Taverna de' Mercanti

The BaadLamb and I are in Rome for a hearty dose of La Dolce Vita ( a birthday gift from him to me!) and thought to pause long enough to make a restaurant and neighborhood recommendation. Along the crust of Trastevere where it meets the Tiber is a lovely area surrounding the Church of Santa Cecilia with its excellent excavations and its cortile and beautiful stone bell tower. After touring the church we stumbled upon a glowing and rustic structure that has been turned into a huge restaurant on three levels. It is the kind of authentic old stone structure that panders to people who like "authentic" even though it doesn't have to pander and we wish it had not. The "bufalo" mozzarella in the insalata caprese is freshly made. The garlic and olive oil bruschetta is richly savory. Skip the pizza which was surprisingly bland and go with the wonderfully grilled meats on skewers. After walking more than six miles today, it was good to sit in a warmly lit and comfortable hall.

Interior views after the jump.