11 Best Restaurants in Piazza Navona, Campo de' Fiori, and the Jewish Ghetto, Rome

This well-established hot spot on the Jewish Ghetto's main promenade has pleasant indoor and outdoor seating. The kitchen is kosher (many places featuring Roman Jewish fare are not) and is known for its Judeo-Roman meat dishes mixed with Middle Eastern recipes. Down the street is Ba'Ghetto Milky, the kosher dairy version of the original.

This popular wine bar a stone's throw from Piazza Navona is among the city's oldest and has a book-length binder listing wines from Italy, France, the Americas, and elsewhere. It offers great value and pleasant service and is a lovely spot for a light late lunch or an early dinner when most restaurants aren't open yet.

Smack in the middle of the city, with the freshest produce right outside its door, this pizzeria features pies made with dough by Rome's renowned family of bakers, the Rosciolis. The menu also offers a good selection of pastas, mains, and local Lazio wines.

Thought to be the oldest restaurant in Rome (a document dates it back to 1518), La Campana is well liked for its honest Roman cuisine and its old-school, slightly upscale feel—think white tablecloths and unflappable waiters in black tie who have been there since the beginning of time. This is the place to have one of the best coda alla vaccinara (oxtail stew) in Rome, along with other specialties like saltimbocca and pasta all'amatriciana (a classic Roman tomato sauce with bacon-like pork cheek).

The shop in front of this beloved restaurant will beckon you in with top-quality comestibles like hand-sliced cured ham from Italy and Spain, more than 300 cheeses, and a dizzying array of wines—but venture farther inside to try an extensive selection of unusual dishes and interesting takes on the classics. There are tables in the cozy wine cellar downstairs, but try to bag a table at the back on the ground floor (reserve well ahead; Roscioli is very popular). The family also runs a coffee bar (Roscioli Caffè), bakery (Forno Roscioli), and a restaurant/wine bar/tasting room (Rimessa Roscioli).

The nondescript entrance on a narrow side street leads upstairs to the main dining room of this neighborhood favorite, where those in the know enjoy dining on classic Roman fare under arched, frescoed ceilings. Fried zucchini flowers, Roman-Jewish style artichokes, battered salt cod, and gnocchi are all consistently excellent, and the menu has some nice, historic touches, like a beef-and-citron stew from an ancient Roman recipe of Apicius. If the porchetta is being offered, order it.

The rallying cry behind this cozy bistro on the edge of Rome's Jewish quarter is “happy animals make better cheese.” The interior is dominated by the deli counter that is piled with raw milk cheese from Italy and France—so naturally, a tasting platter is the popular choice and includes 3—10 cheeses to match any appetite. The menu of salads, toasted sandwiches, pasta, and polenta is limited but excellent.

For good, hearty Roman cuisine in an area filled with mediocre touristy restaurants, head to this trattoria that's been on the scene since the late 1950s. Stick with the classics, perhaps starting off with a mixed salumi plate featuring Parma ham and buffalo mozzarella before moving on to a primi (first course)—the amatriciana (with tomato sauce, guanciale, and pecorino cheese) is one of the standouts. Desserts are made fresh daily, and the tiramisu is always a winner. As at most Roman trattorias, the house wine is pretty good, but the wine list also has a decent selection of other options. In warmer months, tables spill out onto Piazza del Fico, making this an especially wonderful spot in the evening. On the upper floor of the same building is Bistrot da Francesco Su, a higher-end restaurant serving contemporary cuisine.

Don't let the country-kitchen feel fool you. This little spot off of Campo de' Fiori goes a step beyond the ordinary with constantly changing offbeat takes on Italian classics. There are also several good options for vegetarians including fried artichoke antipasti and meat-free lasagna.

This neighborhood institution serves all the Roman-Jewish classics. Like most of the starters, the carciofi alla giudia (Jewish-style artichokes) are outstanding, and a perfect meal might also include the carbonara, which incorporates dried beef instead of guanciale, or the semolina gnocchi baked in a terra-cotta ramekin. The restaurant gets extremely busy, so don't expect service to be all that attentive; the food more than makes up for it, though.

This casual, trendy place—vibrant with colorful paintings by local artists—is a great spot to enjoy an ancient piazza while savoring a glass of wine or a gourmet meal. The simple but innovative menu includes dishes like Roman artichokes with baccalà, beef tagliata (sliced grilled steak) with a red-wine reduction, and a perfectly cooked duck breast with red fruit sauce. Outdoor tables (April–October) make you feel as if you're in an open-air museum since your perch looks out over the Tempio d'Adriano (AD 145). If ever there was a place to linger outdoors over limoncello, this is it.