Food in Rome: What to Eat, Where to Eat It & How to Avoid Tourist Traps

Roman food is a working-class tradition that has become one of Italy’s most recognisable cuisines. The five Roman pasta dishes — cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana, gricia, and cacio e uova — are deceptively simple and deceptively difficult to do well. The best versions require aged Pecorino Romano, quality guanciale, and technique. The worst versions (cream in the carbonara, pancetta instead of guanciale, processed cheese) are easy to find in tourist areas. The best are worth tracking down.

The five pasta dishes

Cacio e Pepe — Spaghetti or tonnarelli with aged Pecorino Romano and black pepper. No cream. The emulsion comes from pasta water and cheese alone. Expect to pay approximately €12–15 at a good trattoria.

Carbonara — Rigatoni or spaghetti with guanciale (cured pig’s cheek), egg yolk, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper. No cream. The egg is cooked by the pasta’s residual heat. A good carbonara at a genuine trattoria costs approximately €12–15; a bad one with cream at a tourist restaurant costs more and tastes worse.

Amatriciana — Tomato, guanciale, and Pecorino Romano, served with rigatoni or bucatini. Named for the town of Amatrice in Lazio. Rich, slightly spicy, deeply savoury. Approximately €11–14 at most trattorias.

Gricia — Cacio e pepe with guanciale added; the original version before tomatoes arrived in Italy. Rarely seen outside Rome and Lazio. When you find it on a menu, order it. Approximately €12–14.

Cacio e Uova — A frittata-style pasta preparation found in the Jewish Ghetto. Less commonly served than the four above, but worth seeking out.

Where to eat the pastas

Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina (Via dei Giubbonari 21, Centro Storico) — A deli-restaurant with one of the best carbonaras in the city. Pasta dishes approximately €16–20. Reservations essential — book at least a week ahead. The wine list is exceptional. Open for lunch and dinner, closed Sunday. A Rome food tour covering Testaccio Market, supplì, and pasta across multiple neighbourhoods is the most efficient way to eat through the city’s highlights with local guidance.

Da Felice a Testaccio (Via Mastro Giorgio 29, Testaccio) — A Testaccio institution. The cacio e pepe here is made tableside. Pasta dishes approximately €12–15. Reserve 3–4 days ahead. Traditional service — the waiters decide the pace. Closed Sunday dinner.

Tonnarello (Via della Paglia 77, Trastevere) — Popular trattoria specialising in fresh tonnarelli pasta. Their cacio e pepe is consistently good. Pasta approximately €11–14. The outdoor seating on the Trastevere side street is pleasant. Walk-ins possible at lunch; reserve for dinner.

Flavio al Velavevodetto (Via di Monte Testaccio 97, Testaccio) — Built into the ancient shard mountain (Monte Testaccio). Excellent amatriciana and gricia. Pasta approximately €11–13. One of the best-value trattorias in central Rome. Book ahead for weekend dinners.

Trattoria Da Teo (Piazza dei Ponziani 7a, Trastevere) — Reliable neighbourhood trattoria with excellent seasonal Roman cooking. Pasta approximately €12–14. The fried artichokes (when in season, November–April) are superb. Reserve a few days ahead.

The offal tradition

Rome has a strong tradition of quinto quarto (fifth quarter) cooking — the cheaper cuts that the wealthy didn’t eat. The tradition developed in Testaccio around the former slaughterhouse.

Coda alla vaccinara — Oxtail braised with tomato, celery, pine nuts, and raisins. Rich and deeply flavoured. Approximately €16–20 at trattorias in Testaccio.

Rigatoni con la pajata — Pasta with veal intestines, still containing the mother’s milk (chyme). The most confronting Roman dish. Found almost exclusively in Testaccio trattorias, approximately €14–16.

Trippa alla romana — Tripe in tomato sauce with mint and Pecorino. More accessible than pajata. Widely available across the city, approximately €10–14.

