Rome: A Foodie's Guide - What to Eat & Drink in the Italian Capital

Save yourself from mediocre pasta with this extensive guide to the best food and drink in Rome. The Italian capital has a lively and longstanding love of eating out, and a strong sense of tradition. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of overpriced tourist rubbish.

But friends don’t let friends eat sub-par pasta whilst in Rome, so here is everything I know about eating and drinking well in the Italian capital.

There is plenty of great food in Rome – more than can be covered in one article. This is by no means an exhaustive list, think of it as an introduction. The problem in Rome is that it’s all too easy to plonk yourself down at the nearest table after an exhausting day of sightseeing and then be overcharged for microwaved pasta. That’s why it can be handy to have a ‘safe list’ of reputable places on hand for those tiring moments.

This food guide will cover:

Typical Roman cuisine and local dishes
Cheap eats (including pizza by the slice)
Gelato
Great restaurants (including pizza and trattorias)
What (and where) to drink in Rome – coffee, wine, beer
Food markets and stores
Food tours
Cookery classes
Best day trips for foodies
Further reading

I’ve included links to Google Maps locations throughout this post so you can easily save them to your own account ready for your trip – it’s easy to use Google Maps offline.

WHAT TO EAT IN ROME

TRADITIONAL ROMAN CUISINE

Despite being a city notable for its governing elite (Popes! Emperors!) and with over two millennia of history, the surviving food tradition is that of its peasants. With a large working population to feed since ancient times, its cuisine has always been cheap, simple, honest and tasty (and full of carbs and calories). Roman food is famously robust.

The city has more of an eating-out culture than elsewhere in Italy, with boundless backstreets of convivial and rustic trattorias. The stereotypical image of checkers tablecloths, candles, and tumblers is not too far off the mark. A typical trattoria menu will cover several courses – you don’t have to order one of each. It’s fine just to have pasta or a salad. Pasta portions are typically smaller than what you might find in the UK or USA, but these are rich hearty dishes so you’re unlikely to be hungry afterwards.

Vegetables are usually ordered separately – they tend to appear as side dishes or salads rather than constituting a large part of the mains. Veg are often braised in olive oil and wine, battered and deep-fried, or dressed with cheese, breadcrumbs, or anchovy. Romans are particularly fond of artichokes (carciofi).

Cafes tend to also serve alcohol throughout the Mediterranean region, and often snacks such as pasties or sandwiches. Breakfast is not really a thing in Italy but many locals grab a cornetto (cone shaped pastry) with their morning espresso.

Generally speaking, you will pay extra to eat somewhere with a view. I was once charged €10 for a Diet Coke in a cafe opposite Mussolini’s Typewriter building.

THE FIFTH QUARTER – OFFAL

The area of Testaccio was home to the city’s slaughterhouses which employed a large number of people in order to supply the political and religious ruling classes with their meat for entertaining. Workers were often partially paid in offcuts – usually offal and cheap cuts and known as the Fifth Quarter. This produced some of Rome’s most traditional dishes and there are plenty of treats here for offal lovers – particularly brains, calves cheek, sweetbreads. Oxtail stew (coda alla vaccinara) and tripe in a tomato sauce (tripa alla Romana) are two beginner-friendly dishes to try.

If you’re really into offal then you might want to check out Checchino Dal 1887 , a fine-dining restaurant in Testaccio specialising in offal. Customers who complete the whole tasting menu get a commemorative plate to take home!

ROMAN PASTA DISHES

Central and Northern Italy is known for its pork products and so historically pig fat was used in cooking, although olive oil is more common now. A popular street food since Roman times is porchetta (spit-roasted boneless pork) – it’s eaten across Italy and beyond, but reputedly hails from the hill-towns around Rome and is usually eaten in a sandwich. And many pasta dishes riff on guanciale, cured pork jowl which is like meatier bacon or pancetta.

But the most important cheese is the local hard sheep’s milk pecorino.

Both pecorino and pork products turn up in Rome’s quartet of local pasta dishes. You will find these on menus everywhere around the city:

Cacio e pepe – spaghetti served with pecorino and pepper
La gricia – spaghetti served with guanciale and pecorino
Carbonara – spaghetti served with pecorino, egg, and pepper
All’amatriciana – spaghetti or bucatini served with tomato and guanciale

Most pasta dishes in the region are simple and highly seasoned, and either meaty, cheesy or creamy. However, the sea isn’t far away so these days you will also find seafood pasta options on the menu. Pasta in Rome is generally of the dried variety rather than the fresh egg pasta favoured in the north.

