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$ | Monti |
A short walk from the Roman Forum, this small Roman chain serves excellent gelato, including familiar favorites and adventurous flavors such as Gorgonzola, olive, and tobacco. A bench outside offers relief after a day of walking.
Piazza degli Zingari 5, Rome, Latium, Italy
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$ | Trastevere |
The scent of cookies wafts out into the street as you approach this family-run bakery, where a small team makes sweet treats the old-school way in a massive oven bought in the 1960s. There are dozens of varieties of baked goods, mostly sweet but some savory. Try the brutti ma buoni and anything made with almond paste or covered in chocolate.
Via della Luce 21, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Old-school family-run bakery
- Dozens of varieties of baked goods
- Brutti ma buoni ("ugly but good") cookies
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed 2 wks in Aug.
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$ | Trastevere |
People from all over Rome come to this family-run bakery that's been turning out delicious desserts since 1920. Try the brutti ma buoni ("ugly but good") almond cookies or anything with chocolate or jam. Stefania runs the place with her daughters, Michela and Manuela, and says her fondest memories of the bakery are from when she was a child, watching her father operate the 1950s oven, still in use today.
Via della Luce 21, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Torta Sacher
- Savory snacks for an on-the-go bite
- Light-as-air profiteroles
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed mid-July–Aug., and Sun. in early July and Sept.
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$$ | Trastevere |
This always crowded pizzeria opens early and closes late, and in between it's packed with locals, tourists, and sports fans who know they can watch the Roma soccer team play on big, flat-screen TVs. The selection of pizzas is large, with delicious mains available as well. The coveted street-side tables are a great spot from which to view Trastevere's people parade. The service can be slow, so don't go for a quick meal.
Via di San Francesco a Ripa 158, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Mixed-vegetables pizza
- Sports-friendly atmosphere
- Long, leisurely meals
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and 2 wks in Jan. No lunch.
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$ | Trastevere |
There's no shortage of old-school trattorias in Trastevere, but this one has a strong following. Both locals and expats enjoy the brusque but "authentic" service and the hearty Roman fare; snag a table outside in warm weather for the true Roman experience of cobblestone-terrace dining.
Vicolo del Mattonato 2, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Bombolotti (a tubular pasta) all'amatriciana
- Spaghetti cacio e pepe
- Involtini (beef rolls)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Tues., and Aug. No lunch Wed.–Sat.
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$ | Trastevere |
Romans drive across town for great pizza from this neighborhood institution, which offers both thin-crust and thick-crust (alta) Neapolitan-style pies with any of the given toppings. It doesn't accept reservations, so arrive early or late, or expect to wait in line. Service from the owners and friendly waitstaff is smile-inducing. For food on the go, a smaller location on Via della Scala sells pizza by the slice.
Vicolo del Bologna 45, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- "superformaggio" (i.e., cheese lover's) pizza
- Dessert calzone with Nutella and ricotta cheese
- Friendly service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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$ | Piazza di Spagna |
Established in 1878, Venchi is one of Italy's premier confectioners, and you'll see the brand all over the country. At this brick-and-mortar shop, you can buy chocolate as well as gelato, made fresh daily. The nougat and caramel flavors are fabulous, and, of course, there are several chocolate variations, but the real crowd-pleaser is the fountain of melted chocolate that takes up the entire wall behind the counter. There's a second location on Via della Croce, but this branch is more impressive.
Via del Corso 335, Rome, Latium, 00187, Italy
Known For
- Free-flowing melted chocolate
- Creamy gelato flavors
- Packaged candies
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$ | Piazza di Spagna |
Many people say this place—which is around the corner from the Trevi Fountain and had a cameo in the movie Eat, Pray, Love—serves the best gelato in Rome. Creative flavors like black fig, chocolate rum, Armagnac, and ginger-cinnamon all incorporate top-notch ingredients, and the shop is known for keeping its gelato hidden under metal covers to better preserve the quality.
Via della Panetteria 42, Rome, Latium, 00183, Italy
Known For
- Seasonal fruit flavors
- Offering only cups and no cones
- Wine-based gelato
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$ | Trastevere |
This no-frills pizzeria al taglio (by the slice) and bakery is hidden a few minutes away from Piazza Trilussa. As in many traditional bakeries, pizza is sold by weight, so get yours sliced to the size you want. In the mornings, the pastries hot out of the oven are equally enticing.
Via del Moro 15, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Classic Roman pizza from a wood-fired oven
- No additives or animal fats
- Homemade breads and sweets
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$$ | Testaccio |
This family-run institution has been serving seafood in the working-class Testaccio neighborhood for more than 40 years, and if you visit the local market early enough you might spot the owner selecting the freshest fish, which mainly arrives from Gaeta, south of Rome. The menu changes every day, but look for house specialties like paccheri (a very large, tubular pasta) with totani (baby calamari), pasta with telline (small clams), or the wondrously simple spaghetti with lobster. Start with appetizers from the cart that the waiter can wheel over to the table, or opt for the excellent moscardini fritti (fried, small squid). Although the menu has non-seafood Roman classics like cacio e pepe and pajata (intestines of an unweaned calf), this really is the place to order fish.
