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$ | Trastevere |
There's no shortage of old-school trattorias in Trastevere, but this one has a strong following. Both locals and expats enjoy the brusque but "authentic" service and the hearty Roman fare; snag a table outside in warm weather for the true Roman experience of cobblestone-terrace dining.
Vicolo del Mattonato 2, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Bombolotti (a tubular pasta) all'amatriciana
- Spaghetti cacio e pepe
- Involtini (beef rolls)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Tues., and Aug. No lunch Wed.–Sat.
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$ | Trastevere |
Romans drive across town for great pizza from this neighborhood institution, which offers both thin-crust and thick-crust (alta) Neapolitan-style pies with any of the given toppings. It doesn't accept reservations, so arrive early or late, or expect to wait in line. Service from the owners and friendly waitstaff is smile-inducing. For food on the go, a smaller location on Via della Scala sells pizza by the slice.
Vicolo del Bologna 45, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- "superformaggio" (i.e., cheese lover's) pizza
- Dessert calzone with Nutella and ricotta cheese
- Friendly service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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$ | Piazza di Spagna |
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.
Via del Corso 335, Rome, Latium, 00187, Italy
Known For
- Free-flowing melted chocolate
- Creamy gelato flavors
- Packaged candies
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$ | Piazza di Spagna |
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.
Via della Panetteria 42, Rome, Latium, 00183, Italy
Known For
- Seasonal fruit flavors
- Offering only cups and no cones
- Wine-based gelato
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$$$$ | Piazza di Spagna |
Excellence is at the forefront of everything at Imàgo, the Michelin-starred restaurant inside the legendary Hotel Hassler, now headed by young star chef Andrea Antonini. You can order à la carte, but this is the place to splurge on a tasting menu. Each carefully and meticulously created dish can be paired with an exceptional wine from the enviable cellar. Stay for a drink after the meal on the intimate rooftop terrace that has magical city views.
Piazza Trinità dei Monti 6, Rome, Latium, 00187, Italy
Known For
- Tempting tasting menus
- Innovative creations inspired by all of Italy
- Sweeping city views from rooftop terrace
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch, Reservations essential
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$ | Trastevere |
Named after the Pink City in India, this restaurant serves high-quality curries in a large space just off the main Viale di Trastevere. It's a festive and fun destination if you're craving a change from Italian food. The portions are small but made for sharing, so you can order an assortment. There are tables outside when the weather is good.
Via di San Francesco a Ripa 56, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- 10 varieties of chicken curry
- Tasting menus for two people
- Outside seating
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.
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$$ | Via Appia Antica |
In this circa-1804 farmhouse you can dine beside the fireplace in cool weather or in the garden under age-old vines in summer. Specialties include fillet of beef in a hazelnut sauce and fresh seafood. The atmosphere is friendly and intimate, but the vast property can also accommodate large parties.
Via Appia Antica 139, Rome, Latium, 00179, Italy
Known For
- Ancient wine cellar La Cantina
- Hand-painted frescoes
- Romantic setting
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. No lunch weekdays
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$ | Trastevere |
This no-frills pizzeria al taglio (by the slice) and bakery is hidden a few minutes away from Piazza Trilussa. As in many traditional bakeries, pizza is sold by weight, so get yours sliced to the size you want. In the mornings, the pastries hot out of the oven are equally enticing.
Via del Moro 15, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Classic Roman pizza from a wood-fired oven
- No additives or animal fats
- Homemade breads and sweets
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$$ | Testaccio |
This family-run institution has been serving seafood in the working-class Testaccio neighborhood for more than 40 years, and if you visit the local market early enough you might spot the owner selecting the freshest fish, which mainly arrives from Gaeta, south of Rome. The menu changes every day, but look for house specialties like paccheri (a very large, tubular pasta) with totani (baby calamari), pasta with telline (small clams), or the wondrously simple spaghetti with lobster. Start with appetizers from the cart that the waiter can wheel over to the table, or opt for the excellent moscardini fritti (fried, small squid). Although the menu has non-seafood Roman classics like cacio e pepe and pajata (intestines of an unweaned calf), this really is the place to order fish.
Via Evangelista Torricelli 2/12, Rome, Latium, Italy
Known For
- Fresh, local seafood
- Relaxed but refined setting with outdoor seating
- Polpette di pesce al sugo (fish balls in tomato sauce)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$$$ | Piazza di Spagna |
Old-world elegance is the name of the game here—think white-jacketed waiters who attend to your every need, classic decor, and impeccable dishes, which are the most modern thing about this restaurant on the seventh floor of the Hotel Splendide Royal. Be sure to request a table on the terrace, which has panoramas of leafy Villa Borghese and the center of Rome.
