Gastronomic route in Rome: Discover the Italians’ favorite restaurants

We propose you a gastronomic tour in Rome: 5 spots the Romans cherish. Because Italy is more than just pasta and ice cream, we take you to discover the culinary pleasures where the Italians find them.

Dishes to feel the pulse of a city that never leaves you indifferent Join the Romans and share their passion for good food. Ready to start the tour?

5 restaurants serving the 5 musts of the Roman cuisine

1. Arriving from Fiumicino, you enter Rome through the southwest, this is why we start with the Giannicolense neighborhood. We recommend the Pizzeria Gianicolense, at Circonvallazione Gianicolense 238 A. Book in advance, because many Romans choose it to taste the specialty of the house: the camicia, a hybrid between pizza and calzone, stuffed with various ingredients. Delightful.

This is a popular, less-visited area, here you find the Villa Doria Pamphilij, a peaceful place to relax. With your strength regained, walk down to the iconic Trastevere. In its labyrinth of streets and squares you will find treasures such as the splendid mosaics of Santa Maria in Trastevere and the joyful bustle of its square.

2. Cross now the Tiber at the Ponte Testaccio to get to the hill with the same name. At the Da Felice Restaurant, Via Mastro Giorgio 29, you will be served, they say, the best spaghetti with cheese and pepper of the whole city. Reservation advised... In this area you will find the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls and the Pyramid of Cestius.

3. We're going to another hill: the Esquiline.
   On your way, you’ll find the Via Merulana. Close nearby you can find I Buoni Amici Restaurant, at Via Aleardo Aleardi, 4. It’s a pleasant place, adored by the local clientele. Try the risotto ai funghi (mushroom rice). And do not miss the Basilica of St. John Lateran and of the Holy Cross in Gerusalemme nearby.

4. Do not leave without trying the real carbonara. Heads up: it’s not your typical cream sauce. Let Trattoria da Danilo at Via Petrarca 13 show you how it’s done, it will be well worth it. In passing, visit the Baths of Trajan - without the overwhelming masses - and Santa Maria Maggiore.

5. A Roman classic since 1957: the Ristorante Matricianella, at the heart of the city, Via del Leone, 4. They serve the authentic pasta all'amatriciana and the abbacchio (lamb) with different preparations. Reservation required!
   It’s next to the Piazza di Spagna, enjoy the incomparable atmosphere and stroll down Via Condotti: if you are a fashion victim, you may cave in.

No, we didn’t forget the desserts

A different and essential note: Roman sweets and desserts. There are many and they are all delicious. To mention the most famous: the Panna cotta, the tiramisu, the tartufo, the amaretti, the pasticciotti…, any of them you can taste at the recommended restaurants.

And then comes the climax: the omnipresent gelatti. You will find hundreds of ice cream parlors throughout the city, but we loved Giolitti, Via Uffici del Vicario, 40, near the imposing Pantheon of Agrippa, and Frigidarium, Via del Governo Vecchio, 112, next to the sublime Piazza Navona.

This is our Rome gastronomic tour proposal: now it's your turn, get going … and good luck!