Via Evangelista Torricelli 2/12, Rome, Latium, Italy
Known For
- Fresh, local seafood
- Relaxed but refined setting with outdoor seating
- Polpette di pesce al sugo (fish balls in tomato sauce)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$ | Trastevere |
You might overlook Osteria der Belli because of its proximity to the central square of Trastevere, Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere—and that would be a crying shame. Leo, the owner, is Sardinian and has been running this place daily for over 35 years, and, while Roman dishes are on the menu, it excels at seafood and Sardinian cuisine. Between the friendly service and quality food, this one's a real find in an otherwise-touristy part of Trastevere.
Piazza di Sant’Apollonia 11, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Sea bass carpaccio
- Ravioli or fettuccine alla sarda (in a creamy mushroom sauce)
- Large outdoor patio
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and 3 wks in Jan.
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$ | Trastevere |
A slow wander through town for a scoop of gelato after lunch or dinner is a summer sport in Rome. Galley-sized Otaleg is a must in Trastevere, where gelato master Marco Radicioni dreams up concoctions like croccante totale (completely crunchy) with fiordilatte, toasted nuts, sesame, and honey, as well as perfectly distilled seasonal fruit sorbets made with produce from the nearby open-air market in Piazza San Cosimato.
Via di San Cosimato, 14a, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Neighborhood go-to
- Creative flavors
- High-quality ingredients
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$ | Esquilino |
Opened in 1929, this bakery sells both sweet and savory items, including more than 70 types of bread. Line up for the pizza al taglio (by the slice) at lunchtime, or sit down at one of the outdoor tables for a cappuccino and cornetto or an aperitivo replete with mini sandwiches made on homemade buns. There's also a small location inside Termini Station where you can grab a quick espresso on the way to catch a train.
Via Merulana 54, Rome, Latium, 00185, Italy
Known For
- One of Rome's best bakeries
- Crostata, tartlets, and other sweet treats
- Espresso with zabaione
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$ | Trastevere |
This place is packed pretty much every night with diners munching on crisp pizzas that come out of the wood-burning ovens at top speed. It's best not to go during peak dining hours, so go early or late if you don't want to wait. Fortunately there's lots of great nightlife in the area so you can make a whole evening of it.
Viale Trastevere 53, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Excellent wood-oven pizzas
- Fried starters such as supplì (breaded fried rice balls)
- Open until midnight for a late-night bite
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed. and 3 wks in Aug.
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$ | Trastevere |
Trastevere's best supplì (Roman-style rice croquettes) have been served at this hole-in-the-wall takeout spot since 1979. At lunchtime, the line spills out onto the street with locals who've come for the namesake treats, as well as fried baccalà fillets and stuffed zucchini flowers. The thin-crust pizza al taglio is baked the old-fashioned way—in low-rise rectangular pans—and the marinara version is a must. A few daily pasta specials are available, too.
Via di San Francesco a Ripa 137, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Old-fashioned baked pizza with spicy marinara sauce
- Gnocchi on Thursday (the traditional day for it in Rome)
- Classic fried risotto ball with ragù or cacio e pepe
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and 2 wks in Aug.
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$$ | Trastevere |
Named for the island that it sits on in the middle of the Tiber River, Tiberino is a historic café that has gotten a modern makeover. In the morning, stop in for a pastry topped with slivered almonds or a savory panino with mortadella and arugula. The coffee bar has also expanded into a restaurant for those who want a hot meal rather than a snack on-the-go. By the afternoon, the gelateria does brisk business selling scoops to visitors passing over the bridge (which happens to be Rome's oldest) linking Trastevere to the Jewish Ghetto.
Via di Ponte Quattro Capi, 18, Rome, Latium, 00186, Italy
Known For
- Shady outdoor seating
- Unique setting in the center of Rome's only island
- Freshly squeezed seasonal juice
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.–Wed.
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$ | Testaccio |
Stefano Callegari is one of Rome's most famous pizza makers, but at Trapizzino he's doing something a bit different. The name of the restaurant is derived from the Italian words for sandwich (tramezzino) and pizza, and the result is something like an upscale pizza pocket, stuffed on the spot with local specialties like chicken alla cacciatore, or trippa (tripe), or roast pumpkin, pecorino, and almonds. The supplì (fried risotto balls) are also delicious.
Via Giovanni Branca 88, Rome, Latium, 00153, Italy
Known For
- Casual setting, with seating available next door
- Eggplant parmigiana and meatball sandwiches
- Italian craft beer
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed 1 wk in Aug.