13 of the best restaurants in Rome

Annabelle Schweineberg

As Assist. Marketing & Communications Manager Annabelle knows the concept of Le Petit Chef like no other. If you have any questions, she is the right person to contact.

Last Update: February 25th, 2026

Rome is one of the most visited cities in Europe, the most popular tourist location in Italy, and the capital of „Bella Italia“. There is plenty to see in Rome and, of course, plenty to eat. Italians are proud of their homemade specialties, which include pizza and pasta but also so much more. Here are our 13 best places to eat in Rome, including must-visit restaurants and funky food spots.

Tip #1: Bonci Pizzarium

In 2003, Gabriele Bonci opened Pizzarium, a pizza-by-the-slice shop close to Vatican City. In a large shop, Bonci, the so-called „master of dough“, offers a dozen different pizza options.

Bonci’s Pizzarium is quite famous and known from TV shows and Netflix. It is popular with tourists and locals, who line up especially around lunchtime.

Chef Bonci is known for his love of all things local, supporting agriculture and using the freshest ingredients. The base of his pizza is different from other pizza places in town: an almost bubbly base with crispy edges but still a certain softness inside.

Visitors take a number and choose a pizza, which is cut with scissors. The toppings vary with the seasons and are the result of the chef’s inspiration and creativity.

5 Reasons Why You Need to Visit Le Petit Chef

Continue reading to find out how Le Petit Chef will turn your next evening into an extraordinary experience you’ll be talking about for years to come.

Tip #2: Colline Emiliane

It is a love letter to the Emilia region of Italy that Anna and Paola Latini are serving to their guests at Colline Emiliane. This little family restaurant is all about tradition, family, quality, and artisanship.

Le Colline Emiliane first opened its doors in 1931. In 1967, the Latini clan took over the kitchen, and they still prepare traditional meals with the freshest ingredients.

Fresh pasta is made with a rolling pin and stretched by hand daily in the traditional way. Desserts are made in-house using the best ingredients. This is what Colline Emiliane is known for. Tortellini, gnocchi, and lasagna, but not only pasta — also roast beef and a variety of beautiful, traditional Italian starters show up on the menu.

Don’t forget the „dolci“: Mousse di zabaione, Torta di noci e caramello, and Torta di pere caramellate made according to a family recipe.

Sun/Mon: Closed
Tue – Sat: 12.45 pm – 2.45 pm and 7.30 pm – 10.45 pm
Via degli Avignonesi, 22
00187 Rome
Italy
+39 06 481 7538
collineemilianeroma@gmail.com
collineemiliane1931

Tip #3: Trattoria Al Moro

The Trevi Fountain is just a few steps away from this family trattoria with over 100 years of tradition. Despite its location, Al Moro is beloved by locals and is not a very touristy spot.

Typical dishes of Roman cuisine with a modern twist are served in a formal dining room and at a handful of outdoor tables. Every morning, Al Moro’s chefs browse the local farmers‘ markets for fresh, high-quality, local ingredients.

The third generation of Romagnoli family members is operating Trattoria Al Moro. They are feeding not just locals but also famous regulars like Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts, and Richard Gere.

Tip #4: Felice a Testaccio

Felice is a traditional Roman trattoria in a very traditional Roman neighborhood. Founded in 1936 by Felice Trivelloni, the restaurant was a lunch place for street workers and the poor folks of the neighborhood.

Testaccio has changed, but it’s still a true residential neighborhood, and Felice is still run by the Trivelloni clan. In the meantime, his son Franco took over and is dedicated to modernizing the space while keeping the old family recipes and traditions alive.

Enjoy „Cucina Romana“ with selected local and fresh ingredients. Folks rave about their Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe, a basic but delicious Roman pasta dish with grated Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper. It’s also very hard to resist the Carciofi alla Romana.

Tip #5: Pastificio Guerra

Make sure you don’t miss out on Pastificio Guerra when in Rome! This small and hidden food spot near the Spanish Steps offers homemade pasta variations to go.

Quality and taste are excellent, with the potential to be the best pasta in Rome. Every day, two varieties are offered here: one with meat and one without.

It’s not a restaurant but a shop, so you can be inspired by the delicious offerings and prepare your own version at home with their products — ideal if you’re struck by wanderlust again after your stay in Rome.

5 Reasons Why You Need to Visit Le Petit Chef

Continue reading to find out how Le Petit Chef will turn your next evening into an extraordinary experience you’ll be talking about for years to come.

Tip #6: Trapizzino

Street food is trendy all over the world, and Trapizzino is what Italians call their most beloved street food. Of course, some kind of pizza has to be involved in the Italian version of street food.

Trapizzino is a play on words that comes from the union of the words „tramezzino“ (the Italian sandwich) and „pizza“. It was invented ten years ago by pizza maker Stefano Callegari and is a triangle-shaped pizza pocket stuffed with all sorts of Italian goodness.

The fillings range from classic Roman recipes to traditional recipes from other regions of Italy. Another street food the restaurant is famous for is „Supplì“ — little risotto rice balls made with Carnaroli rice, breaded with trapizzino breadcrumbs, deep-fried, and stuffed with many surprises.

Trapizzino offers some traditional Italian „dolci“ as well, such as tiramisu or a Dolce Trapizzino with house-made ice cream.

