I went to this restaurant by following a process of choice that was rather instinctive. It was a hot Sunday in early June 2008 in Rome, after many hours of sightseeing and before goint to the airport to catch a flight. I was wandering around Piazza Navona and had rejected most of the places that were open, until I saw "da Ottavio". It attracted me because it was not full of tourists and was projecting the image of a down to earth place. So I gave it a try, and did not regret it.
The exact address is Corso Rinascimento 17, opposite the Senate. The website address is http://www.ottavioalcorso.com/.
The first positive sign was the fact that they have their own house wine bottled. It shows some respect to the customer and the wine. I tried the white and was not disappointed.
For a starter, I selected the "Antipasto di Mare". It was fresh, juicy and tasty, as it should be. It contained octopus, squid, and small shrimp (gamberetti).
For the main course I selected "Fettuccine Fiori di Zucca, Zafferano e Mazzancolle" (flowers of zucchini, saffron and prawns).
The dish was excellent. The pasta was fresh, the quality of the prawns was top, and the saffron with the flowers of the zucchini gave the dish colour and sweetness. Definitely a dish I will try to cook at home.
Overall, "da Ottavio" is a nice place to have a "honest" meal, at a very reasonable price in the center of Rome.
