In Rome, Italy you may be looking for somewhere to eat, and the following four restaurants are moderate in price with the most expensive being at Asinocotto, because it is a challenge to ignore its impressive wine-list and order the vino della casa (house wine).

The restaurants are:

• Ristorante Asinocotto (Trastevere area)
• Il Matriciano (Prati/Vaticano area)
• Ristorante Abruzzi (Corso area)
• La Sagrestia (Piazza Navonna/Pantheon area)

Ristorante Asinocotto

Up-and-coming young chef Giuliano Brenna has possibly Rome's most talked-about restaurant on his hands. The Trastevere district, where Asinocotto is situated, is one of the best parts of town to spend an evening and the two gay rainbow flags¹ outside make finding the restaurant a breeze.

Inside, the menu is a carefully executed blend of the traditional and the new wave. Fish dishes feature in all of the first three courses as does some exquisite vegetarian fare (the courgette flowers are stuffed with a delicate cheese sauce) but this is neither a fish nor a vegetarian restaurant. The ravioli is stuffed with pheasant, chicken-livers and black truffle, and for the main course the exquisite duck breast is served in a mandarin and green-tea sauce - very enjoyable.

The only criticism of the restaurant is that the waiting staff doesn't offer enough guidance as you try to navigate the fancy menu.

Brenna is also an expert with desserts, something of a rarity in Rome. The chocolate mousse is deliriously light, while the semifreddo alla zabiaone (a mousse-like custard served chilled) will send you into ecstasy. The tortina al cioccolato (chocolate mousse cake) is equally exciting.

Last but not least, the wine list is extensive, lands on your table with a reassuring thud, and makes no compromises in quality for the sake of quantity.

Asinocotto doesn't operate a sittings system, so if you do manage to book a table (and you should book in advance) then it is yours for the evening. If you only have a chance to visit one restaurant in Rome, then this has to be the one.

Il Matriciano

This is the place to visit for classic Roman cuisine. It is slightly off the main tourist track and therefore primarily a haunt of Vatican types and men in suits that look like they might be politicians.

The mixed vegetable antipasti does not disappoint, and the prosciutto crudo (cured ham) is excellent, too. As a follow-up you may have never found the classic Roman dish bucatini alla matriciana (thick tubed pasta with a tomato, bacon and chilli sauce) made as well as here, even if you have eaten the dish hundreds of times before. Next, the osso buco (braised veal in white wine) is again 'delizioso', or 'squisito' as the Italians say. The house wine comes in jugs and there is nothing wrong with that. Service is friendly and unhurried, and the prices offer incredibly good value.

For classic Roman cuisine, untainted by tourist fare, then this has to be one of the best.

Ristorante Abruzzi

Again, the Roman mixed vegetable antipasti platter is irresistible: slices of frittata and bruscetta, a courgette slice topped with breadcrumbs and grilled, roasted onion, little croquette type things, stuffed mushrooms, pickled artichoke...

To follow on, the tonarelli (pasta which is thicker than spaghetti), served with peas, mushroom and tomato, is delicious.

The waiters are of the variety only normally found in Italy, of the older generation and having dedicated their careers to discretely guiding their patrons' choices while treading the careful line between friendliness and over-familiarity.

A wonderful touch at the end of the meal is that together with the bill arrives a couple of bottles of digestivi (amaro and sambuca) from which you are encouraged to help yourselves. Now that's true old-world hospitality!

La Sagrestia

The bresaola (salted beef served in olive oil) with rocket and parmesan and/or the prosciutto con melone (cured ham and melon) gets you off to an excellent start, washed down with a litre jug of the chilled house red.

The tortellini in brodo (stuffed pasta in a broth) is a miracle of simplicity, while the saltimbocca just melts in the mouth - the veal is tender, the sage is fragrant and the prosciutto (cured ham) imparts just enough saltiness.

This place is a bit touristy in presentation - everywhere is when you get this close to Piazza Navonna - but the food is very good.