Here's the thing — Restaurants with English menus near monuments are obvious. But the real traps? Places that look 'authentic' but have waiters aggressively pulling you inside. Actual Roman places couldn't care less if you walk past.

Don't eat anywhere within 2 blocks of Pantheon, Spanish Steps, or Trevi Fountain. Period. You'll pay triple for microwaved garbage and get attitude when you ask for the check.

Red flags: laminated menus, photos of food, guys outside saying 'special price for you', tables with white tablecloths near tourist sites. Romans eat standing up or at plastic tables, not fancy setups.

Look for places with no English signage, customers arguing loudly in Italian, and handwritten menus you can't read. That's where you want to be.