Il Frantoio - Roma

Il Frantoio, Via di Castel Fusano 23, 00124 Ostia Antica, Italy Il Frantoio (the ‘oil mill’ is part way along the short commercial strip opposite the Conad supermarket on the busy Via di Castel Fusano – the main local road joining the Via Cristoforo Colombo with the Via del Mare next to the Enerpetroli benzinaio. It’s less than a kilometre from Ostia Antica, and close by the road junction that enables you to cut through the back roads to Casal Palocca – following the Via Luigi Pernier. Roads are narrow and full of traffic for much of the day. On the side of a busy road then and opposite the largest supermarket in the area the restaurant is popular, not least given highly competitive menu prices and the excellence of the food provided. There were four of us – two couples neighbours who 20 years back each once shared one part of our quattrofamiliare (four house block – four families across a joint fence in Infernetto, and who have remained friends ever since. Enter the restaurant, turn left, then right and head along a narrow section into the main dining room, with a few steps down to a lower floor and there’s this sense that the place was perhaps once an industrial workshop – and thus the name? Presumably, based upon local olive production? We didn’t think to ask at the time and haven’t been back since. We were certain, however that we’d eaten there before, and will certainly do so again. Everyone took advantage of the fixed menu options available; two courses for €10/person – primi secondi with contorno – plentiful foods, and the table shared half litre of local white and 750 ml bottle frizzante. Menu portions were sufficient to enable you to eat the one plate following other without over filling on the first; and thereby enjoying the complementary tastes one to the other and leaving without feeling you’ve over eaten. Ours were a couple of paste amatriciana – rigatoni with salty prosciutto, spicy chilli in a covering of tomato paste/olive oil, onion garlic; followed by pollo alla brace. We chose different contorni – patate and broccoletti – and shared them. From the wall menu the other couple chose spaghetti al vongole and the lombatina alle brace (small sirloin steak plus … forgotten the rest (and there’s no pictures available . There was a baby in arms at the table next to us and, under the table, a dog … only in Italy. All the meals/plates passed muster … there were no issues – the food was well presented, hot and tasty. As we were leaving around 10.00 pm (having arrived two hours earlier people were still coming in; no one was actually queuing, but the place must have been >80% full by then. You pay on the way out … at €10/each plus drinks our shared meal must have cost of the order €45 for the four of us. It was this thing about excellent value, comfortable and good/plentiful food, and a table shared with some long term friends with lots of shared family memories to cherish. The unusual atmosphere of a building with an unusual layout that pre dated the restaurant came across well. Peter Steele Infernetto 26 August 2019

Il Frantoio, Via di Castel Fusano 23, 00124 Ostia Antica, Italy Il Frantoio (the ‘oil mill’ is part way along the short commercial strip opposite the Conad supermarket on the busy Via di Castel Fusano – the main local road joining the Via Cristoforo Colombo with the Via del Mare next to the Enerpetroli benzinaio. It’s less than a kilometre from Ostia Antica, and close by the road junction that enables you to cut through the back roads to Casal Palocca – following the Via Luigi Pernier. Roads are narrow and full of traffic for much of the day. On the side of a busy road then and opposite the largest supermarket in the area the restaurant is popular, not least given highly competitive menu prices and the excellence of the food provided. There were four of us – two couples neighbours who 20 years back each once shared one part of our quattrofamiliare (four house block – four families across a joint fence in Infernetto, and who have remained friends ever since. Enter the restaurant, turn left, then right and head along a narrow section into the main dining room, with a few steps down to a lower floor and there’s this sense that the place was perhaps once an industrial workshop – and thus the name? Presumably, based upon local olive production? We didn’t think to ask at the time and haven’t been back since. We were certain, however that we’d eaten there before, and will certainly do so again. Everyone took advantage of the fixed menu options available; two courses for €10/person – primi secondi with contorno – plentiful foods, and the table shared half litre of local white and 750 ml bottle frizzante. Menu portions were sufficient to enable you to eat the one plate following other without over filling on the first; and thereby enjoying the complementary tastes one to the other and leaving without feeling you’ve over eaten. Ours were a couple of paste amatriciana – rigatoni with salty prosciutto, spicy chilli in a covering of tomato paste/olive oil, onion garlic; followed by pollo alla brace. We chose different contorni – patate and broccoletti – and shared them. From the wall menu the other couple chose spaghetti al vongole and the lombatina alle brace (small sirloin steak plus … forgotten the rest (and there’s no pictures available . There was a baby in arms at the table next to us and, under the table, a dog … only in Italy. All the meals/plates passed muster … there were no issues – the food was well presented, hot and tasty. As we were leaving around 10.00 pm (having arrived two hours earlier people were still coming in; no one was actually queuing, but the place must have been >80% full by then. You pay on the way out … at €10/each plus drinks our shared meal must have cost of the order €45 for the four of us. It was this thing about excellent value, comfortable and good/plentiful food, and a table shared with some long term friends with lots of shared family memories to cherish. The unusual atmosphere of a building with an unusual layout that pre dated the restaurant came across well. Peter Steele Infernetto 26 August 2019

