Restaurants in Rome are thick on the ground. Look in any direction and a trattoria or pizzeria will be in your eye line, and it’s likely that an overenthusiastic waiter will be hanging around at the doorway, beckoning you to come inside with just enough gusto to make you want to get as far away as possible before even looking at the menu. It’s also a tourist-heavy city, meaning that a huge number of those very same trattorias and pizzerias get away with serving mediocre, overpriced food.
However, do a little research and it is incredibly easy to eat well in Rome. You just have to do a little research and most of all, eat where – and what – the locals eat.
What should you eat in Rome? Generally, Cucina Romana is simple and plain. The recipes aren’t overly extravagant but instead, they shine because of the high-quality, fresh ingredients: plump red tomatoes, delicious olio d’oliva extra vergine and crumbly pecorino cheeses. There are recipes for thistly deep-fried artichokes that date back centuries, hearty offal stews and more pasta dishes than you could possibly consider tasting. There is a saying – una vita non basta – a single lifetime is inadequate for experiencing Rome and I feel like the same goes for the city’s food, however, if you follow this guide, you can give it your best shot.
Carciofi alla Guidea
Carciofi alla Giudia—Jewish deep-fried artichoke—is probably the most famous dish of Rome’s Jewish cuisine. The dish was created in Rome’s Jewish ghetto, which existed from 16th to the late 19th century under papal degree – a walled and gated neighbourhood of low land, often flooded by the nearby Tiber River, where the city’s Jewish community were forced to live in crowded, poverty-stricken conditions.
Despite the harsh way of life – or even because of it – the ghetto developed a rich culture, particularly when it came to cuisine. A style of cooking was created, Cucina Ebraica-Romanesco, mostly due to the fact that Kosher laws ruled that meat could not be combined with dairy. The usual Roman method of cooking with butter was replaced by frying in oil. As artichokes were cheap and widely available, arciofi alla Giudia became the Jewish ghetto’s signature dish.
Traditionally served to break the fast of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, but most common from February to May when the cimaroli artichoke – a tender, violet and green-tinged artichoke that is normally used – is most widely available, the vegetable is trimmed, flattened and seasoned before frying, leaving the outer leaves deliciously crisp and the inside soft and moist.
Where to try Jewish-Style Artichoke in Rome
Although Carciofi Alla Giudia can be found on menus all over Rome, the best place to try it is obviously the former Jewish Ghetto, now an enchanting neighbourhood filled with bars, cafes and kosher restaurants. Nonna Betta is the local favourite.
Rigatoni Carbonara
This creamy, egg-based sauce topped with lashings of grated cheese and chunks of thick, crispy guanciale with a healthy dash of black pepper is thought to be an Italian classic, but did you know that is only really gained popularity in the 1950s?
Carbonara elicits more recipe-related arguments than any other pasta dish but one thing is for sure, despite its silky consistency, not a single drop of cream should be used. Instead, the perfect carbonara should just consist of egg yolk, cheese and pork. The origin of carbonara is also a bone of contention amongst Romans. Its late arrival on the culinary scene leads some to claim that it was created by American soldiers during post-war occupation who would use their bacon and egg rations to construct the dish. However, it is most likely that it is something that coal miners – the Carbonari – would eat while working away in the mountains.
Where to try rigatoni carbonara in Rome
Like all iconic pasta dishes, carbonara should be enjoyed in a traditional trattoria. Tucked away down one of Trastevere’s tiny alleyways, Enzo Al 29 serves some of the best carbonara in the city. Just ensure that you reserve a table or arrive before it opens as the place can become incredibly busy, spilling out onto the wobbly tables placed precariously out on the cobblestones.
Amatriciana
Another favourite pasta dish, this meal originating from the nearby village of Amatrice features a tomato-based sauce enhanced by Pecorino Romano cheese, white wine, San Marzano tomatoes, black pepper, and chilli with a scattering of crispy guanciale (cured pork jowl). It is typically served with bucatini noodles, which are similar to spaghetti, yet thicker and hollow, allowing you to slurp your sauce through it.
Where to try Amatriciana in Rome
Amatriciana can be found in any of Rome’s trattorias but Alle Fratte Di Trastevere makes a splendid one. While much of Trastevere has changed with the times, moving from a down to earth working-class neighbourhood to a trendy, hipster hangout spot, Alle Fratte Di Trastevere has remained unchanged for decades: Kitch, gold-framed oil paintings of Roman life still adorn the walls and each table is covered with a crisp white table cloth. However, Alle Fratte Di Trastevere remains like this perhaps because it doesn’t need to change, it does some of the best pasta this side of the Tiber.