DEEP-FRIED TREATS

There has been a big Jewish presence in Rome since antiquity, which has added to the city’s culinary tradition. From 1555 to 1888, Jews were forced to live in a cramped area of the city which became the first and largest Jewish Ghetto. Jews were barred from selling fish or dairy products, and so street stalls selling deep-fried items were popular. The deep-fried artichoke (carciofi alla Giudia) is the most famous dish from the Jewish Ghetto.

Deep-fried zucchini flowers also appear around the city in the spring and summer. You may find them served as street food at markets or as appetizers or part of a plate (fritto misto).

PIZZA

Rome is the home of thin and crispy pizza. As well as sit-down pizzerias, you’ll also find pizza by the slice.

GNOCCHI

Another Roman dishes to keep an eye out for is gnocchi alla Romana. This is not like the gnocchi that you might have tried at home – in Rome, these small dumplings are made with semolina. baked with cheese, and traditionally eaten on Thursdays.

CHEAP EATS

Eating in Rome doesn’t have to break the bank, there are some great things to eat on a budget. This is fast food, Roman style. The traditional choice is a slice of pizza (pizza al taglio), from an establishment that specialises in just this. Pick your piece and you’re charged by the weight. There also many places selling variations on other antipasti, usually fried, such as the suppli risotto balls.

Newer to the scene is Trapizzino, a popular chain selling triangles of pizza dough stuffed with a variety of fillings such as meatballs, burrata, or cow’s tongue. There are several locations in the city.

In general, sitting down anywhere with a view or near the main landmarks is going to send the price shooting up. The best places for budget sit-down meals tend to be outside the historic centre and off the beaten tourist track, try neighbourhoods Testaccio and Pigneto.

You can pop into any bar (cafe) for snacks like pastries and sandwiches throughout the day.

Pizza by the slice:

Suppli & fried things:

Suppli Roma (Via San Francesco)
Supplizio

Pizza pockets:

Porchetta:

Angrypig Birretta e Porchetta
Er Buchetto
Aristocampo – locations at Trastevere, and Campo dei Fiori
I Porchettoni

Sandwiches:

Mordi Sandwichhouse
Antico Forno Roscioli (historic bakery)

Testaccio Market is a good spot for street food suppers, picnic ingredients, and picking up pasta-to-go. There are also several stalls where you can pick up a big juicy salad – handy if you’ve been hitting the pasta hard.

Those with a sweet tooth should make a beeline for the pasticcerias (kosher bakeries) in the Jewish Ghetto. The Jews brought sweet influences over from Spain and Sicily back in the 1400s. If you can find it, try ricotta and cherry cake (ricotta e visciole) with a blackened top.

Also one of my favourite things is a little mid-afternoon pot of tiramisu. The name actually means ‘pick me up’. You can find various versions of tiramisu in pots to-go at various places around the city, but two stores specialising in tiramiso (including vegan and gluten-free versions) are:

Pompi
ZUM Roma

GELATO

There is no shortage of gelato in Rome. But with such high tourist footfall, there is also some terrible stuff. Generally speaking, the brighter the colours and the higher and more pillowy the mountains of gelato on display, the more packed with preservatives it is the gelato is. My general rule is to avoid anywhere with the bright blue smurf-coloured Puffo flavour.

True artisanal ice-cream has no preservatives or additives. It’s often stored inside metal vats rather than out on display, and the provenance of the ingredients given prominence. Unusual flavours may feature. For unusual flavours my favourite gelataria is Fatamorgana.

Three gelatarias have received the prestigious Three Cones award from Gambero Rosso, who publishes an annual list of the best gelaterias in Italy. Those three are:

La Gourmandise – just outside Trastevere.
Otaleg – it sounds distinctly un-Italian but is actually ‘gelato’ backwards, Trastevere.
Claudio Torcè – a trip outside the city – for the dedicated or those visiting the EUR district.