Il Frantoio, Via di Castel Fusano 23, 00124 Ostia Antica, Italy Il Frantoio (the ‘oil mill’ is part way along the short commercial strip opposite the Conad supermarket on the busy Via di Castel Fusano – the main local road joining the Via Cristoforo Colombo with the Via del Mare next to the Enerpetroli benzinaio. It’s less than a kilometre from Ostia Antica, and close by the road junction that enables you to cut through the back roads to Casal Palocca – following the Via Luigi Pernier. Roads are narrow and full of traffic for much of the day. On the side of a busy road then and opposite the largest supermarket in the area the restaurant is popular, not least given highly competitive menu prices and the excellence of the food provided. There were four of us – two couples neighbours who 20 years back each once shared one part of our quattrofamiliare (four house block – four families across a joint fence in Infernetto, and who have remained friends ever since. Enter the restaurant, turn left, then right and head along a narrow section into the main dining room, with a few steps down to a lower floor and there’s this sense that the place was perhaps once an industrial workshop – and thus the name? Presumably, based upon local olive production? We didn’t think to ask at the time and haven’t been back since. We were certain, however that we’d eaten there before, and will certainly do so again. Everyone took advantage of the fixed menu options available; two courses for €10/person – primi secondi with contorno – plentiful foods, and the table shared half litre of local white and 750 ml bottle frizzante. Menu portions were sufficient to enable you to eat the one plate following other without over filling on the first; and thereby enjoying the complementary tastes one to the other and leaving without feeling you’ve over eaten. Ours were a couple of paste amatriciana – rigatoni with salty prosciutto, spicy chilli in a covering of tomato paste/olive oil, onion garlic; followed by pollo alla brace. We chose different contorni – patate and broccoletti – and shared them. From the wall menu the other couple chose spaghetti al vongole and the lombatina alle brace (small sirloin steak plus … forgotten the rest (and there’s no pictures available . There was a baby in arms at the table next to us and, under the table, a dog … only in Italy. All the meals/plates passed muster … there were no issues – the food was well presented, hot and tasty. As we were leaving around 10.00 pm (having arrived two hours earlier people were still coming in; no one was actually queuing, but the place must have been >80% full by then. You pay on the way out … at €10/each plus drinks our shared meal must have cost of the order €45 for the four of us. It was this thing about excellent value, comfortable and good/plentiful food, and a table shared with some long term friends with lots of shared family memories to cherish. The unusual atmosphere of a building with an unusual layout that pre dated the restaurant came across well. Peter Steele Infernetto 26 August 2019

Excellent food at affordable prices and very friendly staff. the only sin that, these days, becomes a unique uncertainty is the lack of control of the green passage. not being willing to eat without a mask next to unvaccinated people or at least plundered, therefore potentially harmful, I doubt that I would return unless a total change of the register. It is not the time of lightness. apart from this a fantastic place.

Ratio quality price exaggerated.(in the very good sense of the term) ... 2 menu meat 1 menu fish 1 liter water, 1/2 liter of red wine house 2 coffee 43 euro....less pizza beer and coffee. I liked everything.