5 locations in Rome
For example: Ponte Milvio:
Mon – Thu: 12:00 pm – 01:00 am
Fri + Sat: 12:00 pm – 02:00 pm
Sun: 12:00 pm – 01:00 am
Ponte Milvio: Piazzale di Ponte Milvio 13
Ponte Milvio: Phone: +39 0633221964
info@trapezzino.it
trapizzino

Tip #7: Rifugio Romano

„Cucina tradizionale e vegana“ is what Rifugio Romano writes on its banners. This always busy, old-school trattoria offers a quite extensive menu for plant-based eaters as well as a regular menu.

This makes it the perfect spot for folks with different diets. One thing both menus have in common: they feature very traditional Italian recipes and eats.

After thirty years in catering, the family clan decided to open their own restaurant with specialized chefs in traditional and vegan cuisine. The dishes are a result of a mix of passion and professionalism.

The selection ranges from pizza and calzone with melting vegan cheese and vegan ham to cordon bleu and saltimbocca (the vegan version is made of seitan), and „dolci e gelati“ like panna cotta, zoccolette, and tiramisu. Almost everything is available in a vegan version.

Tip #8: Marzapane

Would you like to have brunch in Rome? Then we highly recommend Marzapane with its delicious brunch menu.

Here you can expect international breakfast classics such as eggs Benedict, avocado toast, or pancakes, as well as various salads and sandwiches.

It’s the ideal place for a relaxed start to your day or to satisfy your hunger between meals. There are also delicious pastries and takeaway options, so you’ll be even better prepared for your city tour after your stay here!

Tip #9: Otaleg

„It’s just ice cream,“ some would say. But most people who have tried Otaleg will tell you: it’s the best ice cream in Rome. This means a lot, as Rome sells ice cream on almost every corner. „Otaleg“ is simply „Gelato“ spelled backwards.

Otaleg was born as an „aquarium“ ice cream shop in the Colli Portuensi area. The mastermind behind it, Mario Radicioni, produced the ice cream in sight of the visitors in a glass case.

Today, Otaleg operates two shops and has many partners in Rome featuring its gelato. With 30 flavors of ice cream and sorbet and new flavors every day, deciding on a cone is never easy. The „Ice Cream Philosophers“, as they call themselves, select raw materials from local producers and use seasonal ingredients.

Tip #10: Giulia

Giulia is known as one of the most romantic restaurants in Rome. Chef Alessandro Borgo offers tradition with modernity, passion, and technique — a journey that nourishes the soul.

This fancy restaurant with 45 seats on two floors is situated in the heart of Rome. It features two terraces facing Ponte Sisto where guests can enjoy the tasting menu, which reads like a foodie love story. Enjoy oysters, grilled lettuce, ravioli, smoked „risone“, petit fours, and much more. „Giulia Veg“ caters to vegetarians as well.

The second part of Giulia is the Osteria, with 50 seats on two floors in an industrial style. It offers a homely atmosphere with wooden tables and the flavor of contemporary home-cooked cuisine.

The Osteria offers a tasting menu as well, which is a homage to home cooking. Expect amuse-bouches, cod-stuffed dumplings, pork ribs, and custard donuts. Everything is paired with the best wines.

Mon – Thu: 6 pm – 1 am
Fri: 6 pm – 2 am
Sat: 12 pm – 3 pm and 6 pm – 2 am
Sun: 12 pm – 3 pm and 6 pm – 1 am
Lungotevere dei Tebaldi, 4/4a
00186 Rome
Italy
+39 06 95552 086
info@giuliarestaurant.it
giuliaurbanretreat

Tip #11: Armando al Pantheon

The Pantheon and its neighborhood are a must-visit for every tourist — and so is Armando al Pantheon. This long-standing restaurant is an institution. In 1961, Armando Gargioli took over an old restaurant and transformed it into a winery-style kitchen. The restaurant is still family-owned and visited by tourists and locals alike.

Armando al Pantheon is a busy little place with only 14 tables in a wood-paneled room equipped with booth seating and wide Art Deco windows. This also means that a reservation is necessary, or at least highly recommended.

From the menu, you can expect the best and most traditional Roman food. Try the spaghetti alla carbonara, abbacchio alla scottadito (Roman grilled lamb with salt and pepper), and for a sweet finish, a Torta Antica Roma (a cake made with ricotta cheese, strawberry jam, poppy, and sesame seeds). All the menu items are clearly marked for vegetarians.

Tip #12 Cave Canem Trattoria

Pizza and pasta lovers will never want to leave this restaurant in Rome: Cave Canem Trattoria. This typical Italian restaurant with its charming décor is located near the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere and has been delighting guests for more than 45 years.

Italians associate food with conviviality and joie de vivre. You can really feel this magic in this place because the entire team exudes a positive attitude towards life.

Look forward to your stay at this top food spot in Rome!

Tip #13 Osteria da Fortunata

From Rome to Miami — word has spread about this place to eat in Rome, and it has even inspired a restaurant in Miami: Osteria da Fortunata!

The first of what are now five restaurants was opened over 100 years ago in the heart of Rome. Since then, the restaurant has been family-run and proud of its long history and original recipes.

A special highlight here is that you can watch the cooks making the pasta: they have their place in the dining room where they prepare the pasta dough and then shape it into one of many varieties of pasta.

Our selection of restaurants is based, among other things, on the editorial team’s individual preferences and on reviews on the internet. Please contact the respective provider directly for information on reservations and prices. The pictures come from the restaurants listed. All Information is provided without guarantee!