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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.
The red-velvet chairs and marble tables of one of Rome's oldest caffès have seen the likes of Byron, Shelley, Keats, Goethe, and Casanova. Locals love basking in the more than 260 years of history held within its dark-wood walls lined with antique artwork; tourists appreciate its location amid the shopping madness of upscale Via Condotti. Drink your coffee at the counter for a much less expensive experience.
This well-established hot spot on the Jewish Ghetto's main promenade has pleasant indoor and outdoor seating. The kitchen is kosher (many places featuring Roman Jewish fare are not) and is known for its Judeo-Roman meat dishes mixed with Middle Eastern recipes. Down the street is Ba'Ghetto Milky, the kosher dairy version of the original.
The scent of cookies wafts out into the street as you approach this family-run bakery, where a small team makes sweet treats the old-school way in a massive oven bought in the 1960s. There are dozens of varieties of baked goods, mostly sweet but some savory. Try the brutti ma buoni, the dainty floral cookies with marmalade centers, and anything made with almond paste or covered in chocolate.
This tiny storefront by famed pizzaiolo Gabriele Bonci is the city's most famous place for pizza al taglio (by the slice). It serves more than a dozen versions, from the standard margherita to slices piled high with prosciutto and other tasty ingredients. There's no seating, but you can stand at one of the tables outside. Avoid peak hours or be prepared to wait up to an hour.
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.
Wine bottles cover just about every inch of wall space in this intimate restaurant a few blocks from the Colosseum, which, perhaps unsurprisingly, also has an encyclopedic wine list. The friendly staff will happily help you navigate the options and suggest pairings for the dishes, which are rooted in tradition but often with a little twist, like the addition of artichokes in their version of la gricia (pasta with guanciale and pecorino romano).
This popular wine bar a stone's throw from Piazza Navona is among the city's oldest and has a book-length binder listing wines from Italy, France, the Americas, and elsewhere. It offers great value and pleasant service and is a lovely spot for a light late lunch or an early dinner when most restaurants aren't open yet.
In the quieter part of Trastevere, the family-run Da Enzo is everything you would imagine a classic Roman trattoria to be. There are just a few tables, but diners from around the world line up to eat here—a testament to the quality of the food. Because it's so small and does not accept reservations, there's almost invariably a wait, so arrive early for a better shot at speedy service. The best tables are outside on the cobblestone alleyway.
Smack in the middle of the city, with the freshest produce right outside its door, this pizzeria features pies made with dough by Rome's renowned family of bakers, the Rosciolis. The menu also offers a good selection of pastas, mains, and local Lazio wines.
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.
This family-run hole-in-the-wall has been in business since 1890 and specializes in one thing and one thing only: porchetta, the slow-roasted pig that the town of Ariccia in the Castelli Romani is famous for. Alessandro, the fifth-generation proprietor, slices it thin and slaps it on a sandwich roll. For vegetarians and the pork-averse, there are cheese-and-veggie sandwiches.
It's everything you're looking for in a true Roman eating experience: authentic, in a historic setting, and filled with Italians eating good food at good prices. In this very romani di Roma (Rome of the Romans) neighborhood, surrounded by discos and bars, you can enjoy classic local dishes, from vegetable antipasto to cacio e pepe (said to be the best version in the city) to lamb chops. The patio dining is lovely, but indoor seating offers a glimpse at excavated slivers of Monte Testaccio, an archaeological site made entirely of Ancient Roman–era pottery.
In a window next to the entrance of this renowned gelateria, you can see the fresh fruit being used to create the day's flavors, which highlight the best of Italy—from Amalfi lemons to Alban hazelnuts. In addition to traditional options, look for interesting combinations like raspberry and sage or white chocolate with basil. There are also homemade chocolates and biscotti along the counter.
Open since 1900, Giolitti near the Pantheon is Rome's old-school gelateria par excellence. Pay in advance at the register by the door; take your receipt to the counter; and choose from dozens of flavors, including chocolate, cinnamon, and pistachio. The prices rise steeply with table service, so most people take it to go and eat outside.
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.
This rustic-meets-glamorous bistro attracts locals for its flawless execution of Roman classics (many served photogenically in metal cooking pans) as well as original dishes. Its bar is known among amaro connoisseurs for having the largest selection in Rome, and the bitter liquors are the stars of the expertly crafted cocktail menu.
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.
Thought to be the oldest restaurant in Rome (a document dates it back to 1518), La Campana is well liked for its honest Roman cuisine and its old-school, slightly upscale feel—think white tablecloths and unflappable waiters in black tie who have been there since the beginning of time. This is the place to have one of the best coda alla vaccinara (oxtail stew) in Rome, along with other specialties like saltimbocca and pasta all'amatriciana (a classic Roman tomato sauce with bacon-like pork cheek).
This old-school Roman restaurant traces its roots back to 1870, when a woman from the town of Amatrice in northern Lazio arrived in Rome and started to cook her town's renowned bucatini all'amatriciana near Termini Station. Whether the story is true or a legend, this is indeed a great place to try the famous pasta and other Roman specialties in an elegant space with white tablecloths, plates emblazoned with the restaurant's name, and courteous and formally attired waiters.
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.
Tucked on a cobblestone street at the edge of Monti, this cozy little family-run restaurant is one of the best places to eat near the Forum. An eclectic collection of sketches, photos, and paintings decorates the walls, and the menu offers traditional Roman trattoria fare as well as some creative twists on the classics, like cacio e pepe, usually a simple dish of pasta in a peppery cheese sauce but here featuring black truffle, and burrata-stuffed ravioli.
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 family-run stall at what will forever be called the "New" Testaccio Market (it moved in 2012) sells the best sandwiches in town. Meatballs, tongue, tripe, and other Roman classics are generously smothered on fresh bread, and there is always a vegetarian option, too. Grab a seat at the bar tables they have arranged in the stall next door, and watch the general hustle of Romans lining up for their daily fix of panino perfection. It's open during market hours (Monday–Saturday 9–2:30).
Pigneto is full of hip restaurants and bars now, but Necci is the neighborhood's original hangout, the haunt of famed director Pier Paolo Pasolini, who grew up in Pigneto when it was still a rough-and-tumble working-class area. There's a full menu of pastas and other Italian fare, but the servers won't bat an eye if you just want drinks or a small bite; it also hosts wine tastings in its recently discovered, 1st-century-BC hypogeum. Inside, a white-and-orange color scheme gives off a mod 1960s vibe; outside, a street-art-style portrait of Pasolini overlooks a large patio where people eat and drink from morning till night.
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.
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