When travelling to Rome, eat first, eat second, then break the seal to explore the multiple boxes of your discovery craft. Undeniably, Italy was and is still dominates as a food Arcadia. Whatever city you land in, local ingredients will crack their way to your heart. As someone who could easily plan a trip to literally eat and repeat, craving for Rome conferred the dare to mostly escape touristic scams.
Whereas rules fade away and focuses shift to ruins‘ layouts and endless clichés, emotions from diffused smells, hectic sounds and scattered scapes produce long-lasting memories. Yet, no trip to Italy is food-free, if we add the promise of a succulent Roman food immersion to the equation, then you have no choice but to work up your appetite.
To help you embark on your Roman food expedition and to prop up any eventual struggles you might face, these are my favourite handpicked food addresses for you to try the next time your way lead you to Rome.
1. TAVERNA DEI SEMINARIO:
Located 1 minute away from the Panthéon, this typical roman restaurant is a cozy corner for an evening rest after visiting one of Rome’s most appealing landmarks. This taverna offers authentic local delights from Italian dishes to Mediterranean savours. Plates served suit all tastes and pockets with a price range between 10-29 Euros, including some vegetarian friendly options and the traditional seating adds a lovely touch to the feast.
My front-runner for this place was definitely their ‘Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe’, a creamy symbolic dish of roman and Italian cuisine. The secret behind the must eat in Rome lies in its simple flavors: the pungent aroma of toasted crushed peppercorns dipped in a slowly creamed pasta with a generous handful of Pecorino Romano cheese. An unimaginably tasty combo in one pan, that one specifically made for you.
When it comes to sweets, I highly recommend their version of the most loved Italian made spoon dessert and one of Rome’s must try, Tiramisu.
Prepare your fork, have a look at their website ‘TAVERNA DEI SEMINARIO and get a little high on the Roman feel.
LOCATION: GOOGLE MAPS | TAVERNA DEI SEMINARIO
2. CARLO MENTA:
When I first reached out to one of my friends living in Rome for food recommendations, she jumped scream through capital letters ‘CARLO MENTA’. I made sure to honor my part of the deal and head there. First, it is in Trastevere, the vibrant medieval neighborhood across the Tiber River. Second, it has a sidewalk terrace to immerse into the chaotic multilingual chitchats and the symphonic pinch of Italian.
It is a real TDP address to eat in Rome, which is by the way how I put together the sum of Typical, Delicious, and Reasonably Priced. From appetizers, pizza, pasta all the way to the desserts, this crowded restaurant is definitely not to miss. Lots to list, on one hand, I am tempted to say their ‘spaghetti frutta del mare’, that tasty seaside resort of prawns and clams aromatized with chopped garlic. On the other hand, I am thinking about their ‘Quattro Formaggi’ pizza crust and explosion of creamy cheese goodness. Let alone the ‘Carpese salad’ & ‘Bruschetta’ for a pre-meal stroll around the Italian cuisine as you run through the serving, to perfectly end the buzzing regale with Tiramisu.
LOCATION: GOOGLE MAPS | CARLO MENTA
3. CANTINA E CUCINA:
Keeping the list in a vintage style signature, this recommendation is another authentic restaurant to pin on the map. For this one, the queue is quite long so the sooner you show up the sooner you are served – preferably before 6:30pm.
Watchword? Emotion. Motto? ‘Mangiare è un’esperienza emozionale’ which literally means ‘Eating is an emotional experience’. Mentioned in many culinary and travel guides, Cantina e cucina is a brunch, lunch, and late-night dinner spot. For this eat in Rome essential, I would say go for the Buffalo Mozzarella pizza, haven’t tried it myself but my mouth watered seeing it. As a starter, nothing is left to chance with ‘Carciofi Alla Romana’, a plate made around the beauty of a fried artichoke, a Lazio tradition but the roman style. As simple as it sounds, get ready to dive into a mix of mint and garlic seasoned violet artichoke, slowly cooked from a hard-skin flower into a soft fragrant side dish. Here is the link to their website, CANTINA E CUCINA, live it a little or live it all up, your call.
LOCATION: GOOGLE MAPS | CANTINA E CUCINA
4. ORECCHIETTERIA BANFI:
In Rome there is definitely no shortage of spots to slake your pasta fever. Banfi is both a regional cuisine gem and a street food inspired dishes restaurant. When we lunched there, pasta cheered our tastebuds. No antipasti needed; we plunged straight into the Primi. What initiated as a lunch experience ended up being a must–go–back–to place whenever traveling to Rome.
A ‘Porca Puttena’, a vegetarian serving with tomato sauce, smoked green and black Bella di Cerignola olives, capers, poached garlic, parsley, chilli pepper and grated turmeric Taralli – not to meddle with chefs, my friend and I couldn’t remember it all, I kind of had to review the menu again and translate.Then, a ‘Carbonera’, the roman must with eggs, 12 months Parmesan, Martina Franca bacon and Apulian pecorino foam – Haven’t tried it myself, but my friend’s grinned from ear to ear.
And last but not least, an ‘Italiene’, this time with a typical rocket pesto, basil and almonds, datterini tomatoes, hard ricotta flakes and spiced almond grains – my order and luckily not too strong for my medium-pesto being. If you want to take a break, then head there to soak up in a calm environment before relaunching yourself to bustling Roma.
LOCATION: GOOGLE MAPS | ORECCHIETTERIA BANFI
5. MERCATO CENTRALE:
The last address is what we can refer to as a food hub. The place where for the all–inclusive eating experience in Rome. Initially founded in Florence, this food concept made its way to Roma, and recently to both Turin & Milan with a strong statement: “La bontà è elementare”.
If you visit their website you will meet the three pillars of this new style of eating: include the artisans and their expertise into the food scene again, reintroduce the idea of a marketplace dedicated to taste, and provide a cultural shared place for events and meaningful moments.
Rather than asking what you can’t try, cross-search what you can find. Everything is there, from fried food, Sicilian specialties, fresh fish and pizza to mushrooms, truffle and cheese stores, including vegetarian and vegan wide offers with an international taste of sushi and Ramen, without forgetting ice creams and pastries. Everything is a walk away from your table. This culinary laboratory happens here MERCATO CENTRALE. – The graphic design of this place is so lit.
LOCATION: GOOGLE MAPS | MERCATO CENTRALE
Honestly, I have no idea how I did manage to narrow my all time favorite Rome-food spots to only 5. Well, at least I know I can still impress myself. Anyway, If you are looking for other recommendations, street-food wise, you might want to go and check my street food bites from Rome article, where I have listed dishes and addresses I think are worth the detour.
And as a friend would say BE ROME–ANTIC AND ALWAYS SPOIL YOURSELF.
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