Rome Restaurants

  1. 'Gusto

    If Terence Conran was Italian, he might have dreamed up 'Gusto, a formerly mould-breaking warehouse-style gastronomic complex. Now it's all a bit '90s, but it still has a buzz and is a great place to sit and eye up the new Richard Meier-designed Ara Pacis museum. Go for the Neapolitan-style pizzas rather than the fusion food in the restaurant.

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  2. Africa

    Dimly lit Africa, serving Ethiopian and Eritrean food to expats and curious Romans since 1978, really feels like it could be somewhere else. The food is spicy and served without cutlery. Use your fingers to dig into falafel and sambusas (a cross between a spring roll and a samosa), and scoop up meat and vegetables with soft, spongy injera bread before finishing off with sweet halva and spicy tea. It makes a change.

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  3. Agata e Romeo

    A match made in heaven: Agata's serious food and Romeo's veritable wine cellar. Agata specialises in finding new takes on traditional dishes. Frequent crowd-pleasers include meaty coda alla vaccinara (oxtail) and exquisite filetto di tonno con semi di sesamo (tuna fillet with sesame seeds). Her millefoglie ( millefueilles; literally 'thousand leaves', small iced cakes made of puff pastry and filled with jam and cream) are legendary.

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  4. Agustarello

    Old-timer Agustarello hides its in-the-know hubbub behind frosted glass. Inside, plain and simple, is thoroughly Roman, from the clientele to the food. It serves mostly offal, specialising in sweetbreads and oxtail, but if innards aren't your thing, you'll still eat splendidly here (though veggies may want to give it a miss).

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  5. Al Bric

    Intimate and renowned, especially for its wine list, this place has several rooms in a 16th-century building, all lined with wine bottles and the lids of wooden wine boxes. Cuisine is creative and designed to complement the wines, with dishes such as grilled tomato with pecorino di fossa (sheep's cheese aged in caves) and spaghetti with figs, white prawns and Roquefort.

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  6. Al Forno della Soffitta

    None of those namby-pamby thin crusts - this is pure Neapolitan pizza, keeping workers from nearby offices happy with its cheery décor, substantial dough and fine array of toppings. Try the amatriciana , topped with pancetta and tomato.

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  7. Al Moro

    This one-time Fellini haunt feels like a step back in time with its picture-gallery dining rooms, Liberty wall lamps, cantankerous buttoned-up waiters and old-money regulars with nicknames such as la Principessa (the Princess). Join faux royals for soothing classics cicoria al brodo (chicory in broth) or melt-in-your-mouth veal liver with crusty sage and butter.

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  8. Al Presidente

    Al Presidente is a discreet, greenery-shrouded place, under the walls of the presidential palace. Its classy demeanour is matched by the sophisticated seafood-centred menu. Innovative dishes include baccalà whisked into polenta and grilled, and trippa di coda di rospo (a tripe of angler fish).

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  9. Al Settimo Gelo

    The name's a play on '7th heaven' and it's not a far-fetched title for one of Rome's finest gelato meisters, fixated on top-notch ingredients. Jaded palates shouldn't miss the Greek ice cream with cardamom, made to a vintage Afghan recipe.

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  10. Alberto Ciarla

    Alberto Ciarla's Trastevere fish restaurant is a historic landmark on Rome's gastronomic map. The décor is a time warp of 1970s glamour, and the food is spectacular in a more tasteful sense. There are three seafood tasting menus: grande cucina for lobsters, oysters and refined delicacies; cucina for Mediterranean prawn salads and pasta with seafood; and crudo for marinated raw fish and marine molluscs.

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  11. Alfredo e Ada

    Find a seat at this tiny, brick-arched and wood-panelled place, with its spindly marble-topped tables, and then eat what Ada puts in front of you (there's no menu). It'll be simple tasty staples like pasta with tomato sauce and salsiccia con fagioli (sausage with beans). Dessert comes from Ada's legendary biscuit tin.

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  12. Alle Fratte di Trastevere

    A warm, welcoming trattoria with chirpy paintings, frothy curtains, delicious food and outside seating, Alle Fratte is a big hit with savvy priests, busy businesspeople and grateful tourists, all eager to tuck into big plates of classics like orecchiette a cacio e pepe (OK, the real Roman recipe uses spaghetti) and main courses of roasted fish and escalope.