The best places for quinto quarto: Checchino dal 1887 (Via di Monte Testaccio 30 — Rome’s most famous offal restaurant, mains approximately €18–25, reservations essential) and Flavio al Velavevodetto (see above — excellent coda alla vaccinara).

Jewish-Roman cuisine

The Roman Jewish community dates back over 2,000 years. The Ghetto neighbourhood around Via del Portico d’Ottavia has its own distinct culinary tradition.

Carciofi alla giudia — Artichokes deep-fried whole until every leaf is crisp. The signature dish. Approximately €8–12 per artichoke. Available November through April (artichoke season).

Baccalà in pastella — Salt cod in a light batter, fried golden. Approximately €12–15 as a main course.

Torta di ricotta e visciole — Ricotta and sour cherry tart. The traditional dessert of the Jewish Ghetto. Approximately €5–7 per slice.

Best restaurants: Nonna Betta (Via del Portico d’Ottavia 16 — carciofi alla giudia approximately €10, pasta approximately €13–16, book 2–3 days ahead) and Ba’Ghetto (Via del Portico d’Ottavia 57 — kosher Roman cuisine, mains approximately €15–20).

Markets

Testaccio Market (Piazza Testaccio) — The best food market in Rome. Fresh produce, cheese, meat, and excellent street food stalls on the upper level. Try the supplì (fried rice balls) at Supplizio for approximately €3 each, or the trapizzino (stuffed pizza pocket) at the Trapizzino stand for approximately €3.50. Open Monday–Saturday 7am–3:30pm, closed Sunday.

Campo de’ Fiori (Piazza Campo de’ Fiori) — Prettier but more tourist-facing. Produce and flowers in the morning, restaurants in the evening. Prices are higher than Testaccio by approximately 20–30%.

Mercato di Via Catania (Piazza Alessandria, Trieste neighbourhood) — A neighbourhood market away from the tourist zone. Lower prices, used mainly by locals. Open Monday–Saturday mornings.

Gelato

Genuine artisan gelato uses seasonal ingredients and is stored in covered metal containers (not piled high in bright mounds). A small cup (2 flavours) costs approximately €3–4 at quality gelaterias.

Fatamorgana (several locations — Via Lago di Lesina in Flaminio is the original) — The best in Rome for unusual flavours: Kentucky (tobacco and chocolate), basil-walnut-honey, and seasonal fruit. A small cup approximately €3.50.

Fior di Luna (Via della Lungaretta 96, Trastevere) — Small-batch gelato with seasonal ingredients. The pistachio and dark chocolate are excellent. Small cup approximately €3.

Giolitti (Via degli Uffici del Vicario 40, near the Pantheon) — Open since 1900. Tourist-popular but genuinely good. Small cup approximately €3.50. Open until midnight.

Come il Latte (Via Silvio Spaventa 24, near Termini) — Generous portions, creative flavours. Small cup approximately €3. One of the few quality gelaterias near Termini.

What to avoid

Restaurants with photographs on the menus in the immediate vicinity of the Colosseum, Vatican, and Trevi Fountain are almost uniformly overpriced and poor quality. A five-minute walk in any direction finds better food at lower prices. Any restaurant employing a tout outside is a warning sign. The coperto (cover charge) is standard and legal in Rome — typically €2–3 per person — but a servizio (service charge) on top of that is unusual and often a tourist surcharge.

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For the full picture of Rome — neighbourhoods, ancient sights, Vatican logistics, and getting around — see our Rome travel guide. If you are plant-based, our vegan guide to Rome covers the best restaurants and the naturally vegan Roman dishes worth ordering. For the complete national coffee culture, see the Italian coffee guide, and for a breakdown of gelato by region, our Italian gelato guide is the place to start. Planning to eat well across Italy? The Italian pasta guide covers the regional styles beyond the five Roman classics, and the Italian wine guide explains the Lazio DOC zones and what to pair with Roman food.