in Rome? If so, come to my place and eat with me! I’ll cook you a special 6-course dinner and share precious tips about my lovely city.

Duration: 2 hours

Available in

English,
Italian

Tour by Francesca

Local Guru

Hello! I am a real Roman citizen: I was born here and still live here.

I work as an event planner, restaurant's casher/supervisor and I am the creative director of a personal project called ODE.

Creativity accompanies my life, helping me always stay positive and colourful.

Enjoy a tasty 6-course Italian meal with a friendly local
Visit a typical Roman home away from the tourist masses
Get tips from a local for your holiday in Rome

Description

My name is Francesca and I’m a Like A Local Guide ambassador for Rome. I’ve decided to begin hosting dinners at my place so you can meet me in person and taste my favourite Italian dishes.

I'll serve dishes that I usually cook for my best friends who always eagerly await my dinners!

I like to start my dinners with a toast all together and then…

***MENU***
Appetisers
* Ricotta cheese with beet tops
* Bruschetta ajo e ojo
* Traditional salami
* Green olives
* Tarallini

I always look for fresh and seasonal produce that looks great when served. Presentation is one of the ways I express my creative personality!

First course
* Country orecchiette
Homemade pasta from the south of Italy served with fresh tomato, basil leaves from my balcony, baked ricotta cheese and crispy crumble. It's simple, fresh and delicious!

Second course
* Chicken chasseur with myrtle
This tasty and sweet dish is a twist on one of Italy’s best classic second courses.

Side dish
* Pinzimonio
Enjoy dipping some extremely fresh vegetables in a superior extra virgin olive oil.

Dessert
* Tiramisù
Strictly Home Made by myself

What’s included & not included

6-course dinner made with love
Wine

Check availability of the tour:

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Meeting point

Via Carlo Dapporto

Reviews from travellers (24)

4.6/5

Great experience!

Francesca’s home is so warm and welcoming, the food was delicious and tasty, Francesca is a charming hostess.

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Reviewed by Osnat • December 03, 2018

Dinner was wonderful!

We had dinner last night with Francesca! She was absolutely a pleasure and the food was unbelievable. It is a bit far from the city but such a unique experience that it was well worth it. Her place is so tiny and quaint and my husband, two teens also loved it. My daughter is a vegetarian and she carefully made sure each plate she served worked for her. Get out of the city and enjoy this experience. Thank you, Francesca!

Reviewed by Lori • November 04, 2018

Could have eaten in Rome

Nice food, plenty of decent wine, polite host.
For most is an 60 minutes tour with a bus from Rome center. We took a taxi costing 30 euro. Back it was 25 Euro.
Dinner with wine cost 37 Euro.
But I can't see the idea. Small apartment with no personal touch, shabby table and .... Just no personal touch and local touch to justified the time and expense. Host was nice and polite, however a bit tired.

Reviewed by Else Jean • October 27, 2018

Great night!

Francesca was wonderful, food was great and we really enjoyed ourselves. Just a long taxi to her parents’ home because we had too many people for her to accommodate in her apartment. But her parents were lovely so worth the trip!

Reviewed by Wendy • October 17, 2018

Francesca is lovely!!

we ate at Francesca's place on September 27, 2018 with my wife and our cousin. It was a long day and we got a bit lost on our way there and as a result, got there one hour later than planned. However, Francesca and her boyfriend Simona were patient and waited for us to complete the cooking. Upon our arrival, the conversation was pleasant and flowing. Appetizers were good and they catered to my cousin who does not eat pork. The wine was more than adequate and both Francesca and her boyfriend engaged us throughout, including providing explicit directions back to central Rome. For those staying in and around central Rome/Vatican City, be aware that adequate time should be planned to get there if going by train and bus. I would recommend this to my friends and family, especially those into home cooked meals. It was lovely after being in Italy for two weeks to get actual home cooked food straight to your plate. I think the genuineness of the host and hostess was our favorite part in addition to the food.

Reviewed by Miguel • October 16, 2018

Not what I expected

Location is far away from Rome center and was difficult to find a place. We were 16 people ! Like at restaurant and couldn't feel home atmosphere.
Apart of this, menu was as at every corner - mozzarella with dried tomato, lasagna and tiramisu. The main dishes was very simple and small I really expected something from reach Italian cuisine, unfortunately no.

Reviewed by Galina • October 07, 2018

Fantastic! Highly recommend!

