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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?
This chic seafood restaurant is a fun spot on balmy summer evenings, where elegant diners sip crisp white wine at tables out on the pretty Piazza de' Ricci. The carpaccio selection is exquisite, but there is also a large selection of pastas extravagantly topped with white truffles. As at most Italian restaurants, fresh fish is sold per hectogram (100 grams, or about 3.5 ounces), so you may want to double-check the cost after it's been weighed.
Roman Chef Davide Pulejo cut his teeth at Noma in Copenhagen as well as Michelin-starred restaurants in the Eternal City and Milan before opening his namesake restaurant, which quickly earned accolades and a Michelin star of its own. The five- and seven-course tasting menus are flavorful, sensory journeys perfectly paired with wines from small producers. His greatest hits include roasted red peppers in the guise of beef tartare, Milanese-style saffron risotto with Roman-style oxtail, and celeriac tarte tatin.
At this sleek Michelin-starred restaurant inside the Hall Tailor Suite hotel, chef/owner Riccardo Di Giacinto and his wife, Ramona, make fine dining a fun and entertaining experience. Di Giacinto worked with Ferran Adrià in Spain and uses some of his techniques without veering too far into the territory of molecular gastronomy. Instead, he playfully transforms Roman classics, keeping the flavors but changing the forms. For example, his All'Origine tasting menu features a pasta-less carbonara reduction served in an eggshell and coda alla vaccinara (oxtail stew) presented as an oversize Ferrero Rocher. The service is professional but friendly. Each meal starts and ends with an array of amuse-bouches and petit fours creatively served on vessels that might include a ceramic banana or a toy carousel.
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).
This sleek wine bar and restaurant is just a short walk from the Spanish Steps, and its modern design looks the part among the fashion-forward streets. However, its unique focus is that its owners collaborate with the Regione Lazio (the state within which Rome sits) to showcase Lazio's regional products—from the cheeses to the wines to the olive oil and even bottled water—on its menu. Come for a glass of excellent Lazio wine and share a dish, if you don't want a full meal.
Translating to "Aunt Rosetta," the name of this tiny sandwich shop is a play on words, since rosetta is not just a female name but also a type of roll commonly found in Rome. Here the rolls are used to make gourmet sandwiches with delicious combinations of meat, cheeses, veggies, or fish, such as the "Peggy Rockefeller" with prosciutto, crunchy parmigiano reggiano, and eggplant or the "Elisabetta" with Roman-style stewed cod, raisins, pine nuts, and chicory. There are even sweet fillings like nutella or ricotta and cherries, and they all come in classic or mini versions.
This two-Michelin-starred restaurant turns out delicious and high-quality seafood dishes that surprise and evoke a sensory experience. Spaghetti is served with citrus and sea urchin, and all the dishes are artfully presented. Desserts are surprisingly sophisticated. Service is helpful and thorough, but beware of the sometimes slow kitchen.
The well-heeled, the business-minded, and those with refined palates frequent this outpost of tranquility. The owners hail from Le Marche, the region northeast of Rome that encompasses inland mountains and the Adriatic coastline, so dishes from their native region feature alongside seafood and meats ready to be grilled. There's also an excellent and well-priced wine list.
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 unusual flavors of gelato scooped up here include cinnamon and ginger and fig with cardamom and walnut, but the classics also get rave reviews. Ask for a taste of the passito flavor, if it's available; it's inspired by the popular sweet Italian dessert wine. The homemade panna or whipped cream is a great addition to any flavor. If you can't decide on one, mix and match.
Though there's a full menu of pasta and fish or meat-based mains, those in the know head to this restaurant on Via Veneto specifically for the award-winning pizza. The decor is a bit over the top, and the prices are a little higher than at the average pizzeria, but it's a great option in this neighborhood. The Neapolitan-style pizzas come with a range of toppings, from standards like a margherita to creative pies like the Oro d'Ischia, which features two types of cheese, pollen, and fig jam from Ischia.
In addition to serving the usual array of sandwiches, salads, pastries, and gelato, this caffè—conveniently situated at the No. 660 bus stop on the corner of Via di Cecilia Metella—has teamed up with Bicycle Roma to rent bikes to use on the Appian Way and arranges guided tours (book via www.bicycleroma.com). There's lots of outside seating in the back, where your meal will be accompanied by birdsong.
One of the next-gen pizzerias taking over the Eternal City, this place has locals buzzing about its superlative Neapolitan-style pies and colorful, punchy design. High-quality ingredients sourced from Campania, including mozzarella from Agerola and San Marzano tomatoes, top the pizzas, which range from a traditional margherita to the "tartufata" with mozzarella, truffle cream, porcini mushrooms, guanciale, and basil.
