Best restaurants in Rome: where an insider eats and drinks in the Italian capital

I’m not a Rome local (yet!) but it’s a city I visit at least twice a year. Whenever I interview Italian chefs I’ll always trade recommendations for the Eternal City. From morning coffee spots to late-night drinking dens, the 10 places here are all on my list of favourite tried-and-tested Roman restaurants that I send to anyone who asks.

For more local city guides, check out our guide to the best restaurants in Prague or the best restaurants in Athens.

Best places to eat and drink in Rome

Sant’Eustachio

For morning coffee

I have the chef Skye McAlpine to thank for suggesting Sant’Eustachio to me five years ago. Just behind the Pantheon it’s been serving countertop espresso since 1938. It can be chaotic in here: you have to queue to pay for your €1.70 espresso, before you politely elbow your way to the counter, hand over your receipt, shoot your coffee and leave. They’ll automatically add sugar unless you ask otherwise. However you take yours, pair it with a pistachio or white chocolate cannoli. caffesanteustachio.com

Salumeria Roscioli

For a stylish lunch

Bright, modern deli Roscioli has taken off so much that there’s now an outpost in New York. You shouldn’t let its expansion deter you – it remains an excellent place for a quick, relaxed lunch that spans the whole Italian larder (think Cantabrian anchovies or Pugliese mozzarella). Plates include everything from gnocchi cacio e pepe to raw Sicilian prawns with puntarelle. It’s also a lovely spot to pop in for a glass of wine – its cellar stocks more than 2,800 labels. salumeriaroscioli.com

Da Danilo

For a true trattoria

A tiny trattoria near Termini station, Da Danilo offers a perfect high-low experience: exceptional food in a traditional Roman restaurant, with walls covered in football shirts and signed photos of sports stars. It’s one of my favourite spots for a long lunch over cacio e pepe (here twirled in a whole wheel of parmesan at the tableside) and plates of various slow-cooked meats. I like to end the meal with a glass of passito (sweet wine from the Italian island of Pantelleria), which is served with a side of biscotti for dunking. trattoriadadanilo.com

La Matriciana Dal 1870

For a traditional experience

Opposite the opera house, La Matriciana’s retro lit-up sign draws you in. It’s worth nipping in to book a table in person when you first arrive in Rome, as it’s a little old-school in the best possible way. Inside it’s all terrazzo floors, dark wood tables and silver serving trolleys groaning with ready to slice meats and cheese. Its signature spaghetti amatriciana is piled messily onto branded plates but it’s one of the best in the city – as are the whole fried artichokes and chocolate pears when they’re in season. lamatriciana.it

Da Enzo

For memorable carbonara

There are often queues at this simply decorated Trastevere restaurant, especially in the summer, but the team is always happy to bring you a Campari and soda while you wait – and the food at Da Enzo is always worth it. Last time I was there it was a 40C day but we still loved piling into plates of meatballs, carbonara and fried artichokes. Make sure to leave room for the tiramisu, which is premade in branded glasses and proudly displayed inside. You can also buy them to take away if you’re too stuffed. daenzoal29.com

Da Bucatino

For a fun night out

This Testaccio restaurant is always packed with locals and it’s a lively place. You can’t come here and not order the signature bucatini amatriciana. Before it arrives at the table one of the waiters will appear to tie a huge branded bib around your neck to protect your clothes. Away from pasta, Da Bucatino does local classics extremely well: I tried Roman-style tripe and baby pork with potatoes as well as the bowl of bucatini. dabucatino.it

Al Moro

For a late dinner

Near the Trevi Fountain, Al Moro doesn’t take online bookings so it’s a good place to ask your hotel to book for you – or pop into during the day to check availability. Even if you can’t get a table until after 9pm it’s worth staying up late for as it’s full of atmosphere and the carbonara is one of the most authentic in Rome. It’s tossed at the table and is a perfect yolk colour with fat pieces of guanciale running through it. Service can be a little brisk if you’re not a local but they’ll soon warm up if you order like an Italian (in other words, don’t just share the carbonara and an Aperol spritz). ristorantealmororoma.it

Sora Margherita

For an all-Italian experience

One of the original Carbone’s first head waiters, Ricky, suggested this one – and it didn’t disappoint. It’s the kind of relaxed place where you can sit outside watching the old Jewish quarter come to life, pouring over the Italian-only handwritten menu. The rigatoni alla gricia (guanciale, coarse black pepper, pecorino romano) is rustic in the best way. I also enjoy the baked aubergines followed by a wedge of cherry and ricotta pie, served with a glass of amaro. soramargherita.com

Santo Palato

For date night

If you’re after a dark-lit dinner spot with a new take on the traditional trattoria vibe book a table here (and do it well in advance, it’s not unusual for sittings to sell out months ahead). There’s a reason for Santo Palato’s popularity: it still has classic good looks – tiled floors, vintage posters on the walls, a chalkboard menu – but the dishes coming from Sarah Cicolini’s kitchen are bold. Think a twist on the classic carbonara, giant meatballs and a riff on maritozzo. santopalatoroma.it

Drink Kong

For late-night drinks

Drink Kong was founded by Patrick Pistolesi, whose excellent NIO letterbox cocktails you might know from home. A futuristic space in Monti, Drink Kong has made it on to the World’s 50 Best Bars list many times thanks to its dedication to invention. Guests can order by mood or spirit: highlights on my most recent visit in December included the Vortex – a mix of rye whiskey, fig and bitter cacao – and the Shōgun, a martini with apricot and black sesame. Nite Kong, a hidden bar within the same building, is smaller, chicer and just as fun. drinkkong.com

