Roma

Underwhelmed. I visited this restaurant for a business dinner. PARKINGNonexistent. Street parking or a disappearing valet. When I arrived I first pulled into the lot adjacent to Roma belonging to a coffee shop and Celebrity Cupcakes. I quickly realized by the tow signs that this lot is not permitted for Roma. I worked my way back to the restaurant and ended up at the bank across the street. I saw a man moving a cone and parking a car but I thought it was his car and he just didn't want to be bothered by looking for a parking spot. I realized later after asking the restaurant host on check in about parking that valet is offered and I presumed the guy I saw was valet. However it is sketchy because he didn't wear a uniform and I didn't see a sign at bank area or in front of Roma advertising said valet. A person in my party told me that she parked at the garage. So there is a garage available I just didn't see it. I self-parked behind the bank, no orange cones and I could tell others were self-parking there and along the fence. SERVICEAside from the host I didn't care for the waiter. He wasn't rude but just inattentive. We had to flag him down multiple times for forgotten items. We had to ask four times for bread. The first three times to remind him and the fourth time because he brought the wrong bread. We wanted the rolls with the cheese on top. It is sooo good and so is the garlic olive oil accompaniment. I had requested an amaretto sour and he was like what is that. I asked if the bar makes custom drinks aside from their bar menu and he said no. That was surprising. The water had a funny taste to it and when I ordered Sprite (another item I had to ask for repeatedly) it was flat and not sweet. I actually thought it was water when he brought it. FOODI liked what I ordered for the most part. Would I write home about it. No. Of the two food items I ordered I enjoyed the appetizer more than the entree. I ordered the fried shrimp, fried artichoke and something else was fried in this appetizer but I forgot. I think it was fried calamari. It was good. Fried well, with a light but well seasoned batter. For entree I ordered the cacio e Pepe which was good. I've had cacio e Pepe at another Italian restaurant before and did not like it because of how strong and overwhelming the cheese they used was. I ordered it here because it was the only option I really cared to order. The other people in my party had received their orders and I didn't care for how they looked. They also didn't seem thrilled with their orders after the first couple of bites. I enjoyed the presentation of the cacio e Pepe. They serve it tableside. Do NOT get the chicken accompaniment. It is grilled and overcooked. No flavor either. I wish I got the lobster or shrimp instead. The sauce was a little runny. When the waiter transferred the pasta from the cheese wheel to my plate I noticed the sauce dripping like a soup. I like a thicker pasta sauce. Flavor was just OK. Again nothing to write home about. Would I return? No. If I was to ever return it would be for that fried shrimp and calamari appetizer only and to get to this part of town which is congested due to being surrounded by all the shops and limited parking isn't worth it.

Have been eyeing this place for a year or so now after seeing it on several lists and finally got the chance to check it out!We decided to go last minute and it was relatively early so I decided not to place a reservation. We parked them in the rice village garage since it is a short walk and free for two hours.Upon walking through the front door it struck me how intimate the space is. The fact that the restaurant is inside of a house made the meal taste like it was homemade with a lot of love. The staff were all incredibly warm and friendly from the second we walked through the door. The front room was quite busy with a moderate noise level so we were offered a quieter table for two in the back.Our server was awesome, he helped make some suggestions for our wine based off of our preferences and we enjoyed his recommendations. We started with a Cesar salad which tasted very fresh and had the perfect ratio of delicious Caesar dressing to salad. Our entrees came out perfectly timed after we finished our salads. Both of the entrees were incredible. Very rich and flavorful and it was incredibly obvious that they were prepared with a lot of care and expertise. The food here is incredible and the homey ambiance as well as the next-level care and customer service from every single staff member made eating here a very enjoyable and memorable experience. I cannot wait to return and I cannot recommend trying this place out enough.

I ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese and it was buttery, juicy and very delicious with noticeable freshness to it. It had a bold, savory flavor profile with plenty of ground beef, great amount of sauce and soft, well-cooked noodles. The meat gravy was herby, not too runny and not too pasty. Great, friendly service again from a great restaurant.

