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In Rome, the Eternal(ly culinarily conservative) City, simple yet traditional cuisine reigns supreme. Most chefs prefer to follow the mantra of freshness over fuss, and simplicity of flavor and preparation over complex cooking techniques.
Rome has been known since antiquity for its grand feasts and banquets, and dining out has alway been a favorite Roman pastime. Until recently, the city's buongustaii (gourmands) would have been the first to tell you that Rome is distinguished more by its enthusiasm for eating out than for a multitude of world-class restaurants—but this is changing. There is an ever-growing promotion of slow-food practices, a focus on sustainably and locally sourced produce. The economic crisis has forced the food industry in Rome to adopt innovative ways to maintain a clientele who are increasingly looking to dine out but want to spend less. The result has been the rise of "street food" restaurants, selling everything from inexpensive and novel takes on the classic supplì (Roman fried-rice balls) to sandwich shops that use a variety of organic ingredients.
Generally speaking, Romans like Roman food, and that’s what you’ll find in many of the city’s trattorias and wine bars. For the most part, today’s chefs cling to the traditional and excel at what has taken hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years to perfect. This is why the basic trattoria menu is more or less the same wherever you go. And it's why even the top Roman chefs feature their versions of simple trattoria classics like carbonara, and why those who attempt to offer it in a "deconstructed" or slightly varied way will often come under criticism. To a great extent, Rome is still a town where the Italian equivalent of "What are you in the mood for?" still gets the answer, "Pizza or pasta."
Nevertheless, Rome is the capital of Italy, and because people move here from every corner of the Italian peninsula, there are more variations on the Italian theme in Rome than you'd find elsewhere in Italy: Sicilian, Tuscan, Pugliese, Bolognese, Marchegiano, Sardinian, and northern Italian regional cuisines are all represented. And reflecting the increasingly cosmopolitan nature of the city, you'll find a growing number of good-quality international foods here as well—particularly Japanese, Indian, and Ethiopian.
Oddly enough, though, for a nation that prides itself on la bella figura ("looking good"), most Romans don't fuss about music, personal space, lighting, or decor. After all, who needs flashy interior design when so much of Roman life takes place outdoors, when dining alfresco in Rome can take place in the middle of a glorious ancient site or a centuries-old piazza?
The gelato is certainly excellent—the chocolate chip and After Eight (mint chocolate chip) flavors are delicious—but this small spot is also known for its affogato di zabaione (hot espresso poured over a small scoop of creamy marsala wine ice cream). Look for intriguing seasonal gelato flavors like pear cinnamon.
At this spot on a quiet street near Piazza Vittorio, Scandinavian-inspired minimalist design is the backdrop for bread and pastries by fourth-generation baker Sergio Conti. You'll find staples like excellent croissants and pain au chocolat as well as special items like apple strudel, cheesecake, or brioche with salted caramel and peanuts.
Established in 1878, Venchi is one of Italy's premier confectioners, and you'll see the brand all over the country. At this brick-and-mortar shop, you can buy chocolate as well as gelato, made fresh daily. The nougat and caramel flavors are fabulous, and, of course, there are several chocolate variations, but the real crowd-pleaser is the fountain of melted chocolate that takes up the entire wall behind the counter. There's a second location on Via della Croce, but this branch is more impressive.
This gelateria (open until midnight) places quality above all else and can easily rival some of Rome's most storied ice-cream shops. All flavors are properly labeled for special dietary restrictions. The sorbetti here, from Amalfi lemon to raspberry basil, are bursting with flavor. Pair one with a creamier variety like pistachio, available in both regular and vegan versions.
Set in a historical, ivy-covered building in the Piazza del Catalone, with its famous fountain for pilgrims, this charming gelato shop makes its products according to tradition, with just the essentials: milk, cream, sugar, and eggs—usually all from organic farms. Its sorbetti are also classic, consisting of just water, sugar, and 51% minimum of fruit. Cannoli and other desserts are also made in the shop.
