Via dell’Arancio 50
06 6876119
credit cards accepted; English spoken.
Open for lunch and dinner
Closed Sundays

While Rome isn’t far from the sea, it isn’t a seafood town. Rome’s geography and history have linked it culinary traditions to more inland flavours of beef and pork. Thus, to make a long story short, if you want fish you have to pay for it. And Settimo all’Arancio is one of the better places to do just that.

Just steps away from the Tomb of Augustus, and close to the Via del Corso, Settimo all’Arancio is well located for the tourist. The décor is typically Roman (waiters with little bowties, white table cloths, décor thoroughly unadventurous), the waiters are frequently rude and pushy, the view is non-existent and the wine list is passable. 

The reason to go to Settimo all’Arancio is fish and the best days to go are the traditional days to eat fish, Tuesdays and Fridays. The fresh fish on the grill or cooked under salt is always of the highest quality. The pasta with a half lobster is delightful.  The frittura di pesce (mixed fried fish) is great as are the polpetti di tonno (fresh tuna meatballs). The daily specials can be wonderful, such as pasta di granchio  con zafferano ( pasta with crab and saffron). 

For those who don’t want or like fish they do serve a quite good steak, but that is for the one person in the group who doesn’t want to eat seafood. If most of the people you are with don’t want fish then don’t go here. 

Prices run from 30 to 50 euro a person. Reservations a must.