More must-visits for foodies in Rome

Castroni

For coffee

Stop for coffee at the Castroni emporium on Via Cola di Rienzo. Its house bar is wedged beside shelves of the best Italian specialty produce; find a spot at the bar and sip a cappuccino al vetro (cappuccino served in a glass) surrounded by the smell of just-ground coffee and the buzz of the Prati neighbourhood. castroni.it/en

Mercato rionale Niccolini

For fresh produce

If you’re self-catering, the outdoor market on Via Niccolini (open every day but Sunday in Monteverde Vecchio) is the place to head for the pick of the season’s crops. Seek out buffalo milk ricotta and chargrilled mozzarella at Alimentari Carlo in the middle of the strip, as well as one of Rome's best fish stalls.

Via Giovanni Battista Niccolini

Ristorante Piperno

For cosy, old-school atmosphere

Double fried carciofi alla giudia are one of the undisputed pillars of the Roman table. For some of the best, make your way to Ristorante Piperno, tucked down a small street in the city’s Jewish ghetto. It serves meltingly soft artichoke hearts encased by crisp leaves in Rome’s most charming dining room. ristorantepiperno.it

The Pasta Factory

For pasta lessons

As the name suggests, Veronica Paolillo’s unique studio kitchen lies in an old pasta factory. Which is appropriate since her focus in the small group workshops she leads is firmly on pasta. Learn how to make three different types of pasta before enjoying them first-hand at a shared meal with your fellow students. airbnb.co.uk/experiences

Supplizio

For street food

The original Roman street food, supplì is a mozzarella-filled fried rice snack. At Supplizio, in the middle of the meandering streets around Via dei Banchi Vecchi, you can try a perfect rendition of the original tomato supplì, as well as cacio and pepe and carbonara varieties. supplizioroma.it

Circus Maximus Farmers Market

For porchetta sandwiches

The long tradition of bringing herb-stuffed and crackling-coated roast pork from the hinterland towns into the city continues with the selling of porchetta sandwiches. One of the best porchetta paninos is to be found at the Campagna Amica Farmer's Market in Via San Teodoro every Saturday and Sunday. circusmaximumfarmersmarket.wordpress.com

Il Goccetto

For wine

Enoteca are the best kind of wine shops: those you can have a drink in. Even better if they serve small plates of appetisers alongside the wine, as Il Goccetto does. If you’re visiting in the summer ask for a glass of chilled Grechetto from northern Lazio. @ilgoccetto

Panificio Bonci

For pizza

It’s hard to walk past this spot, on Via Trionfale, without stopping for a slice of pizza al taglio, maybe potato and mozzarella or a classic pizza rossa. If you’re self-catering you’ll also want to pick up a loaf made using the best organic stoneground flours, or a bag of artisan pastries. bonci.it

Piatto Romano – for comfort food

Aged sheep's milk pecorino cheese is a cornerstone ingredient in the big four Roman pastas: cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana and la gricia. Pull up a chair at Testaccio trattoria Piatto Romano and dive into a bowl of pasta cooked the way it should be – simple, unsophisticated and blanketed with pecorino. piattoromano.com

Words by Alice Adams Carosi, June 2019

Trust olive: Alice Adams Carosi is a cook, food stylist and the creator of Latteria studio in Rome (latteriastudio.com). Spending time at the city’s markets is happily part of her job description. Follow her on Instagram @aliceadamscarosi

Rachel Roddy's best places to eat and drink in Rome

Armando

For traditional Roman food

Metres away from the Pantheon, Armando is a quietly elegant, but not at all precious, trattoria serving excellent, traditional Roman food. Try the fettuccine con le rigaglie (fresh egg pasta with chicken livers) and the torta antica. armandoalpantheon.it

Mordi & Vai

For sandwiches

At Mordi & Vai ex-butcher Sergio Esposito’s sandwiches are some of Rome’s greatest (and best value). The classic, panino con l’ allesso, is a soft roll dipped in rich meat broth, filled with meltingly tender boiled beef. mordievai.it

Forno Campo de' Fiori

For pizza

Get to Forno Campo de’ Fiori by 11 to grab a late-morning snack. Order a slice of both pizza bianca (olive oil and salt) and pizza rossa (with tomato). Don’t stand by the door or the bins – take your hot pizza into the relative calm of Piazza Farnese and eat it beside one of the fountains.

fornocampodefiori.com

Testaccio market

For market shopping

Modern and bright Testaccio market is as tremendous and genuine as its grubbier previous incarnation. Wander between stalls selling fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and cheese, then buy mozzarella from Lina (box 89), bread and pizza from Artenio (box 90), and tomatoes and strawberries from Gianluca (box 32).

Between Via Aldo Manuzio and Via Beniamino Franklin

Flavio al Velavevodetto

For pasta

At trattoria Flavio al Velavevodetto, partly burrowed into Monte Testaccio, the quartet of classic roman pastas – carbonara, gricia, amatriciana and cacio e pepe – are all superb. In season, order artichokes either Roman-style (braised whole with mint and garlic) or Jewish-style (deep-fried until they look like an exquisite bronze flower). ristorantevelavevodetto.it

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