Fiori di Zucca
Another deep-fried favourite, Fiori di Zucca are battered courgette flowers that are stuffed with cheese and anchovies. These crispy goodies are normally served during the courgette flowering season in summer and can be found without the fish is some places if you’d prefer, instead of just oozing with delicious mozzarella.
Maritozzo
The breakfast routine of most Romans involves speedily popping into a café for a quick espresso and pastry, often a cornetto, a croissant-like snack sprinkled with sugar. However, the maritozzo is the king of breakfast bakes and a must-eat when in Rome. These calorific, sweet yeasted buns are split down the middle and packed with so much whipped cream that eating one without covering your face in the filling can be a bit of a challenge. Maritozzi were originally only eaten around easter, like an Italian hot cross bun equivalent, but they were so popular that they can now be bought all year round.
Where to try Maritozzo in Rome
Pasticceria Regoli, a century-old pastry shop in the Esquilino district, with tiled walls and staff dressed in old-school aprons is the most famous spot for maritozzo in the city.
Supplì
There’s nothing better as a pre-meal snack or as a late-night stomach-filler after a few glasses of wine than a fritti, a little piece of deep-fried comfort food. Suppli are traditionally served as appetizers in pizzerias but these little balls of rice, similar to Sicilian arancini but stuffed with mozzarella and marinara sauce before being fried golden are also a hugely popular on-the-go snack that are served all over the city.
Where to try suppli in Rome
The hole-in-the-wall I Supplì in Trastevere has a few different variations for just a couple of euros, but the queue can extend well out of the door on a lunchtime.
Pizza alla Romana
While the classic Italian staple of Pizza may be most closely associated with Naples, Rome has its own take on the classic dish. Pizza Romana is less thick than its Neapolitan counterpart, paper-thin and cooked until it is charred and crisp. As with most Roman food, the flavours are simple, with the quality of the ingredients more important than the complexity of the toppings. Margherita is as popular as ever but capriccioso, topped with prosciutto, mushrooms, olives and a hard-boiled egg is the way to go if you want something a little more extravagant.
Where to try pizza alla Romana in Rome
As you can imagine, there are hundreds of fantastic pizza joints dotted around the city. Da Remo in Testaccio has a wonderful, traditional atmosphere, as does Alle Fratte Di Trastevere in Trastevere. For a more modern setting, Bir & Fud, also in Trastevere and just a short hop from Piazza Trilussa is the place to enjoy a pizza with one of their huge selection of craft beers.
Cacio e Pepe
Of the myriad pasta dishes that adorn menus throughout Rome, carbonara and amatriciana may be the most popular, but not many people know is that Cacio e Pepe is the dish that is most grounded in traditional Roman History. Millenia ago, during the time of the empire, Roma shepherds would herd their flocks through the Apennine Mountains during the spring and summer months, camping beside them every step of the way. Because he could not carry many provisions, the shepherd would rely on Cacio e Pepe for most of his meals as it is made from just three simple ingredients: cheese, pasta, and plenty of coarse black pepper that all keep well for extended amounts of time.
Although some restaurants choose to embellish the traditional recipe by adding extra ingredients into the sauce, such as cream, olive oil, and butter, true cacio e pepe uses just high-quality pecorino cheese and huge quantities of pepper mixed with a little starchy pasta water made from boiling tonnarelli, not spaghetti.
Where to try cacio e pepe in Rome
Once again, I recommend stopping by Enzo Al 29 in Trastevere to try cacio e pepe where you can watch the chefs in the kitchen tossing freshly-cooked tonnarelli in huge bowls of grated pecorino.
Trippa alla Romana
It may not be for the faint of heart (or stomach) but offal is a cornerstone of Roman cuisine and has been for centuries when workers of the city’s vast slaughterhouses in Testaccio were paid in these cheap cuts of meat. As a result, a whole offshoot cuisine based on offal dominated the dinner tables in working-class neighbourhoods as Roman women had to make do with the meat that was brought home. Tripe, or a cow’s upper stomach, was the most beloved of these offcuts and trippa alla Romana remains popular today, even though the city’s workers are no longer compensated with meat. The tripe is slowly simmered in tomato sauce and topped with fresh mint and pecorino cheese to make this Testaccio delicacy.