Many people say this place—which is around the corner from the Trevi Fountain and had a cameo in the movie Eat, Pray, Love—serves the best gelato in Rome. Creative flavors like black fig, chocolate rum, Armagnac, and ginger-cinnamon all incorporate top-notch ingredients, and the shop is known for keeping its gelato hidden under metal covers to better preserve the quality.
With its long wooden tables, hard-back booths, and free-flowing beer, this Art Nouveau–style, circa-1906 restaurant in a 16th-century palazzo evokes a kitsch Munich beer hall. There is a full Italian menu, but hearty sausages or goulash make a nice break from pasta and tomato sauce, and this is one of the few places in the historic center where you can fill up on protein for very few euros. Be sure to put your name on the list inside when you arrive because reservations aren't accepted here.
A coffee bar by day with specialty brews and excellent pastries, this popular enoteca has an impressive selection of Italian, French, and other international natural wines on the menu. The brunch menu offers bacon-and-egg sandwiches and healthy breakfast bowls, while the lunch and dinner offerings lean more traditionally Italian. In the summer, sit out on the patio just outside the walls of tranquil Villa Sciarra and you'll feel a million miles from the hectic clamor of Rome.
This no-frills pizzeria al taglio (by the slice) and bakery is hidden a few minutes away from Piazza Trilussa. As in many traditional bakeries, pizza is sold by weight, so get yours sliced to the size you want. In the mornings, the pastries hot out of the oven are equally enticing, and you can order them from the window on the street if you prefer to snack and stroll.
In summer, the line at this gelateria stretches out the door and around the corner. Though it's a franchise that originated in Rimini, it's loved by Romans for its rich, creamy gelato made with organic milk, fresh fruit, nuts, and chocolate. This location is a bit out of the way, but there are also branches in Prati, Ostiense, San Giovanni, and near Piazza Navona.
Formerly a fine dining restaurant, this sleek caffè and bakery now serves brunch every day until 4 pm. When you tire of pasta, come here for international standards like eggs Benedict and avocado toast, plus specialty coffee (including the oh-so-rare-for-Rome filter coffee) and sweet treats.
This gourmet food hall is in the last place you'd expect—Termini Station—and it's great for a quick bite even if you're not catching a train. There are stalls from some of Rome's best food purveyors, including Stefano Callegari (of trapizzino fame), pizzaiolo Marco Quintili, and fritti by Arcangelo Dandini. In addition to pizza, pasta, and gelato, you'll also find sushi, empanadas, hamburgers, truffle dishes, and Sicilian specialties.
A slow wander through town for a scoop of gelato after lunch or dinner is a summer sport in Rome. Galley-sized Otaleg is a must in Trastevere, where gelato master Marco Radicioni dreams up concoctions like croccante totale (completely crunchy) with fiordilatte, toasted nuts, sesame, and honey, as well as perfectly distilled seasonal fruit sorbets made with produce from the nearby open-air market in Piazza San Cosimato. The name may seem peculiar, but it is simply "gelato" spelled backward.
Opened in 1929, this bakery and tavola calda sells both sweet and savory items, including more than 70 types of bread. Line up for the pizza al taglio (by the slice) at lunchtime, or sit down at one of the outdoor tables for a cappuccino and cornetto or an aperitivo replete with mini sandwiches made on homemade buns. There's also a small location inside Termini Station where you can grab a quick espresso on the way to catch a train.
This tiny, old-school bakery famed for its Roman-Jewish sweet specialties doesn't have a sign but is easy to spot because there is always a line snaking out the door. Service is brusque, choices are few, what's available depends on the season, and when it's sold out, it's sold out.
This chic, modern pasticceria and caffè run by a husband-and-wife team is the perfect place to stop for a quick lunch or something sweet near MACRO and Villa Torlonia. The panettone is award-winning, but it's far from the only thing worth trying—the cakes, petit fours, macarons, and gelato are some of the best in Rome. You'll also find savory pastries and sandwiches featuring house-made croissants and buns.