Francesca was so hospitable and super enthusiastic about hosting a dinner. As we were a small group, we also had additional guests present. She made all of us feel welcomed! There was no uncomfortableness whatsoever which is usually present when you meet someone for the first time.
The food itself was so delicious, we had 4 courses, and I was literally full after an appetizer. So please come to Francesca very hungry, as portions are huge! The tmosphete was that of a big family gathering for a nice Sunday meal. I highly recommend everyone to book this dinner. Francesca was also very nice to hail us a taxi when our uber failed to show up after 40 minutes of waiting.

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Reviewed by Elena • September 13, 2018

Do yourself a favor and book this experiance

My wife and I had a wonderful evening spending time with our amazing cook and hostess, Francesca. The food was incredible, the conversation flowed nicely and the genuine warmth we felt from Francesca made for an event we will always cherish and never forget.

PS. If she asks if you like surprises, say yes!

Reviewed by Christopher • August 25, 2018

Amazing

I spent wonderful evening at Francesca’s plase with my family. Francesca served delicious dinner in her small but nice apartment. Fully recommended.

Reviewed by Helgi • June 25, 2018

Like spending an evening with good friends

Our dinner was spirited and cozy, food delicious and conversation chirpy as there happened to be two other guests who, as Francesca, had a good sense of humor and we found to have much in common.
A great way to see another, very local, side of Rome. Recommend highly!

Reviewed by Maris • April 12, 2018

A lovely dinner

We had a lovely experience with Francesca in her cozy apartment in Rome with a charming couple from Estonia.
Francesca hosted us generously, prepared a tasty multi-course meal, with lots of good wine, authentic Italian food and all accompanied by interesting explanations.
The conversation flowed and time passed pleasantly.
warmly recommended.

Thank you Francesca :)

Reviewed by David • April 08, 2018

A great experience

You must do this. The nice girl Francesca cooked for us with a great passion. The simple dishes were marvelous and very tasty. It was very cosy and we can recommend this to everyone.

Reviewed by Michael • April 06, 2018

Best food, and the best of our evenings in Rome!

Francesca i the perfect host. She lets you visit her in her home, invites two other really nice friends and serves fantastic food. And we got the best tips for restaurants and what to see.

The great thing about the evening was the possibility to learn more about living in Rome/Italy, at a personal level. We talked about differences between our countries, food, culture, politics, music and so much more.

Thank you Francesca:) The first thing we tell about, from our Rome trip, is the evening at your place:)

Reviewed by Pia • April 01, 2018

Absolutely FANTASTIC!!!!

Words cannot express how much we appreciated what Francesca (with the help of her wonderful parents) did for a group of 16 strangers. It was like a big family party at a relative's house. The food was incredible -- from amazing cheeses, tarallini, olives and other appetizers -- to a great lasagna, chicken cacciatore in a white sauce, fabulous tiramisu, elegantly served in tea cups, after-dinner drinks, coffee, etc. But the best thing was just the hospitality and friendliness that this family showed to people who started as strangers and ended the evening feeling like a part of the family. Francesca even went so far as to line up a driver for all 16 of us, from our hotel on the other side of Rome, and make reservations for us in an enoteca for a before-dinner drink and experience. Then she gave us the name of a great pizzeria to look up the next night when we were in Trastevere. If you are in Rome, and you are thinking about whether Like A Local is a route you'd like to take, you absolutely must check out Francesca!!! Hands down one of the highlights of our two-week trip to Rome and Tuscany. Mille grazie, Francesca!!

Reviewed by Mike • September 28, 2017

Francesca is a wonderful hostess

We were really late because the taxi driver couldn't find the address but Francesca and her boyfriend were very gracious. She prepared a lovely meal and explained everything. They made a genuine effort to connect with us through our mutual love of music. They drove us back to our hotel which was great as Rome taxi drivers don't seem to know the suburbs very well.

Reviewed by Connie • August 23, 2017

Amazing dinner at Francesca's home

My husband and I booked this dinner for our second day in Rome. When we arrived at Francesca we are stunned from the food smell and the beautiful design. Francesca cooked really delicious food and she hosted us with her partner Pasqello. we had such a good evening with them. they opened for us two bottles of great white wine. We had a nice conversation and really loved to be with them. I really recommend this meal. it was an amazing experience.

Reviewed by Nofar • May 10, 2017

Heavenly

Thank you very much for the lovely evening we spent at your cozy home. The dinner you served to us was delicious. The experiences and tips you shared were us were great. You really know how to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. We wish you all the best and highly recommend your five star menu. Thank you, Francesca!

