Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
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?
Founded by three friends with a passion for wine and fine food, Antico Arco attracts diners from Rome and beyond with its refined culinary inventiveness. The location on top of the Janiculum Hill makes for a charming setting, and inside, the dining rooms are plush, modern spaces, with whitewashed brick walls, dark floors, and black velvet chairs. Its wine cellar houses over 1,200 labels, all nestled in the cantina carved into the ruins of the catacombs of San Pancrazio.
Tucked away above the Auditorium della Conciliazione, this glamorous restaurant/lounge with sky-high ceilings, marble walls, and plush seating feels like something out of Paolo Sorrentino's award-winning film La Grande Bellezza. Renowned bartender Massimo d'Addezio shakes up creative cocktails, like a twist on a French 75 made with yuzu, while the kitchen whips up delicious modern Italian cuisine.
In the Villa Laetitia, a boutique hotel owned by Anna Fendi, this gorgeous restaurant has soaring ceilings, a crystal chandelier, and Art Nouveau motifs. The elegant setting provides the perfect backdrop for creative, flavorful dishes by Domenico Stile, one of Rome's youngest two-Michelin-starred chefs, and surprising wine pairings by Rudy Travagli, sommelier and restaurant manager. Choose two courses and dessert à la carte, or select a six- or eight-course tasting menu curated by the chef.
After 14 years in Austin, Texas, chef Cristina Bowerman returned to Rome to reconnect with her Italian roots, and her cooking is as innovative as the building she works in (Glass has received numerous recognitions for its design as well as its expertly executed cuisine). The menu, which changes frequently, features dishes like a standout steak tartare and lobster polenta with yuba.
The three Troiani brothers—Angelo in the kitchen and Giuseppe and Massimo presiding over the dining room and wine cellar—have been quietly redefining the experience of Italian alta cucina (haute cuisine) since 1990 at this well-regarded establishment in a tiny, nondescript alley north of Piazza Navona. The service is attentive without being overbearing, and the wine list is exceptional.
With a chic, modern design featuring leather-and-velvet seats and 1960s lamps designed by Gae Aulenti, creative tasting menus by chef Heros De Agostinis, and special touches like a roving cart with a variety of delicious bread made in-house, this elegant restaurant inside the Anantara Palazzo Naiadi is a true five-star experience. The staff here go out of their way to explain every dish, find the perfect wine pairings, and ensure that guests have a wonderful time.
Dinner here is a truly spectacular and romantic event, with incomparable views across the city matched by a stellar dining experience that includes top-notch service as well as sublimely inventive fare. The difficulty comes in choosing from among Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck's alta cucina (high cuisine) specialties. Award-winning sommelier Marco Reitano will ensure you have the right wine to pair with your choices. Weekend reservations may need to be booked three months in advance.
In front of the American embassy and a favorite of the design trendoisie, Michelin-starred Moma attracts well-heeled businessmen at lunch but shifts to a more intimate affair for dinner. The kitchen turns out hits as it creates alta cucina (haute cuisine) made using Italian ingredients sourced from small producers. The menu changes seasonally but might include dishes like chamomile risotto with smoked eel, honey, and oregano or pumpkin cappelletti with amaretti, licorice, and provolone cheese. At lunch, the more casual bistro area has fresh pressed juices and made-to-order sandwiches.
This restaurant has an open kitchen, where you can watch the talented women owners cook up a storm of inventive delights—this is a "kitchen lab," after all, where top local ingredients are whipped into delicious plates. The spaghetti with tomato sauce, smoked ricotta, parmigiano, basil, and lemon peel is one of the signature dishes, and the amped-up traditional recipe is a delicious indication of how interesting the food can get.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
This impressive wine bar pairs modern decor with creative cuisine and three dozen wines available by the glass. There are some fantastic seasonal specialties, but you can also get cheeses, smoked meats, and composed salads. Try a risotto or spaghetti with kale, red shrimp, and burnt lemon for a primo and the duck breast with foie gras and red berries for a secondo.
Some of the most innovative interpretations of fine Roman cookery can be found in this starkly chic restaurant on a backstreet between upscale Via Giulia and the Campo de' Fiori. Chef Anthony Genovese was born in France to Calabrese parents and spent time cooking in Japan and Thailand, so his dishes make use of nontraditional spices, ingredients, and preparations—garnering him a loyal following and multiple accolades. The prices are exorbitant, but the food is exemplary. Dishes include pasta bundles filled with onion, tapioca, and red currant in a saffron broth or duck with black salsify, caramelized pear, and chocolate sauce. You can choose one of the elaborate tasting menus that range from 4 to 16 courses.
At the most upscale wine bar in town, you come for the vino but return for the food. Everything here is appropriately raffinato (refined): raw and marinated fish; spaghetti with garlic and minced raw shrimp; and saffron risotto with red prawn carpaccio. Main courses might be seafood or meat—all of which complement the vast offerings of top-notch wines.
Excellence is at the forefront of everything at Imàgo, the Michelin-starred restaurant inside the legendary Hotel Hassler. Surrounded by a panoramic view of Rome, you can choose from one of the two tasting menus, both of which blend tradition and modernity. Each carefully and meticulously created dish can be paired with an exceptional wine from the enviable cellar, which has 1,500 labels.
Romans are starting to recognize Monteverde as a foodie hub, and this trattoria is one of the neighborhood's outstanding spots. The food ranges from the classics to carefully thought-out modern creations, but whatever you order, the quality of the produce shines. Dishes include hearty pastas, toasted veal tongue, and delicious onion soup. Desserts like cinnamon and pear cheesecake or tiramisu pair well with the selection of local dessert wines, like moscato from Terracina, a coastal town not far from Rome.
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.
Not to be confused with the art foundation also located inside the former Cerere pasta factory, this industrial-chic restaurant wouldn't be out of place in New York or London. Some dishes combine Italian and international flavors with out-of-the-box results, while others feature subtle touches like adding salted ricotta to the fusilloni pasta with smoked tomato sauce. On some evenings, there's live music or a DJ.
Named in homage to the Italian-American crooner, this intimate restaurant has a refined yet casual atmosphere, with wine bottles lining the walls, black-and-white photographs of jazz musicians, and vintage touches like rotary telephones. The menu emphasizes Italian classics, with options like raw meat and fish, fried artichokes, carbonara, meatballs, and steaks. On Friday and Saturday nights, you can dine while listening to live jazz.
The Borgo area near St. Peter's Basilica hasn't been known for culinary excellence, but Taverna Angelica was one of the first refined restaurants in this part of town. The dining room is small, which allows the chef to create a menu that's inventive without being pretentious.
Exposed brick walls and tables made from upcycled parquet flooring or white marble are among the design elements at this welcoming bistro founded by two surfer brothers. With the exception of primi (pastas) and burgers, all of the dishes can be ordered as full-size options or small portions that let you taste your way through the menu.
This restaurant serving lunch and dinner embodies the kilometro zero concept, highlighting hyper-local food from the surrounding Lazio region. The local boho crowd comes for tasty lunch and dinner options like amatriciana served in a pan or cheeseburgers in an industrial-chic space (with free Wi-Fi). In warm weather, the outdoor tables are the perfect people-watching perch.
Sign up for Travel Tips & News
Thank you for your interest!
