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With a magical setting, especially for a warm summer night, Antico Arco is perched high up in Trastevere’s Gianicolo Hill. The menu is creative Italian, and dishes are based on local ingredients Mama might have used, with a more contemporary flair. The menu is seasonal, but lightness is a consistent theme. Wine aficionados will love the robust wine list, but for those less familiar the restaurant is equipped with a knowledgeable sommelier. Closed Sunday.

A favorite of Rome’s jet set, Dal Bolognese serves great food and wine and has an unbeatable view right onto Piazza del Popolo, so it comes as no surprise that the restaurant is always booked. Arrive early (8:15pm is their first reservation) to get a table. When ordering, remember simplicity is key; go for veal cutlets or the tagliatelle bolognese, the signature dish.

Says Indagare Insider Alberto Moncada: “Dal Bolognese, on the Piazza del Popolo, is a chic scene of everyone from politicians to young actors and lithe models vying for one of the few sidewalk tables. Try the boiled meats or bollito, steak tartare or tagliolini al prosciutto and you won’t be disappointed.”

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Opened in 1990 (though no longer in the original location), Il Convivio is run by the three Troiani brothers. Opinion is split whether the food is still as inspired as it used to be, but the vaulted dining room with white tablecloths and original art still rates as one of the most elegant of the city. Closed Sundays, and for lunch on Mondays.

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One of Rome’s most magical settings is the candlelit garden behind the Hotel de Russie. Dinners are formal and pricey, but the food and ambience is excellent. What’s Nearby: Spanish Steps.

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In a city that is mostly about casual, trattoria-type dining, the three-Michelin-star restaurant—the city’s only such honored restaurant–stands out. Considered one of the great chefs not only in Italy but in all of Europe, Heinz Beck prepares exquisite food that is made all the more pleasurable by the views from the top of Monte Mario overlooking all of Rome. This is the place to splurge for a special meal. The menu, which changes with the season, combines Mediterranean ingredients with Beck’s creative spin. Some recent meals included squid ravioli with pineapple, licorice consommé with sweet pepper ravioli and salmon medallions, and spaghetti with artichokes, sweetbread and wild mint. Reservations are recommended one or two months in advance.

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At Quinzi e Gabrieli, considered one of Italy’s top seafood restaurants, diners choose from a large selection of fresh fish and shellfish, which is then expertly turned into Mediterranean-inspired dishes. The setting is unique: the restaurant enlisted the Academy of Fine Arts to decorate the interior. Popular dishes include the sauté di vongole antipasto and the moscardini and baby tomato pasta. Closed Sunday and Monday.