The panoramas from this Michelin-starred restaurant atop the Palazzo Manfredi Hotel are undeniably stunning; it's the best unobstructed view of the Colosseum in Rome, so ask for a table on the terrace. With chef Giuseppe Di Iorio's tasting menus, each dish is an innovative twist on Italy's top cuisine. Service is attentive without being obtrusive, and it all adds up to a dining experience not soon forgotten.
Cheese sprinkled with flower petals, jars of jewel-tone sauces, and dramatically lit salumi are just some of the high-quality products that dazzle behind Aventina’s swanky deli counter. Everything is available to purchase and take away for a gourmet picnic, but the best way to sample the spread is as a tagliere (meat and cheese platter) in the contemporary dining room before moving on to the standout pasta dishes. While there are some vegetarian options, the butcher counter offers a clue that the menu has a meat-y focus.
Located at the base of the Spanish Steps, this family-run English-style tea house has catered to the refined tea and scone cravings of travelers since 1893. The blends are carefully designed and can be brought to your homey table accompanied by a tower of tiny sandwiches, a fully loaded salad, a club sandwich, or curry. Linger over a slice of homemade cake, and ask the server about the history of the tearooms.
For good food at reasonable prices around the Trevi Fountain, this Paris-inspired brasserie—open for lunch, dinner, and everything in between—is a great bet. Although it emphasizes seafood, the extensive menu has something for everyone, from salads to pasta and entrées. For lunch, the lobster roll is a fan favorite. The full bar has an impressive list of poured or mixed drinks.
Everyone in Rome knows Bar del Fico, located right behind Piazza Navona, so if you want to hang out with the locals, come here for a drink or something to eat at any time of day or night. In the mornings, chess players sit at tables outside under the shade of the fig tree that gives the bar its name; after sunset, the bar is packed with people sipping cocktails.
Here, gelato production is artisanal, and the selection of seasonal sorbetti and cremolate (the latter is similar to sorbetto but made with the fruit pulp rather than just fruit juice) is diverse. Although the gelateria got a contemporary makeover for its 50th birthday, it offers the same old-fashioned treats that the family has been serving for decades.
With eclectic vintage decor, colorful mismatched tables and chairs, and free Wi-Fi, this low-key neighborhood hot spot lures lots of expats and American travelers. In the evenings, order an aperitivo and you can accompany it with a variety of small plates brought to you at minimal cost. In the morning, the extensive breakfast menu makes it a popular stop, with the outdoor tables offering prime people-watching.
Bellacarne means "beautiful meat," and that's the focus of the menu here (though it's also what a Jewish Italian grandmother might say while pinching her grandchild's cheek). The kosher kitchen makes its own pastrami, but the setting is more fine dining than deli.
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.
The location near Piazza del Popolo makes Brillo especially convenient for lunch or dinner after shopping in the Via del Corso area. The menu is quite extensive, with fried starters, burgers, salads, pastas, grilled meats, and pizzas. You can eat at the recently expanded dining room, outside on the patio, or downstairs in one of several rooms.
With orario continuato, or nonstop operating hours (12:30 pm--10 pm), this sleek spot in the Hotel d'Inghilterra caters to jet-setters and hotel guests. There are a few international staples on the menu (a burger and Caesar salad), but for the most part the menu focuses on local dishes and ingredients. The tempting outdoor tables are close together, but perhaps you won't mind eavesdropping on your luxurious neighbor. In the evenings, Cafè Romano transforms into a swanky lounge bar with live piano music.
Attached to the Galleria d'Arte Moderna, inside the Villa Borghese, this retro-styled caffè with a pretty terrace is a favorite all-day rendezvous both for Romans from nearby upscale Parioli and for visitors to the Villa Borghese park and museums.
Over a coffee or a cocktail, sit and gaze upon Santa Maria in Trastevere's glistening golden facade and the busy piazza from a perch at Caffè di Marzio. The outdoor seating is the main selling point, but the interior is warm and welcoming, too.
Esteemed director Federico Fellini, who lived around the corner on Via Margutta, used to come here all the time and even had an office in the back. His drawings and black-and-white stills from his films remain on display in the hallway that leads to the interior dining room, but the best place to sit for people-watching with a coffee, light lunch, or aperitivo is on the terrace out front. For a quicker—and cheaper—experience, order your coffee or sandwich and enjoy it standing at the bar like the locals do.
Chef Ciro Alberto Cucciniello studied economics, pivoted to cooking, and then cut his teeth at renowned restaurants in Italy and abroad before opening this intimate eatery with a Nordic-inspired design. He plays with smoke and fire to elevate humble ingredients like carrots to avant-garde dishes (look for "Carote, Carote, Carote" on the menu, which translates to "Carrots, Carrots, Carrots"). You can order à la carte, but the prix fixe options with five or seven courses are among the most affordable tasting menus in the city.
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