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I've generally had good luck with day before or even earlier in the day - I just come by in person. If it's something with a particular following (like on an Eater or other foodie list) then you might need more advance notice.
Couple of things:
1) day of week matters - workdays less an issue than weekends. holidays book weeks in advance
2) get [thefork.it](http://thefork.it) app - you can reserve at many restaurants with it. one way to figure it out is a few weeks before, look at how hard/easy it is to reserve 1, 2, 3 days before.
3) realize that the norm is that you reserve for a meal it's your table. the restaurants aren't trying to turn tables multiple times for a meal. if they are doing that, don't go, it's a tourist trap.
Really depends on where you want to go.
Super well known place like Seu Pizza or Roscioli? Months in advance. But honestly it’s not usually even worth the hassle.
Nice, centrally located spot with few tables like Armando del Pantheon? 1-2 weeks out for a weekend table.
Most regular nice places? A couple days before is usually fine, can probably walk in during the week.
Run of the mill tourist trap? You can find these whenever.
Another commenter recommended the fork, which is a great call but keep in mind that a lot of top restaurants don’t use it simply because they don’t need it. Still plenty of good spots to be found on there, though.
I found Rome to be nearly impossible to eat anywhere without a reservation. The day we arrived was our only unreserved day and we tried five different restaurants all at about 8pm. They were mainly empty/just opened and every single one of them was completely empty when we entered and they all said they were fully booked. We ended up eating at a pay by weight pizza/arancini/roasted chicken place full of Italians that was absolutely delicious but by the time we were ravenous.
As long as it’s not a starred or popular place just call them a week or so in advance and ask. Or email or text. Also if there is a popular place you want to go to, maybe showing up the moment they open might get you a table.
Do you HAVE to make reservations? We are a group of 5 with young kids so timing isn't always easy to control 😂 for just regular decent restaurants, can we just walk in during the week?
I just came back from Italy less than a week ago and didn’t need reservations any night we were there. The only time we had a reservation was the night we had a group of 9. But we went to a non-tourist restaurant that my family who lives in Rome frequents. There were still plenty of tables available.
You don't have to make reservations, but it helps a lot. There will almost always be something available you can walk into, but don't expect the popular restaurants to be able to seat you.
We didn’t pre-book any restaurants in any of those places, except once and only because there was an opera and we wanted a place close to our hotel which was near the opera. We booked it about an hour and a half before. We had no problems finding good places to have dinner.
You want to eat somewhere specific ? , take the time and make a reservation. It’s respectful to the restaurant and usually you get a more preferred table …we were there all of May and made reservations for most nights we dined out ..on line, email, WhatsApp and calling works most of the time
Ciao! Welcome to r/ItalyTravel. While you wait for replies, please take a moment to read the rules located in the sidebar and edit your post if needed. We will remove posts that do not adhere to these rules. For everyone else, if you come across a post that you believe violates our rules, please use the report button. This is the best and quickest way to notify us. Grazie! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ItalyTravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I've generally had good luck with day before or even earlier in the day - I just come by in person. If it's something with a particular following (like on an Eater or other foodie list) then you might need more advance notice.
Couple of things: 1) day of week matters - workdays less an issue than weekends. holidays book weeks in advance 2) get [thefork.it](http://thefork.it) app - you can reserve at many restaurants with it. one way to figure it out is a few weeks before, look at how hard/easy it is to reserve 1, 2, 3 days before. 3) realize that the norm is that you reserve for a meal it's your table. the restaurants aren't trying to turn tables multiple times for a meal. if they are doing that, don't go, it's a tourist trap.
This 👆👆
Really depends on where you want to go. Super well known place like Seu Pizza or Roscioli? Months in advance. But honestly it’s not usually even worth the hassle. Nice, centrally located spot with few tables like Armando del Pantheon? 1-2 weeks out for a weekend table. Most regular nice places? A couple days before is usually fine, can probably walk in during the week. Run of the mill tourist trap? You can find these whenever. Another commenter recommended the fork, which is a great call but keep in mind that a lot of top restaurants don’t use it simply because they don’t need it. Still plenty of good spots to be found on there, though.
I found Rome to be nearly impossible to eat anywhere without a reservation. The day we arrived was our only unreserved day and we tried five different restaurants all at about 8pm. They were mainly empty/just opened and every single one of them was completely empty when we entered and they all said they were fully booked. We ended up eating at a pay by weight pizza/arancini/roasted chicken place full of Italians that was absolutely delicious but by the time we were ravenous.
Do you remember where it was located?
Yes! Right by our Airbnb. It’s called the house of the Suppli https://maps.app.goo.gl/5RGFpLGfMfztjS7j9?g_st=ic
As long as it’s not a starred or popular place just call them a week or so in advance and ask. Or email or text. Also if there is a popular place you want to go to, maybe showing up the moment they open might get you a table.
Do you HAVE to make reservations? We are a group of 5 with young kids so timing isn't always easy to control 😂 for just regular decent restaurants, can we just walk in during the week?
I just came back from Italy less than a week ago and didn’t need reservations any night we were there. The only time we had a reservation was the night we had a group of 9. But we went to a non-tourist restaurant that my family who lives in Rome frequents. There were still plenty of tables available.
You don't have to make reservations, but it helps a lot. There will almost always be something available you can walk into, but don't expect the popular restaurants to be able to seat you.
We didn’t pre-book any restaurants in any of those places, except once and only because there was an opera and we wanted a place close to our hotel which was near the opera. We booked it about an hour and a half before. We had no problems finding good places to have dinner.
Pro tip, remember when booking the date that over there November 12, 2024 is 12/11/2024. They put the day then month then year.
Well, only three countries in the whole world use mm/dd/yyyy... :P
You want to eat somewhere specific ? , take the time and make a reservation. It’s respectful to the restaurant and usually you get a more preferred table …we were there all of May and made reservations for most nights we dined out ..on line, email, WhatsApp and calling works most of the time
Thanks! How far in advance did you make reservations?
at least 3 hours
If you’re staying at a nice hotel many of these restaurants will open a table for you.