In Rome, you'll usually find either pizza tonda (round) or pizza al taglio (by the slice), but there's also pizza pinsa—an oval-shaped individual pie that's a little thicker than the classic Roman pizza. Pinsere is mostly a take-out shop, with people eating on the street for their lunch break, so it's the perfect quick meal. There is a large selection of meat and vegetarian toppings. The big winners are the tomato and buffalo mozzarella and the mortadella and pistachio versions.
Set in a structure so massive that it takes up the better part of a block on a street that's gone from gritty clubland to popular nightspot, Porto Fluviale is a bar, caffè, pizzeria, lunch buffet, and lively evening restaurant with a sprawling design that honors the area's industrial past. The menu is all encompassing, too, with dishes that highlight cuisine from all over Italy.
This friendly spot, a stone's throw from the Musei Vaticani, serves super-fresh, organic, made-to-order sandwiches, poke bowls, and salads. Seating is limited.
Established in 1916, this family-run pasticceria is famous for its maritozzi (soft, sweet cream buns), which often sell out by lunchtime. Other pastries include cream puffs, cannoli, and tarts made with tiny wild strawberries from Nemi.
On chic Via del Babuino, the former studio of neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova and his student, Adamo Tadolini, is now an atmospheric spot for coffee, a snack, or lunch. Opt for the budget-friendly option of taking your coffee at the bar while admiring the enormous plaster copies of the maestros' work, or pay more for table service and sit amid vast sculptures. Food is run-of-the-mill, but the setting is splendid.
Frequented by tourists and government officials from the nearby Senate alike, this caffè is considered by many to make Rome's best coffee. Take it at the counter Roman-style—servers are hidden behind a huge espresso machine, where they vigorously mix the sugar and coffee to protect their secret method for the perfectly prepared cup (if you want yours without sugar here, ask for it senza zucchero). Their sister caffè, Emporio Sant'Eustachio, is a modern specialty coffee shop a few minutes’ walk away past the Pantheon.
A Prati institution for more than a century, this family-run café has been in its current location since 1937, and it looks like little has changed since then. Grab a table or stand at the counter and order the signature caffè con cioccolato fondente (espresso with melted chocolate). Pastries, sandwiches, and cocktails are also available.
Trastevere's best supplì (Roman-style rice croquettes) have been served at this hole-in-the-wall takeout spot since 1979. At lunchtime, the line spills out onto the street with locals who've come for the namesake treats, as well as fried baccalà fillets and stuffed zucchini flowers. The thin-crust pizza al taglio is baked the old-fashioned way—in low-rise rectangular pans—and the spicy marinara version is a must. A few daily pasta specials are available, too.
It's hard to find genuinely good food in the Campidoglio area, but this wine bar next to Trajan's Column is an exception. Ideal for coffee, a late lunch, early supper, or just an aperitivo (aperitif), it showcases local produce and is a great spot to rest after wandering amid the ruins.
Named for the island that it sits on in the middle of the Tiber River, Tiberino is a historic caffè that has gotten a modern makeover. In the morning, stop in for a pastry topped with slivered almonds or a savory panino with mortadella and arugula. The coffee bar has also expanded into a restaurant for those who want a hot meal rather than a snack on the go. By the afternoon, the gelateria does brisk business selling scoops to visitors passing over the bridge (which happens to be Rome's oldest) linking Trastevere to the Jewish Ghetto.
Stefano Callegari is one of Rome's most famous pizza makers, but at Trapizzino he's doing something a bit different. The name of the restaurant is derived from the Italian words for sandwich (tramezzino) and pizza, and the result is something like an upscale pizza pocket, stuffed on the spot with local specialties like herby chicken alla cacciatore, or trippa (tripe), or roast pumpkin, pecorino, and almonds. The supplì (fried risotto balls) are also delicious. This original location is teeny, but more seating is available one storefront down.
The sidewalk tables of this caffè and its restaurant annex offer a grandstand view of all the action of the Piazza Navona. This is the place that invented the tartufo, a luscious chocolate ice-cream specialty.
