Table for 2: Ristorante Roma

Published [date]

Table for two is our look at where we have eaten recently, what we had and some tidbits about what we love about each location. These are not reviews and are intended to just share more about what we love about living in this small area around Midtown Carmel.

Ristorante Roma is a chef-owned Roman restaurant tucked into 89 Veterans Way, just off Main Street, and it has a talent most places never figure out: it's the kind of room you dress for that still feels like your neighborhood spot. Walk in on a Friday and you'll recognize faces from the last time. The pasta is made by hand, and the man making it grew up in Rome.

At a Glance

Where: 89 Veterans Way, Carmel (Midtown)
Hours: Dinner only. Mon–Thu 4:45–9 p.m., Fri–Sat 4–10 p.m., Sun 4–8:30 p.m.
Reservations: Yes, through OpenTable, and worth making on weekends
Patio: Outdoor seating out front under string lights
Parking: Private lot

The Vibe

If you've seen Sideways, you know the place: a small, local restaurant where the food is serious and the people at the bar are regulars. Smart casual, so dress for it, but no one's putting on airs. Both of our visits were packed, with a happy hum rather than a roar. It's a natural date-night or anniversary spot, and the bar is a good seat for two.

The Menu

The cooking is Roman, not red-sauce American. Starters include supplì (fried rice-and-mozzarella croquettes) and a Roman-style pinsa. Pasta is the heart of it: the chef's pistachio creations, stuffed pastas, and classics like cacio e pepe and amatriciana, plus a daily fresh pasta. Entrées run from lemon chicken to a 9-ounce filet. Vegetarians have real options. No kids' menu is posted.

The Bar

Wine leans Italian, Barbaresco to Brunello, with more in the house than the short list online. The bourbon shelf is compact but thoughtful (Woodford Double Oak, Widow Jane 10, Indiana's Hard Truth Rye), and the amaro list runs deeper, down to a house-made limoncello. Both bartenders told us the Espresso Martini Bliss is their most-ordered cocktail. Happy hour isn't posted right now, so ask.

Dessert

We rarely do dessert, but the list is classic Italian: tiramisu from the chef's grandmother's recipe, a weekly panna cotta, and a spumoni affogato with espresso poured at the table.

What We Had

We went twice, on September 8 and again on October 23, both times at the bar. My wife ordered the Ravioli Al Pistacchio E Filet both times, despite my best efforts to get her to try something new. Beef ravioli, pistachio cream, diced filet. She won't let it go.

On the October visit I had the Scottadito Al Balsamico: grilled lamb lollipops with balsamic reduction. They were amazing.

In September I had the Vongole Al Pistacchio E Pancetta, fettuccine with clams and pancetta in a white wine and pistachio cream sauce, with a glass of Italian white alongside.

We finished both nights with the Espresso Martini Bliss, which is cold, bitter, and just sweet enough.

The One Thing

The chef. Raffaele D'Eusebio is a Rome native who made his first tiramisu at seven with his mother and was rolling pasta by hand with his grandmother at ten. He and his wife took over Roma in 2020 from her retiring uncle and rebuilt the menu around fresh daily pasta. This June he opened Charred, the bourbon steakhouse in Carmel City Center. That makes one Roman chef responsible for both the handmade ravioli on Veterans Way and the prime steaks and bourbon list down the road.

Go If…

Go if you want a dressed-up dinner that still feels like your neighborhood place.
Go if pistachio cream sauce sounds like something you need in your life.
Go if you like a bar seat where the bartenders remember you.

Add Ristorante Roma to your CarmelBuzz Map, book a table for a weeknight, and save room for the tiramisu we keep skipping.

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Sources: Ristorante Roma (menu, drinks, hours); OpenTable; Current in Carmel; Visit Hamilton County; Indianapolis Business Journal