Reviewed by Lea • May 02, 2017

A delicious way to see a side of Rome not in the tourist spots!

Francesca and Pasquale were great hosts for our dinner at their cute and cozy home. They provided not only tips on what to do and where to go in Rome, but also great conversation and a delicious Italian meal lovingly created by hand. The dinner is a great way to see a side of Rome you might not get if you stick to the tourist traps, so definitely check it out!

Reviewed by John • July 30, 2016

Dine with Francesca

Go prepared to enjoy a special evening with Francesca and her charming Italian friends and/or family. She is a darling host and made us feel really special. There was quite a lot of food and we left full and satisfied. We were especially WOW'd by her pasta course, the citrus chicken and our tiramisu. Do remember to carve out enough time to relax and not be hurried. She and her boyfriend even gave us helpful tips on cool sites to visit which are off the beaten track. Jen

Reviewed by Jennifer • July 25, 2016

5 stars!

Francesca and Pasquale were great hosts! The meal was so well thought out and prepared perfectly. It really gave us a taste of how the locals eat in Rome. We got to try several local cheeses, as well as produce that is specific to the area. And the fresh pasta was amazing too! I would really recommend this to other people. Also, don't let the distance from city center discourage you because it was a very easy bus ride to get to her apartment.

Reviewed by Erika • April 14, 2016

Delicious and interesting

Dinner with Francesca and Pasquale was delicious and interesting. It was a tiny bit hard to find the right door to their building, but Francesca came out on her porch and called down to us, so we found it in the end. How nice it was to have a home cooked meal - we tried many new flavors and ingredients (such as a fresh raw curly chicory salad with anchovy dressing, whole Roman artichokes, a fava bean salad, and some soft green olives that were utterly distinctive and new to us!) and although our hosts were half our age, we had plenty to talk about. It was a very relaxing evening and I'm so glad we did it. Francesca was very good at answering questions in advance via email, and she was very, very helpful in general about things we wanted to do in Rome (especially vintage shopping!)

We met up with Francesca and Pasquale the next afternoon down in the Ripa (I think it was Ripa, anyway) neighborhood of Rome where we piled into their little car and drove out of the city. We went to the hill town of Frascati, and had we not gotten a late start, we'd have seen Carnivale in the charming little town's square. As it was, we saw the aftermath and confetti covered the cobblestones. We looked in on the churches, and also enjoyed the high vantage view of Rome in the valley below. We had a drink and a snack at a local pub, then we drove to Grottaferrata to a restaurant called L'Asino D'Oro (the golden ass/donkey) where we enjoyed some tasty regional cuisine and wine - it was relaxed, slow paced, and felt like a very authentic experience. And that was exactly what we were looking for! Thank you both! :)

Reviewed by Lorin • February 18, 2016

GRAZIE MILLE

We had a wonderful time at Francesca. we were a little bit late cause we take the wrong bus. her apartment were located on the other site of Rome than ours. after all Francesca welcomed us warmly and have had prepared a grandiose menu for us. we want and also have to recommend this option to look at the local side of Rome.

Reviewed by Thomas • December 14, 2015

Francesca and her husband prepared a delicious dinner for us, everything tasted great and every dish was from original italian cuisine. We spent a lot of time talking about many different subjects including food and traveling. They are very friendly, Francesca is a great cook and I honestly recommend this event!

Reviewed by Dominik • October 24, 2015

We had a lovely time eating with Francesca! I had contacted her a week before we arrived in Rome to see if it was possible to suggest a date for my mum's birthday, she was great! See arranged to have it on the day I had requested, and even though I wasn't sure if my brother would be able to make it or not, she was willing to go ahead even though her minimum number had not been reached! My brother did make it in the end though, which was great. The food, of course, was delicious! There was lots of it so make sure you don't eat too much before hand! I particularly loved the cheeses, and my brother wolfed down her pasta like he'd never eaten before! The location is quite far out of Rome, so be prepared for a long bus ride, but for us it was lovely to see this other side of the city and escape the hustle and bustle of the centre of Rome in the height of tourist season! Their home, while small was beautifully clean and well presented, with lovely touches like the vintage china and cabinates and views out to the mountains. This was a first experience for all of us so I sensed a little nervousness all round to start with, but then the wine started flowing and we talked about food and culture and life. It was really lovely to learn a little about real Italian culture. Thank you Francesca for welcoming us into your home and giving us a lovely and alternative experience in Rome! xxx

Reviewed by Rosie / EatWith • August 18, 2015

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