Via di Porta Pinciana 14, Rome, Latium, 00187, Italy
Known For
- Romantic atmosphere
- Panoramic terrace
- Top-notch food and service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$ | Trastevere |
Set on lovely Piazza Sant'Egidio in the heart of Trastevere, Ombre Rosse bustles with expats and other regulars who appreciate the cocktail creations and the ever-lively atmosphere. On weekends, the outdoor terrace is good for boozy brunches, but during the week its the spot enjoy an aperitivo (aperitif) and nibbles, before finishing off an evening with friends at the bar.
Piazza di Sant'Egidio 12–13, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Free Wi-Fi
- Well-made cocktails
- Live-music nights
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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$$ | Trastevere |
You might overlook Osteria der Belli because of its proximity to the central square of Trastevere, Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere—and that would be a crying shame. Leo, the owner, is Sardinian and has been running this place daily for over 35 years, and, while Roman dishes are on the menu, it excels at seafood and Sardinian cuisine. Between the friendly service and quality food, this one's a real find in an otherwise-touristy part of Trastevere.
Piazza di Sant’Apollonia 11, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Sea bass carpaccio
- Ravioli or fettuccine alla sarda (in a creamy mushroom sauce)
- Large outdoor patio
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and 3 wks in Jan.
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$ | Trastevere |
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.
Via di San Cosimato, 14a, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Neighborhood go-to
- Creative flavors
- High-quality ingredients
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$ | Esquilino |
Opened in 1929, this bakery 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.
Via Merulana 54, Rome, Latium, 00185, Italy
Known For
- One of Rome's best bakeries
- Crostata, tartlets, and other sweet treats
- Espresso with zabaione
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$ | Trastevere |
This place is packed pretty much every night with diners munching on crisp pizzas that come out of the wood-burning ovens at top speed. It's best not to go during peak dining hours, so go early or late if you don't want to wait. Fortunately there's lots of great nightlife in the area so you can make a whole evening of it.
Viale Trastevere 53, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Excellent wood-oven pizzas
- Fried starters such as supplì (breaded fried rice balls)
- Open until midnight for a late-night bite
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed. and 3 wks in Aug.
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$ | Testaccio |
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, café, pizzeria, lunch buffet, and lively evening restaurant. The menu is all-encompassing, too, with dishes that highlight cuisine from all over Italy.
Via del Porto Fluviale 22, Rome, Latium, 00154, Italy
Known For
- Good cocktails
- Pizza from wood-burning oven
- Cicheti (Venetian-style tapas)
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$$$ | Piazza di Spagna |
A favorite among international journalists and the rich and famous since the 1930s, this eatery does not seem to have changed at all over the decades. The interior is Tuscan country rustic, and the menu, accordingly, sticks to the classics.
Via Borgognona 11, Rome, Latium, 00187, Italy
Known For
- Warm crostini spread with pâté
- Upscale old-school Italian vibe
- Ribollita (Tuscan bean soup)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Aug., Reservations essential
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$$$ | Piazza di Spagna |
Crowning the Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese hotel, this chic restaurant serves fancy takes on Rome's cucina povera (peasant cooking) in a chic space with graphic punches of color. The terrace offers fantastic views that stretch from Villa Borghese to the dome of St. Peter's, but the interior dining room, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and terrazzo-inspired floors, is lovely, too.
Via Lombardia 47, Rome, Latium, 00187, Italy
Known For
- Amped-up version of classic Roman recipes
- Colorful, modern design
- Terrace with great views
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$$$ | Jewish Ghetto |
The draw here—in addition to the wonderful food—is the fantastic setting on Isola Tiberina, the wondrously picturesque island set in the middle of the Tiber River between the Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere. As for the food, try the delicious prosciutto and mozzarella to start, and move on to classics like pasta all'amatriciana, meatballs in tomato sauce, or Roman baby lamb chops. The stuffed calamari in white wine sauce is worthy of facendo una scarpetta—taking a piece of bread to sop up the savory sauce. The dining rooms, spread over two floors, are elegant, and service is discreet.
Via di Ponte Quattro Capi 16, Rome, Latium, 00186, Italy
Known For
- Stuffed calamari in white wine sauce
- Elegant setting
- Unique location
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and 1 wk in Aug., Reservations essential
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$$ | Trastevere |
At this restaurant, you get to enjoy an evening of historical interest alongside an excellent meal. The building was constructed on the site of an 11th-century synagogue, and the spot is rich with history—several ancient sculptures, now in the Vatican and Capitoline museums, were unearthed in the basement in the 19th century. The proud owner is happy to explain every dish on the menu and offers a post-dinner tour of the wine cellar—and the famed basement.
Via dei Genovesi 31 a/b, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Ancient Roman recipe for braised pork shoulder with apples and leeks
- Mostly organic ingredients
- Cavernous wine cellar in historic location
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Aug. No lunch