Porchetta
As you can guess from the mentions of guanciale, bacon and pork belly further up this list, pork is a big part of the Roman diet but porchetta is the meat at its finest. In Delis all around the city, you will find this de-boned, rolled and herbed slow-roasted pork with salty, crispy crackling. The result is something juicy and tender with just enough fat to make every bite succulent and delicious. Look out for signs advertising Porchetta d’Arriccia as it is delicious served up between two slices of crisp Italian bread.
Where to try Porchetta in Rome
Panificio Bonci near the Vatican is the most famous porchetta spot in the city, which they serve between crispy pieces of pizza bianca. Elsewhere, the neighbourhood deli of Antica Norcineria di Trastevere serves a wonderful porchetta sandwich.
Trapizzino
The Trapizzino is one of the more recent inventions on this list, only coming into being in 2009 when baker Stefano Callegari decided to combine the triangular tramezzino sandwich with a pizza. What he came up with was thick, triangular wedges of pizza that are sliced open and filled them with Roman classics like meatballs, tongue with green sauce, and spicy beef. He has gone in to open multiple branches of Trapizzino in the Italian capital and even has 2 in New York City.
Where to try Trapizzino in Rome
To see where Trapizzino was invented, head over to the branch in Testaccio. Otherwise, Be.Re, a fantastic craft beer bar located just steps from the Vatican has an outpost of the fast-food vendor on-site, meaning you can sample a Trapizzino while indulging in a few glasses of Italy’s finest microbrews.
Cicoria Ripassata
Cicoria, a dark green, thick-stemmed, and narrow-leaved vegetable that has the appearance more like a gnarled dandelion leaf than the chicory or curly endive that we have in the UK. It’s bitter too, but the Romans love it. Each winter when it is in season, you will find bunches piled high on market stalls in Campo de’ Fiori and served, sautéed (or ripassata) in oil, garlic and chilli as an accompaniment to pasta or piled high on crispy flat bread.
Gelato
No list of Italian foods is complete without gelato, even if it isn’t strictly Roman. Even so, the Italian capital is awash with thousands of gelateria serving classic flavours and more out-there concoctions and I’m in no doubt that if you ask a hundred of the city’s citizens which is best, you will get a hundred different answers. However, not all gelateria are created equal and some are much better than others. One piece of advice that I will always remember when it comes to choosing icecream is to not pick one that is too bright in colour – an ice cream should be a subdued, pastel shade – as this indicates artificial flavours and colours rather than natural ingredients.
Where to try Gelato in Rome
Many people will tell you that Otaleg is the city’s best gelateria and that may well be true, but if you want to visit an ice cream parlour with a little history and character, head to Giolotti. Rome’s oldest ice cream parlour has been in business for over 100 years and has been frequented by the likes of Barack Obama and Justin Timberlake, although on most days the most famous people you are likely to see are the members of the Italian Parliament that like to spend time there.
Saltimbocca alla Romana
With a name that translates to ‘jumps in your mouth’, how can you not give this delicious entrée a try. Thinly cut pieces of veal which are layered with prosciutto and topped with a fresh sage leaf before being rolled together and pan-fried in white wine and butter. It’s a simple dish, yet one that melts, rather than jumps, in your mouth.
This dish is thought to date back to 1891, when it first appeared in Pellegrino Artusi’s 1891 cookbook La Scienza in Cucina e l’Arte di Mangiar Bene, in which he says that he ate it at a Roman trattoria.
However, it’s thought that saltimbocca alla Romana originated in Brescia rather than Rome, where an almost identical dish called, surprisingly, saltimbocca alla Bresciana is popular.
Pizza al taglio
A little different from pizza alla Romana, Pizza al Taglio is pizza by the slice, baked in rectangular trays. This is the Roman’s street food of choice and although there are a huge variety of toppings, they will often go for simple pairings, such as tomato and mozzarella or focaccia with garlic and rosemary.
Where to try pizza al taglio in Rome
There are hundreds of little hole-in-the-wall spots around the city serving pizza al taglio of varying quality but if you want something a little different, head to Pizzarium. Chef Gabrielle Bonci pairs fermented doughs with inventive and unusual toppings and his tiny bakery has quickly become one of Rome’s must-visit foodie spots.
My trip to Rome was provided by Jet2CityBreaks, However, all views expressed are my own.
