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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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A large glass wall to the kitchen and massive skylight in the dining room hint at the contemporary leanings of this restaurant built atop the ruins of the Baths of Agrippa behind the Pantheon. The emphasis here is on high-quality ingredients and classic Italian culinary traditions interpreted for modern diners.
The place to go for Rome's extraordinary carciofi alla giudia, Piperno has been in business since 1860. The location, up a tiny hill in a piazza tucked away behind the palazzos of the Jewish Ghetto, lends the restaurant a rarefied air. In addition to the artichokes, try the exquisite prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella plate, the fiori di zucca ripieni e fritti (fried stuffed zucchini flowers), and filetti di baccalà to start. The display of fresh, local fish is enticing enough to lure diners to try offerings from sea instead of land.
Just behind the Colosseum, this intimate seafood-focused restaurant has a romantic ambience, with white tablecloths and tasteful decorations. A large selection of oysters displayed in a window and a tank full of lobsters between the kitchen and the dining room hint at the delicacies that await, while wine bottles displayed on shelves showcase just a few of the 400 labels in the cellar.
Inside the Palazzo Ripetta hotel, this all-day dining destination has a warm ambience, with marble-topped tables; velvet sofas; and archival maps, prints, and photos decorating the walls. Executive chef Christian Spalvieri trained under Gordon Ramsay in London and brings technical precision and a bit of a French influence to an otherwise Italian menu.
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.
This elegant little restaurant inside the Galleria Alberto Sordi is bringing top-notch Milanese cuisine to the capital. Though there's a section of the menu dedicated to Roman pastas, we recommend sticking to Milanese classics, like the mondeghili (Milanese meatballs), risotto alla milanese, and osso buco, which comes in a hefty pan served atop risotto.
Just off Piazza Barberini, this upscale trattoria has been serving Tuscan classics since 1950. It specializes in high-quality meat dishes, including prime cuts of beef and veal. There are also a few key Roman dishes on the menu such as the artichoke starter. The wine list favors robust Tuscan reds and thick wallets. The decor is basic wood paneling and white linens, with the requisite older—and often grumpy—waiters.
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