Artisanal:

Fatamorgana – branches in Trastevere, Monti, Chiavari, and Piazza del Popolo
Fonte della Salute
Neve di Latte
I Caruso
Gunther Gelato Italiano – locations at Piazza Sant’Eustachio and Ponte Sisto
Gelateria dei Gracchi – locations in Prati, Piazza Navona, and Piazza del Populo
Gelateria del Teatro
Ice cRome

If you’re not a purist and don’t mind the odd preservative as long as your gelato is smooth and creamy with local flavours and top-quality ingredients, then the following gelaterias are also well-loved institutions:

San Crispino – locations at Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Prati
Frigidarium
Gelataria Della Palma
Giolitti

GREAT RESTAURANTS

Lingering over a long lunch with friends is practically a given. Trattorias will be open for lunch, but pizzerias may not open until the evening to give the pizza oven time to heat up. Romans don’t eat dinner until 9pm or later, although restaurants in tourists areas may open earlier. If you’re not a late-dinner kind of person then consider eating a larger meal at lunchtime and making the most of the city’ aperitivo tradition – post-work drinks and nibbles to tide you over until dinner. Many bars offer a selection of antipasti and some will have a ‘happy hour’ (usually 7-9pm) where a drink will gain you access to a buffet. Look out for suppli, the smaller and more tomatoey local version of the Sicilian deep-fried risotto ball (arancini).

Restaurants outside the main tourist areas are less likely to have menus in English. Italian menus famously consist of many courses – you don’t have to order them all. Don’t be shy to ask your waiter if you’re not sure of anything or would like suggestions. Items cooked from frozen are marked with an asterisk. Avoid anywhere with photographs on the menu.

You will usually be charged a cover charge for table service (this often includes bread and is listed on the menu or in the window as pane e coperto, bread and cover). This is separate to the service charge which is usually added to the bill, no need to tip extra unless for exceptional service.

Here are a few restaurants to get you started:

Fine dining:

Traditional Roman cuisine:

Contemporary dining:

Vegan:

Ginger – Pantheon and Spagna locations
Ecru
iVegan
Ops!

PIZZA

Roman-style pizza is thin-crusted and comes in two forms, rosso (with tomato sauce) and bianco (no sauce). Italians don’t heap topping on their pizza, the taste is all about the dough with minimal toppings. Try pizza bianca with toppings such as potato and rosemary, or pear and taleggio.

Some great sit-down pizzeria restaurants in Rome include:

WHAT TO DRINK IN ROME

WINE

Most trattorias and wine bars will feature wines from around Lazio. These are not well-known abroad so you might not recognise any of the names. Usually there are a few better-known varieties from Tuscany and Umbria too.

If you want Wine Folly has a great introduction to Wines from Lazio. I particularly like their suggestion of pairing Est! Est! Est! with fried artichokes, mmmm. Another wine to look out for is the ancient Cesanese del Piglio

Over at Roscioli Rimessa you can partake in their daily (highly-recommended) wine tasting and dinner. With 8 wines and 12 food pairings (including a Roman pasta dish), it’s an excellent (and good-value) introduction to Italian food and wine if you’ve just landed in the country. Premium tasting dinners and experiences are available too.

VinoRoma located near the Colosseum, also organise daily wine tastings, as well as cheese-and-wine dinners.

WINE BARS AND ENOTECAS

BEER

Best for craft beers:

General / Aperitivo / Cocktails

LIQUEUR

Believe it or not, the anise-flavoured sambuca is the local liqueur and the best flavour combination you’ve probably never tried is sambuca with coffee. Try a drizzle of it in your caffè coretto (that’s coffee ‘corrected’ with booze!). Or scatter a few coffee beans on your shot of sambuca (this is known as ghiaccio e mosche, ice and flies) and set it on fire (ice and fire!).

If the mere whiff of sambuca instantly transports you back to university days (not always what you want) then a more palatable choice is Amaro, a bitter herbal liqueur that is served as a digestif and will appeal to fans of negronis.

COFFEE AND CAFES

Throughout the day locals will down a shot of espresso at their favourite cafes, sometimes with a pasty or snack alongside. Espresso is the default coffee and that’s what you’ll get unless you specify otherwise (if you need a primer on types of coffee in Italy check out this guide from Indiana Jo).

Pay at the register first for your coffee and any snack. Then take your receipt to the coffee bar and put it on the counter, with a 50 cent tip if it’s busy. Specify if you would like sugar or not.

Most Italians will drink their espresso standing up at the bar (well, it’s not very big). If you want to linger over a sit-down coffee you may be charged extra for table service.

Don’t drink cappucino (or any other milky coffee) after 11am unless you want a funny look – Italians consider it bad for digestion. But feel free to have one in the morning with a cornetto pastry (a bit like a croissant, often with a creamy filling) as the Romans do.

Traditional:

Hipster (if you’re dying for a flat white):

FOOD MARKETS AND STORES

You can expect ample opportunities to visit a food market in a city the size of Rome with population of nearly 3 million. There are numerous small neighbourhood markets too, but as a visitor, the three that you’re most likely to be interested in are Trianfale, Testaccio, and Campo de’ Fiori.