Pretty good Italian restaurant! The ambiance is more quiet, dimly lit, and intimate--perfect for a nice date. However, it can also work for a group of friends. My friends and I went as a group of 5 and were seated in a more private room. The service was great. Our waiter was very attentive and seemed to know a lot about the drinks & food offered. I ordered the Carbonara and enjoyed it! The pasta itself was fantastic. The texture was perfect. The dish as a whole was good but not mind-blowing--I found it to be a bit too salty for my taste.I also do think the restaurant is a bit too overpriced given the portion size and quality. However, this restaurant would be a great spot for a fancy night out.

Feels just like a place in Rome. Classic dishes done well. Good wine selection. House limoncello as well. Great service and romantic ambience.

This place is a gem in Rice Village. The food is amazing (we had the lobster ravioli, squid ink pasta, and lasagna), and the outdoor seating was beautiful on a warm Houston night. Friendly and attentive service just rounds out the experience.

We visited our grad student at Rice University over Thanksgiving break, and we booked our holiday meal here. We could not have been more pleased with the food, the service, the ambiance, and the warmth of the professional staff - even though they were very busy. The menu was a bit more limited than normal, as they were offering a full turkey with all the trimming traditional holiday spread, but they still had a wide selection of Italian delicacies. Half of our group of 4 ordered the Thanksgiving feast; half ordered the regular menu items. Everything was speedily delivered and perfectly prepared. One problem: the wine menu was so vast, we had an argument about what to order, so we ordered multiple bottles! We were treated like family, and we will definitely return. About the dining room - it's a tight fit when crowded, but it didn't seem small. It seemed like a boisterous family get together with food from that one relative who really knows how to cook. We would have fought over the leftovers, but there weren't any, because we were clean plate clubbers. Too full for dessert. But then we ordered dessert. And we are glad we did. We will be back, and we will recommend this place to anyone we know who is in the Rice Village area of Houston.

I recently visited with my boyfriend and we had such an amazing experience at Roma. Starting off, the building itself and the inside structure is so unique in a positive way. It is cozy and comfortable with dim lighting that complements the big window in the back that shows Rice Village. I've never seen anything like it and loved how we were seated right next to the window. There are multiple rooms in this restaurant and gives off an authentic vibe with how homey it is. Next, the host was very quick to seat us and bring us bread as well as take our orders. The bread was SO good. I'm not sure if it was the olive oil mix that came with the bread or the bread itself (or probably the mixture of both), but it tasted so good. I could not stop eating it. The host/server was very nice and checked in with us frequently, asking if we liked the first bite after each dish and gave us a chance to let him know if anything was wrong. I absolutely loved this about the restaurant and how helpful everyone was. I ordered a glass of the Sauvignon Blanc they had on the wine menu and it was amazing--super smooth, yet refreshing and light. We ordered a Caesar salad to share and it was fresh and tasted great. I ordered the Bolognese with meatballs for my entree while my boyfriend ordered the veal shank with asparagus and roasted potatoes. My pasta was so good, it has officially become one of my top favorite pastas I've ever had. I couldn't finish all of it and ate the leftovers/to-go for breakfast the next day.Lastly, I got the chocolate cannolis for dessert and my boyfriend got the limoncello drink. My cannolis were amazing--fresh, had chocolate chips in it, and the contrast between the crunchy and the creamy was so tasty. My boyfriend loved his limoncello. The owner, Shanon Scott, was also SO nice and amazing to us. He checked in with us and made sure we were happy with our experience. We will 100% be back and recommend this place to anyone who wants to try great Italian food.

I originally posted about this restaurant thinking it was a different one. This Romas is absolutely amazing! The food is delicious, service and ambience are top notch. I had a branzino prepared tableside that was to die for! One of our all time favorite places when visiting Houston! You will not be disappointed.

This was our first time at Roma and all I can say is wow. The food was great and the service just as great. The patio was open, but we chose to sit inside. There is a back area with a party room but there was an event happening so we didn't see it. I would highly recommend as a date/anniversary night.