Places to Eat in Rome
Pizzerias, Restaurants, Gelato, Wine Bars and More!

Where are the best places to eat in Rome?

Part of my job running a boutique hotel that specializes in personalized customer service is to be able to give really good, on the ground advice about Rome restaurants. 

cacio e pepe at roberto e lorettaCacio e pepe, a quintessential Roman pasta dish made to perfection at Roberto e Loretta

Places to Eat in Rome - my selections

    I have been giving restaurant advice to people for years (friends, family, friends of friends and of course our hotel guests.)

    I also do a lot of taste-testing and quality control (quality control is key here), and am constantly looking for new places to recommend.

    After years of tasting and testing so many places to eat in Rome, here are my lists.

    But in fact, it IS an on-going process, so check back for updates!

Best Trattorias and Restaurants in Rome

Where are the best places to eat in Rome? Opinions and choices abound.

If I had five nights in Rome, here is where I would eat.

Best Places to Eat in Rome For…

Cook traditional Roman food yourself - join this pasta-making class with a local chef

Eating by the Rome Sights

So many websites and Rome blogs urge you to avoid eating near all the Rome tourist sites.

Sure, you will find plenty of tourist traps, and icky fast-food options.

But that does not mean there are not good places to eat near the sites!

You just have to know where to go.

And I do.

Here are my picks for great places to eat near the Rome tourist attractions:

Where to eat and drink near Trevi Fountain

Where to eat and drink near the Pantheon

Where to eat and drink near the Spanish Steps

Where to eat near more monuments

Where to Eat Specific Foods/Cuisines in Rome

Want to know more about Italian wine before coming to Rome?

Check out our beginners guide to the amazing Italian wine on offer here!

Places to Eat in Rome during Holidays

Want to know about places to eat in Rome during holidays, when many Rome restaurants close or have limited hours?

Ready to plan your trip?

Book your train

Planning to travel between cities in Italy and other parts of Europe?

Use Trainline to see all the different options available across the different rail companies.

Find your hotel

Find your perfect place to stay in Rome.

Use Booking.com to choose between hotels, guesthouses, and self-catering apartments in neighborhoods throughout the Eternal City.

Buy your TurboPass

Purchase the convenient Turbopass and visit all of Rome's top attractions including the Colosseum, Pantheon, and Vatican.

With one handy pass, it's all included.

Gelato in Rome



Eating Customs in Rome Italy

Wondering about eating customs in Rome Italy?

Love Food? Italian Food? Roman Food?

Why not sign up for a Food Tour in Rome?

Learn all about Roman Cuisine and taste as you go!

Non-touristy restaurants in Rome

One way to avoid eating with other tourists is to not go out to eat in a restaurant in the historic center of Rome.

Yes, there are some very local restaurants in the center, some of my favorites in fact.

But, being the center of Rome, there are tourists, and they will find these restaurants too.

That is a little facetious, I know, and I don’t actually suggest you avoid eating in the center.

I am just saying, Rome is not all that big so you will run into other tourists.

da danilo dinner crowdDining at Da Danilo, just outside the tourist center of Rome

The second factor is, what time do you want to eat?

Most Romans go out to dinner around 8:45, 9pm or later.

Restaurants do open at 7 or 7:30 (and some are starting to open even earlier), but you won’t find any locals eating at that hour.

Some of my favorite restaurants in Rome, and some of the most Roman trattorias, include restaurants in the historic center.

Just keep in mind, they will seem more local if you go out to eat at a later hour.  

But, I also will recommend some wonderful restaurants that are in other, less touristy neighborhoods, so if you are staying in one of those, or, feel like getting a cab there, then you can really see more of a local scene as well!


The perfect 3-day itinerary in Rome

Trying to figure out how to organize your visit to Rome? I've got the perfect 3-day itinerary for first-time visitors (or those who have not been here in a while.) It works for a 2.5 day visit as well.

In my 3-day itinerary, you'll see all the major must-see Rome attractions like the Vatican, Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, Castel Sant'Angelo, and much more.

And if you have more time, or want suggestions for extra/other things to do, you'll find that there too.

Visit my page with the best 3-day itinerary in Rome for first-timers.



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