Must-see restaurants in Rome

  • Caffè Propaganda

    San Giovanni & Testaccio

    One of the few decent eateries near the Colosseum, this modish Parisian-inspired bistro features a striking zinc bar, 5m-high ceilings, marble-topped…

  • Caffè delle Arti

    Rome

    The cafe-restaurant of La Galleria Nazionale sits in neoclassical splendour in a tranquil corner of Villa Borghese, with a dedicated entrance on the…

  • La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali

    Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo

    It's easy to dismiss a restaurant as being 'too touristy', but this can be unjust. Yes, this family-operated trattoria is popular with foreign tourists…

  • Osteria dell’Ingegno

    Centro Storico

    This casual bistro and wine bar opposite the Temple of Hadrian is an enticing spot with its colourful, art-filled interior and prime location on a…

  • Angelina

    Southern Rome

    This relaxed bar-lounge-bistro-cafe manages to be almost all things to all people. It has a country-house feel and serves comfort food from a bit after…

  • Doozo

    Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo

    Doozo (meaning ‘welcome’) is an elegant and serene restaurant, bookshop and art gallery owned by a chef hailing from Tokyo. It serves traditional Japanese…

  • Vitaminas 24

    Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo

    Produce from Rome's agricultural surrounds goes into the delicious 100% organic smoothies, soups, dips, wraps, salads, burgers and other vegetarian and…

  • Mozzico

    Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo

    Cool jazz wafts out into the street when the door to this simple bistro and birreria (beer house) opens. The shabby chic interior has an open kitchen as…

  • Forno di Campo de' Fiori

    Centro Storico

    This buzzing bakery on Campo de' Fiori, divided into two adjacent shops, does a roaring trade in panini and delicious fresh-from-the-oven pizza al taglio …

  • Pro Loco Pinciano

    Rome

    Like a number of Rome's newer, popular eateries, Pro Loco Pinciano is something of a culinary all-rounder. It serves regional cured meats and cheeses from…

  • Venchi

    Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale

    A wall in this gorgeous boutique features a cascade of shiny dark chocolate – 350kg in all, mixed with a spot of olive oil. Shop here for chocolates and…

  • Rumi Bottega Organica

    Trastevere & Gianicolo

    There is a real charm to this tiny down-to-earth bottega organica (organic market) in Trastevere where a knowing crowd lingers over sassy farro- and pulse…

  • Sora Mirella Caffè

    Trastevere & Gianicolo

    Overlooking the Tiber, this traditional steel-grey kiosk is the place for a summer grattachecca (crushed ice covered in fruit and syrup), the favoured…

  • Cafè Cafè

    San Giovanni & Testaccio

    Cosy, relaxed and welcoming, this cafe-bistro is a far cry from the many impersonal eateries around the Colosseum. With its rustic wooden tables,…

  • La Torricella

    San Giovanni & Testaccio

    A long-standing local favourite, La Torricella is a copybook neighbourhood restaurant with formal white-starched tablecloths and a menu to cover all bases…

  • Caffetteria Chiostro del Bramante

    Centro Storico

    Few cafes are as beautifully located as this one on the 1st floor of Bramante's elegant Renaissance cloisters. With tables above the central courtyard and…

  • Renato e Luisa

    Centro Storico

    A Roman favourite, this much-lauded backstreet trattoria is often packed. Chef Renato's menu features updated Roman classics that while modern and…

  • Pigneto Quarantuno

    Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo

    Traditional dishes including pasta carbonara and Roman-style tripe mingle with more creative primi and secondi on the menu at this small and stylish…

  • Venchi

    Centro Storico

    Forget fancy flavours and experimental combinations, Venchi is all about the unadulterated enjoyment of chocolate. The wall shelves and counter displays…

  • Checchino dal 1887

    San Giovanni & Testaccio

    A pig’s whisker from the city’s former slaughterhouse, this old-school restaurant is a long-standing champion of the quinto quarto (fifth quarter – or…

  • Da Enzo

    Trastevere & Gianicolo

    A tiny and staunchly traditional trattoria with a menu featuring all the Roman classics, Da Enzo carefully sources its produce, relying on farms in Lazio…

  • Osteria del Sostegno

    Centro Storico

    Follow the green neon arrow to the end of a narrow alley and you’ll find this intimate trattoria. It's a long-standing favourite of business folk and…

  • Molto

    Rome

    Fashionable and quietly chic, Molto is a Parioli favourite. The discreet entrance gives onto an elegant, modern interior and open-air terrace, while the…

  • Pompi

    Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale

    Now a chain operation, Rome's most famous vendor of tiramisu (which literally means 'pick me up') sells takeaway cartons of the deliciously rich yet light…

  • Don

    Trastevere & Gianicolo

    A small corner of Naples in Trastevere, Don serves authentic fried pizzas. These golden half-moons of doughiness and melted cheese are delicious and…

  • Vivi Bistrot

    Centro Storico

    Rustic decor goes hand in hand with baroque elegance at this handsome bistro on the ground floor of Palazzo Braschi, home to the Museo di Roma. Its menu…

  • La Barrique

    Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo

    As popular with local residents as it is with tourists, this osteria offers a menu of creative pastas and mains inspired by what's fresh at the local…

  • Imàgo

    Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale

    Even in a city of great views, the panoramas from the Michelin-starred romantic rooftop restaurant at Roma Hassler are special, extending over a sea of…

  • La Campana

    Centro Storico

    Caravaggio, Goethe and Federico Fellini are among the luminaries who have dined at what is said to be Rome’s oldest trattoria, dating from around 1518…

  • Officina Naturale

    Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale

    Placing a premium on fresh and healthy produce, this spacious white-tiled cafe is particularly popular with lunching office workers. Menus are chalked up…

  • Armando al Pantheon

    Centro Storico

    With its cosy traditional interior and unwavering dedication to old-school Roman cuisine, family-run Armando's is almost as well known as its neighbour,…

  • Serenella

    Rome

    For the best sliced pizza near Villa Borghese park, search out this humble takeaway. Pizzas come capped with a selection of imaginative toppings and a…

  • Est Artigiani del Gusto

    Centro Storico

    A pearl among the tourist traps near Via del Governo Vecchio, this cosy bar-bistro is a good address to have up your sleeve. It's open all day, serving…

  • Pastificio Guerra

    Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale

    A brilliant budget find, this old-fashioned pasta shop (1918) serves up two choices of pasta from its kitchen hatch. It’s fast food, Italian style –…

  • Lilli

    Centro Storico

    Few tourists make it to this long-standing neighbourhood trattoria on a cobbled cul-de-sac near Ponte Sant'Angelo. But it still gets busy as local diners…

  • Piperno

    Centro Storico

    This historic Ghetto restaurant, complete with dated decor and a rather starchy atmosphere, is a top spot for traditional Jewish-Roman cooking. Signature…

  • Fa-Bìo

    Vatican City, Borgo & Prati

    Sandwiches, wraps, salads, breakfast bowls, soup and fresh juices are all prepared with speed, skill and fresh locally sourced organic ingredients at this…

  • Il Giardino di Giulia e Fratelli

    Southern Rome

    Just north of the tomb of Cecilia Metella, this garden cafe is a bucolic delight. Book one of the well-spaced tables beneath the orange trees and feast on…

  • Nino

    Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale

    With a look that has endured since this restaurant opened in 1934 (wrought-iron chandeliers, polished dark wood and white tablecloths), Nino is enduringly…

  • Il Gianfornaio

    Rome

    This casual all-day eatery is a skilled jack of all trades, serving a fantastic range of sweet and savoury snacks – think cornettos (Italian croissants),…

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