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. 

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

• Non-touristy restaurants - The most common question I get is, "Can you recommend a nice little trattoria where the locals eat, somewhere not touristy? We want simple, good food, nothing fancy."
• What are the best Rome trattorias (serving local Roman cuisine)
• Great cheap restaurants in Rome
• Where to eat in Trastevere

Best Places to Eat in Rome For…

• Where can I have a nice salad for lunch in Rome?
• My choices for enotecas (wine bars) in Rome
• Where can we have a romantic dinner in Rome?
• Where can we have dinner with a view in Rome?
• Dining gluten-free
• Outdoor dining in Rome
  
• Rooftop aperitivo

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

• Where can I get really good seafood in Rome?
• Where is the best pizza in Rome?
• Where to eat vegan/vegetarian in Rome?
• What restaurants have really authentic carbonara in Rome?

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?

• Where can we eat in August in Rome, when so much of the city shuts down?
• What restaurants are open in Rome at Christmas?
• Where can we eat over the Christmas holidays in Rome?
• What and Where to eat on New Years in Rome?
• Where to eat in Rome at Easter?
• Looking for a turkey dinner in Rome on Thanksgiving? Yes, you can find that, too!

Gelato in Rome

• My 10 Best gelato in Rome
• All about gelato in Rome - how to tell the difference between real and fake gelato, flavors to try, and more.
• Gelato near the Pantheon
• Gelato near the Spanish Steps

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Eating Customs in Rome Italy

Wondering about eating customs in Rome Italy?

• Click here to read about Italian food customs.
• What foods do Romans eat?
• Want to eat some spaghetti Bolognese in Rome? How about chicken parmesan? These are not Roman or even Italian foods. Find out about Rome Food Myths.
• How to order coffee in Rome
• Wondering how Italians stay so slim? Check my tips on Eating Healthy in Rome.

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.

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!

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