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. At its best at Tonnarello in Trastevere or Roscioli in the historic centre.

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 €12–15. A bad one with cream at a tourist restaurant costs more.

Amatriciana — tomato, guanciale, and Pecorino Romano, served with rigatoni. Named for the town of Amatrice in Lazio. Rich, slightly spicy, deeply savoury.

Gricia — cacio e pepe with guanciale added; the original version before tomatoes arrived in Italy. Rarely seen outside Rome.

The offal tradition

Rome has a strong tradition of quinto quarto (fifth quarter) cooking — the cheaper cuts that the wealthy didn’t eat. Coda alla vaccinara (oxtail braised with tomato and celery) is the signature dish. Rigatoni con la pajata (pasta with veal intestines) is the most confronting. Trippa alla romana (tripe in tomato sauce) is widely available and more accessible. Testaccio is the right neighbourhood for all of this.

Jewish-Roman cuisine

The Roman Jewish community is one of the oldest in the world. Carciofi alla giudia (artichokes fried crisp in olive oil) and baccalà in pastella (salt cod in batter) are the signature dishes. The best versions are in the Ghetto neighbourhood around Via del Portico d’Ottavia.

Markets

The Testaccio Market (Piazza Testaccio) is the best food market in Rome — fresh produce, cheese, meat, and several excellent street food stalls on the upper level. Open mornings, closed Sunday. The Campo de’ Fiori market is prettier but more tourist-facing.

Gelato

Genuine artisan gelato uses seasonal ingredients and is stored in covered metal containers (not piled high in bright mounds). Fatamorgana (several locations) is the best for unusual flavours. Fior di Luna in Trastevere and Della Palma near the Pantheon are reliable.

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.