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  13. Andreotti

    Film director and Ostiense local Ferzan Ozpetek is such a fan of the pastries here, he's known to cast them in his films. They're all stars, from the fragrant almond biscotti and buttery crostate (tarts) , to the piles of golden sfogliatelle romane (ricotta-filled pastries). There's even a supporting cast of savoury gems such as frittini (fried canapés) and cute-as-a-button bruschettine (mini bruschetta).

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  14. Antica Hostaria Romanesca

    If you want to sit and eat on the happening Campo, watching the flower market by day and the bar hoppers by night, this is a good choice. It's a simple, straightforward Roman eatery, with a cramped, TV-dominated interior and lots more seating outside on the square. Food is fine and good value, including bucatini all'amatriciana and meatballs.

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  15. Antico Forno

    A minisupermarket opposite the Trevi Fountain, this busy place has a well-stocked deli counter where you can choose a filling for your freshly baked panino or pizza bianca . There's also a good selection of focaccia and pizza, and it's great value for its location. If you fancy another sandwich, follow tradition and throw a coin into the fountain.

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  16. Antico Forno Roscioli

    Not the renowned delicatessen and wine bar, but the bakery around the corner, this fabulous place lives up to the culinary standards of its brother enterprise and has delicious pizza by the slice (the pizza bianca is legendary) as well as irresistible cakes. Perfect for putting together a picnic.

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  17. Arancia Blu

    The Blue Orange, a laid-back, softly lit, contemporary-chic bistro, is the place to head for creative vegetarian food. It offers dishes such as ravioli stuffed with ricotta, black olives, pistachio and orange, and has a great wine list of more than 400 choices. The chocolate-tasting menu is a nice touch.

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  18. Armando al Pantheon

    Since 1961 this warm, family-run trattoria, almost opposite the Pantheon, has been dishing out hearty staples such as herring with red onion and beans or gnocchi with tomato sauce. It's down-to-earth, classic and authentic, despite its history - philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and footballer Pelé have both eaten here. To finish try the homemade cakes. Booking is advisable.

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  19. Asinocotto

    Asinocotto means 'cooked donkey' but don't let that put you off. The cooking here is creative, with imaginative, balanced, harmonious dishes such as loin of lamb stuffed with foie gras and caramelised figs, or swordfish with capers. The interior is invitingly hung with grapevine lighting, and it's one of Rome's few self-proclaimed gay-friendly restaurants.

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  20. B-Said

    Set in a 1920s chocolate factory, where vintage machinery and designer armchairs glow in the candlelight, this atmospheric café peddles nine types of hot chocolate (try the cardamom variety), decadent pralines and cakes, and guilt-proof salads and quiches. The adjoining shop stocks Said's sublime cocoa concoctions, including Japanese pink-tea pralines.

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  21. Babette

    An atmospheric mix of soaring warehouse ceilings, 1930s alley-style lamps, eclectic art and tranquil courtyard, Babette loves sexing-up Italian classics, whether it's brioche stuffed with baccalà (salted cod) or a seafood soup with couscous. Simpler options dominate the brunch menu (around €10 Tuesday to Friday; around €25 Saturday to Sunday), and dinner is best booked.

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  22. Babington's Tea Rooms

    More English than the English, and right by the Spanish Steps, Babington's has been serving Earl Grey to homesick tourists since the 19th century. You'll need the kind of budget worthy of a grand tour: a full high tea costs around €29 , but what else can you do when you have a crumpet craving?

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  23. Bernasconi

    Cheery and tiny, this blink-and-you'll-miss-it kosher patisserie is well worth swinging into. The cornetti (croissants filled with chocolate, marmalade or custard cream) are fabulous. It's a stand-up coffee shop: listen out for banter behind the bar and keep an eye out for the best cakes.

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  24. Boccione

    You'll spot this small, ancient, Jewish bakery by the queue. Specialities include ricotta cake with chocolate flakes and cherries, marzipan amaretto biscuits, and mostacciolo romano (a kind of sweet biscuit) - all served by authentically grumpy elderly ladies.

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  25. Boccondivino

    This 'Divine Mouthful' is surprisingly good value. A modernist marriage of steel, Roman columns, fake zebra skin and contemporary art, the design fits the largely successful fusion fare. Typical dishes include coda di rospo con caponata di melanzane e cipolla di Tropea stufate (angler fish with aubergines and Tropea onions), and there's a bargain lunchtime set menu.

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