Campo de Fiori is the most central and the most scenic of the food markets. Just south of Piazza Navona, the name means Field of Flowers (the area was once a meadow) and is a colourful spot to people watch and have a drink in one of the surrounding bars. Rather grimly, it used to be the site of public executions. Now it’s home to a busting market selling fresh produce, flowers, and a sprinkling of tourist tat.

Mercato Trionfale is a large indoor market in the Prati neighbourhood (near to the Vatican). One of Rome’s oldest local markets, it was moved to an indoor hall with colour coded stalls in 2009 but thankfully managed to retain its characters. You’ll find cheese, meat, and wine here, as well as locally grown veg (look for the light green stalls which designate grower-sellers).

Mercato Testaccio is the other big market in town (closed on Sundays). Testaccio was originally home to the city’s slaughterhouses and so the area has always had a connection to food. The market was formerly held in the main square but in 2012 was moved to a modern indoor space, undergoing something of a hipster revamp as it did. Although it lost some of its original sellers and local charm, it has gained a number of street food stalls and is very handy for visitors.

Mercato Centrale is 3 floors of artisan food love and usefully located near the Termini train station, making it the perfect place to pick up some food for your train journey. Termini is also a popular location for budget accommodation. You can buy fresh ingredients here are well as hipster street food and knock-up modern meals. If your taste buds are in need of a change, there are a few international stalls here too (including a very good ramen stall).

FOOD STORES

Some of Rome’s standout speciality stores include:

La Bufalina – cheese shop
Paciotti Salumeria – delicatessen
Roscioli Salumeria – delicatessen
Angelo Feroci – butchers
Pasticceria Regoli – sweets and pastries
Pasticceria Boccione – kosher bakery (best for ricotta e visciole).

There is a branch of the large EATALY food hall just south of the centre near the Roma Ostiense station, it’s open until midnight if you need to grab some last-minute goodies to take home.

BEST FOOD EXPERIENCES IN ROME

FOOD TOURS

A food tour is an excellent way to experience the city, especially if you’re travelling solo and have no-one to split the meals with! There are many different tours available in Rome, focusing on different neighbourhoods and parts of the city. If you’re pushed for time then you can combine food with a walking tour of the central districts, taking in popular sights on the way. If you’re staying in Rome for longer then it’s a great introduction to the food scene that will give you confidence in where to eat and how to order.

Secret Food Tour Rome – tours of the historic centre, alcohol charged separately so good choice for non-drinkers
The Roman Food Tour – good choice of routes, one of the larger operators so most likely to be running outside high season.
Vinicultural Tours – runs evening food, wine, or craft beer tours in small groups, as well as day trips to Orvieto or the Roman Hills.
Eating Europe – offer tours of a few different neighbourhoods, including the Jewish Ghetto, Trastevere, and Testaccio, as well as cooking experiences.
The Roman Guy – offers Colosseum combos for the short-of-time
Casa Mia Italy Food and Wine Tours– wide range of options for private bookings
Authentic Tastes of Rome – evening walking tour with sit down 3-course pasta meal
Italian Days – two Trastevere options
Katie Parla – top local food blogger offering private tours, the best for obsessives

COOKING CLASSES

Most of the cooking experiences in Rome involve learning to make its pasta dishes, but pizza classes (and pretty much everything else) are available too.

The Pasta Factory
Roman Guy Walking Tour + Pasta Class
Worried about leaving town hungry? The XXL Cooking Class includes pizza, pasta, tiramisu and limoncello

There’s a wide range of cooking classes available though Airbnb Experiences including niche experiences such as making cheese.

If you’re not keen on group tours then I recommend checking out WithLocals. This platform allows locals to offer private experiences and tours, you’ll find everything on here from dinner with opera singers to coffee tastings to pizza classes for kids.

Locals offer dining experiences in their own home on EatWith.

And there are over 50 cooking classes for you to browse on the platform Cookly.

FOODIE DAY TRIPS

From Rome you are well-positioned for day trips thanks to its train connections.

An easy day trip is to nearby Frascati in the Castelli Romani region. This hilly area is a traditional weekend destination for Roman, and is rich with fancy villas and volcanic soil perfect for wine production (and chesnuts). It’s also the traditional home of porchetta.

If you’d rather take a tour have a look at The Old Frascati Wine Tour.

Food-lovers happy to travel a bit further will be pleased to hear that Umbria and Tuscany are within reach, with the vineyards of Orvieto a particularly popular destination for day trips. You can hop on a train or take a wine-tasting tour.

Rome for Foodies – Where to Eat and Drink in the Italian Capital