Living Dublin Restaurants

Caio Bello Roma Pizzeria

Parliament Street

Dublin has a long history of Italian immigrants setting up inexpensive restaurants to serve authentic pizza and pasta fare to the locals. soem of them last for a while and then move on, others stick around. Ciao Bello Roma, the red-fronted pizzeria below the Bridge House on Parliament Street, has been around for quite a while now and, having lunched there on a few occasions recently, is currently one of my favourites.

I found the food excellent: the minestone was a rich, clear broth crackling with crunchy chunks of fresh vegetables; the carbonara was perfect. I'm not a big fan of pizzas, but the ones here are good and would feed an army on a route march. They also do a perfect salad, light, fresh and crispy.

The service is attentive, friendly and efficient and the setting quietly convivial, equally suitable for groups or solo-eating. Prices are reasonable throughout, but try to catch the early bird special - two courses and a glass of wine for less than the usual pub lunch price. Available until 6 p.m., it's quite simply the best value in town.

September 04

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