Where do locals eat in Rome?
BEFORE WE START TALKING ABOUT WHERE TO EAT IN ROME
I’ve got three reasons why I believe you should trust our tips on where to eat in Rome :
- Not only we like to eat a lot, but we value eating well
- Cris is Italian and Italians are known to be extremely picky when it comes to eating good pasta
- As I said before, he is a local from Rome and has been going to most of the suggested restaurants and bars for many years now
So I am here to give you the best insights on where to eat in Rome, from a local’s perspective (and away from tourist traps). And not just any local, but from my globe-trotting Roman companion.
ROME
Naturally, because of its historic beauty, Rome has become a major point of attraction to everyone in the globe. I recall my first time in the city, I was learning my ways of dealing with mass tourism; a lost girl in Italy.
I remember thinking I was going to eat the most delicious pasta, drink the tastiest red wine, and find the best ice cream at every corner.
How could I not? It’s Italy. Spaghetti has to be good everywhere, right??
Reality is that this could not be further from the truth. Unfortunately, tourism service can be quite deceitful in Italy, and if you are not savvy you can end up eating ‘peperoni pizza in Rome’ (Cris, a proud Italian, dies only by hearing the word ‘’peperoni pizza’’).
- Fun fact: It is an American thing to eat pepperoni with pizza; Also, peperoni in Italian actually means ‘’bellpepper’’). I’ve written some do’s and don’ts in Rome after interviewing Cris and some of his friends.
My friends and I usually joke that Cris knows stuff and is always right in his ideas – I even went the extra mile and created a hat written ‘’in Cris we trust’’.
So I am positive if you go to Rome and follow these tips, you will live and breathe the best that Rome has to offer.
PS- It is funny that the same day I wrote this post, back in August, a friend of mine who I had recently recommended Da Felice texted me saying that she and her boyfriend liked it so much that, when they returned to Rome on the same trip, they went from the airport straight to the restaurant to indulge once more on their amazing carbonara!
By the time I finished this post, another friend had been to Rome to celebrate 1 year anniversary and I sent them the recommendations, and they loved it of course.
See below the messages I got from a few friends (all of course before I even published
the blog. #LaBelleScoeityTips
RESTAURANTS
Da Felice a Testaccio
A typical Roman trattoria considered to be among the best in Rome: compulsory to eat pasta with cheese and pepper that is cooked inside the cheese.
Pizzeria Dar Poeta a Trastevere
The best pizza in Rome without comparisons, according to Cris and all his family. I have to admit I tried it last time I was in Rome (and I didn’t even want to eat pizza to be honest, because I felt we ate it all the time and it couldn’t be different from all the other great pizza places we had been, but I was wrong).
It is so different: a mix of
Sakana Sushi
Is very close to Testaccio and is the best traditional sushi in Rome.
Cacio e Pepe
Cris’s favorite place to eat in Italy (last time he ate 3 plates of Carbonara…. Don’t try this at home kids!). We strongly recommend this one; it is a very simple place but ‘’cooking the best pasta in Rome’’ (Cris’s words). You eat pretty much in the middle of the road on mini tables.
Sapori di Mare
This is a bit expensive, but I put it on the list because it was my favorite for seafood. We had such a romantic dinner, served with delicious wine. According to Cris: ‘’as you eat here you do not eat anywhere else in the world’’.
There is a little hack to get the best of their menu. Listen carefully as this is a tip that no tourist knows: they have a special menu selection where they bring it to you without you ordering at a fixed price. One example of what we had was a mouth-watering shrimp carpaccio and
Maccheroni
Simple and typically Roman, located in the historic center of Rome
Temakinho
Sushi fusion restaurant that is attached to the Colosseum so at night and nice because you get out of the local and walk in front of the Colosseum. It also stands in a square where people gather and go to drink in the evening.
La Zanzara
Modern and very good restaurant, is near the Vatican. This is also a great cocktail bar so usually you have dinner and then drink.
BARS
Let’s start with the non-alcoholic ones, then let’s go to those for drinking options! : )
Caffè Sant’Eustachio
Stands in the center and makes the best coffee in Rome. Try passing just to drink a quick coffee with the locals. Remember, Italians only drink cappuccinos in the morning, so careful with the faux pas.
Babingtons
This place was SO NICE! It is a place that makes English tea in Piazza di Spagna that is very well known for making tea with pastries. What is amazing is that it is just next to the STAIRS which is crowded with people, but when you enter the tea shop, it is empty, and calm and fresh. It is an immediate escape from the mass tourism. I loved it – and the lemon pie was I honestly think among the best I ever had.
Bar del Fico
Nice place to have an aperitif, and attached to Piazza Navona.
Mons
Next to the Bar del Fico and is an evening meeting point of Roman life, many guys go to drink here before going to party.
Enoteca il Goccetto
Via dei banchi vecchi. Cris: ‘’you can not miss this wine bar for a glass of aperitif wine’’- an old wine shop that serves delicious wines and makes small dishes to eat, ‘’believe me, go absolutely because it’s a special place’’ (Cris)
In Trastevere area there are a thousand different bars so I suggest you directly to walk the streets and choose what you like best
Go to the square of Campo dei Fiori also here and a point where the Romans go to drink both open and in the evening and there are many bars
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Have you ever been to any of these places, or did this inspire you on trying any? I would love to hear your thoughts.
