Where to Eat in Rome: The Best Restaurants and Street Food

Roman cuisine is one of Italy's most distinctive and satisfying — built on a handful of simple ingredients, centuries of tradition and an absolute refusal to compromise. Here's where locals actually eat, what to order and how to avoid the tourist traps.

THE FOUR ROMAN PASTAS Roman pasta is defined by four dishes. Master these and you understand the cuisine.

Cacio e Pepe — spaghetti or tonnarelli with Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper. Three ingredients. Deceptively difficult to make well. The cheese must be emulsified into a creamy sauce without clumping, using only the starchy pasta water. When it's right, it's one of the best things you'll eat in your life.

Carbonara — rigatoni or spaghetti with guanciale (cured pork cheek), egg yolk, Pecorino Romano and black pepper. No cream. Ever. The creaminess comes entirely from the emulsification of egg and cheese. A good carbonara is rich, silky and deeply satisfying.

Amatriciana — bucatini with guanciale, San Marzano tomatoes, Pecorino Romano and chilli. Originally from the town of Amatrice, now a Roman staple. The combination of sweet tomato, salty guanciale and sharp Pecorino is perfectly balanced.

Gricia — the oldest of the four, sometimes called white amatriciana. Rigatoni with guanciale, Pecorino Romano and black pepper — no tomato. Simpler than it sounds and deeply satisfying.

THE GOLDEN RULE If a restaurant near a major tourist attraction has photographs of the food on the menu and a person outside trying to attract customers, walk away. The best Roman restaurants are usually a 10-minute walk from the crowds, have handwritten menus and fill up with locals at lunch.

ROMAN STREET FOOD Suppli — fried rice balls with a molten mozzarella centre, sometimes with ragu. The Roman answer to arancini and arguably better. Found at pizza al taglio shops across the city.

Pizza al Taglio — pizza sold by the slice and by weight, with an enormous variety of toppings. The Roman style has a thick, airy base quite different from Neapolitan pizza.

Porchetta — slow-roasted whole pig seasoned with rosemary, garlic and fennel, served in a bread roll. The best comes from the towns of Ariccia and Marino in the Castelli Romani.

Trapizzino — a Roman invention: a triangular pocket of pizza bianca filled with classic Roman stews like coda alla vaccinara (oxtail) or pollo alla cacciatora (hunter's chicken).

Gelato — Rome has some of Italy's finest gelato. Look for artigianale (artisan) shops where the gelato is stored in covered metal containers rather than piled high in colourful mounds.

THE BEST NEIGHBOURHOODS FOR FOOD Testaccio — Rome's traditional working-class food neighbourhood, built around the former slaughterhouse. This is where cucina povera — the cooking of the poor — was born. The Testaccio Market is one of the best food markets in Italy.

Trastevere — Rome's most atmospheric neighbourhood for an evening out. Gets touristy in summer but the quality remains high if you choose carefully. Avoid the main piazzas and explore the side streets.

Prati — the neighbourhood immediately north of the Vatican, popular with locals and largely ignored by tourists. Excellent value restaurants, good coffee bars and some of Rome's best bakeries.

Pigneto — Rome's most interesting neighbourhood for contemporary food culture — independent restaurants, natural wine bars and creative cooking at reasonable prices.

WHAT TO DRINK Rome's local wine comes from the Castelli Romani hills south of the city — light, crisp whites that pair perfectly with Roman food. Ask for vino della casa (house wine) in a traditional trattoria and you'll usually get something decent and very affordable.

For coffee, Romans drink espresso standing at the bar. Ordering a cappuccino after 11am marks you immediately as a tourist — locals only drink milky coffee in the morning.

• PRACTICAL TIPS
• Lunch (12:30–2:30 PM) is often better value than dinner — many restaurants offer a pranzo fisso (fixed lunch menu) at a fraction of the evening price
• Cover charge (coperto) of 1–3 euros per person is standard and not a tourist trap
• Tipping is not obligatory but rounding up or leaving a few euros is appreciated
• Avoid restaurants that display photos of food on the menu
• Book ahead for dinner at popular restaurants, especially on weekends