On your way to Rome, or already there, and you need help choosing where to eat avoiding tourist traps? You happen to be in the right place because I am going to give you the names of the top 10 restaurants and street food shops in Rome, where you can eat like a local and experience traditional Roman food that you will remember forever.
When you think about Rome suddenly you imagine yourself surrounded by famous sights, cobblestones (Sampietrini) streets and you figure to be immersed into one of the most historical cities in the world, within almost 2800 years since its foundations; known for the endless monuments, churches and museums to visit.
But the capital city of Italy is not “only” history and monuments, the food has big importance if you are visiting for the first time, nonetheless if you are in Rome for the 10th time. That is why I decided to share with you the best tips, as a Roman, on how to eat like a local in Rome and which are the top 10 restaurants and street food shops you don’t want to miss.
How to eat like a local in Rome
Eating like a local in Rome does not mean necessarily staying far from the city centre, in fact, your main goal will be only to avoid the tourist trap; as most of the top 10 restaurants to try traditional food will be within the city centre.
Don’t forget some important “rules” on how to eat like a local in Rome:
- Don’t order Cappuccino with your meals: this is exclusively a morning beverage.
- Consider having a street food lunch style while getting lost on the beautiful streets.
- Avoid the tourist traps in the easier way: no pictures menus, no food on display and no high prices.
- Not only eat like a local but consider eating with locals by having a late lunch, around 1/1.30 pm and late dinner circa at 9 pm.
- Take your time to order, give them time to cook and take the time back to enjoy the food.
Eat like a local in a Restaurant
Lucky enough to have been raised in one of my favourite cities so far and moreover to have spent 5 years of my life in a hospitality High School in Trastevere – the heart of the city from my point of view. These helped me grow up my culinary love for traditional Roman food and here is when I started to search for the top 10 restaurants in Rome.
Finally, after almost a decade since I finished my studies, I am able to share with you some of the best places to eat like a local in Rome. By creating this I had the chance to compare my top 10 best restaurants and street food choice with my friends and family, doing a survey and realised that most of the places we have chosen are the same and so these will be for you a little treasure for your journey in Rome.
By locals with love.
Felice a Testaccio
Since 1936, this “fine dining” Trattoria, da Felice a Testaccio, in the heart of one historical neighbourhood of Rome, delights everyone with freshly prepared traditional roman dishes. It is a restaurant you can’t miss to try. Every time I am back home, I book a table here to make sure I will eat the perfect “welcome back” meal.
Speciality: Tonnarelli cacio e pepe. Despite being my favourite traditional Roman dish, here at Felice a Testaccio the finishing process of adding the Cacio and Pepe mix will happen at your table, right under your nose. A good way to start enjoying your food, don’t you think?
Budget: €€ between 20-40 € per person.
Where: Testaccio, in Via Mastro Giorgio, 29.
Opening time: Monday to Friday from 12.30 to 15.30 and from 19.00 to 23.30.
Il Duca
Minutes away from Piazza Trilussa, in the beautiful Trastevere; il Duca restaurants offer a very peculiar rustic style environment and quality for the choice of its best and fresh ingredients. The traditions and the passion for the food are, since 1988, the key of this family business and their recipes are handed down from generation. Here you can be sure to have some of the best traditional Roman food.
Speciality: Spaghetti alla Carbonara is their best-selling due to the use of Amatrice Guanciale and the DOP Pecorino Romano. Il Duca also prepares daily homemade pasta and 30+ hours of Sourdough with the best Italian flours, so make sure to try one of these or even both.
Budget: €€ between 30-50 € per person.
Where: Trastevere, Vicolo del Cinque, 56.
Opening time: Tuesday to Sunday from 18.30 to 00.00, Sunday from 12.30 to 15.30 and closed on Monday.
Cesare al Casaletto
If you are in Rome to eat like a proper local and getting to avoid tourist traps at the same time, this is the perfect Trattoria for you. Located only a few tram (number 8) stops from Viale Trastevere, Cesare al Casaletto offers a menu that ranges the traditional Roman food, a good amount of seafood dishes and finally the proper pizza Romana: thin with a crunchy crust and light as the dough is left leavened to perfection.
Speciality: Make sure you order ‘Polpette di bollito’ (stew meatballs) and ‘Crochette di melanzane all’arrabiata’ (hot eggplants croquettes) you will love the explosion of flavours in your mouth. Don’t be afraid to try also any other fried dishes such as the battered mozzarella and ‘Fiore di zucca fritto’ (anchovies zucchini flower) or the ‘Filetto di baccala’ (battered cod).
Budget: €€ between 20-40 € per person.
Where: Monteverde, Via del Casaletto, 45.
Opening time: Thursday to Tuesday from 12.45 to 15.00 and from 19.45 to 23.00. Closed on Wednesday.
Meo Patacca
Da Meo Patacca Osteria is situated in one of my favourite Piazza in Trastevere’s narrow streets. In this building traditions, cinema, arts and people gathered to create the beautiful vibes this place still has after its boom during the Dolce Vita age (’50s and ’60s). The different halls inside the restaurants, the waiters dressed in ‘800-era clothes and the professional musician playing every night the typical Roman and Napolitan songs will let you enjoy not only the food but the experience itself.
Speciality: The best way to start your meal is for sure with antipasto, so opt for the ‘Meo Maxi’ (cheese, cured meat, bruschetta, vegetable in oil and a hot treat Chef’s choice. The main dishes are so tasty too, so any of them will be a win.
Budget: €€ between 20-40 € per person.
Where: Trastevere, Piazza dei Mercanti, 30.
Opening time: Monday to Sunday from 19.00 to 23.00 and Saturday/ Sunday from 12.30 to 15.00
Lo scopettaro
Emerged as one of the best authentic restaurants in Rome, lo Scopettaro, is situated in one of the beautiful neighbourhoods of the Capital City; here most of the best traditional food can be eaten by locals and like a local (if you are visiting).
Lo Scopettaro was born in 1930, initially as a broom shop; but funny story: the shop quickly turns into a trattoria when the artisanal’s wife cooked for the husband a tasty pasta with beans and the smell was so inviting that suddenly she started to have more and more guest enjoying this simple, yet traditional food.
Dare to try this typical Roman Trattoria, kept simple and unique.
Speciality: Carciofi (artichokes) alla Romana, cicoria ripassata (sautèè Chicory) or Rigatoni alla Pajata are some of the best dishes here. If you are not alone, order different dishes and share to be able to try different things.
Budget: €€ between 20-40 € per person.
Where: Testaccio, Lungotevere Testaccio, 7.
Opening time: Monday to Sunday from 12.30 to 14.45 and from 19.30 to 22.45.
Eat street food like a local in Rome
To eat like a local in Rome you shouldn’t be considering only the authentic restaurants, trattoria and osteria but eating like a local in Rome – said from the local that I am – means as well, to experience the street food that the Capital City offers.
This is why in the second part of “Eat like a local in Rome”, I decided to include some of the best places to enjoy Roman traditional street food.
Here are just 5 of the best places I have been eating lately in Rome, but these five are definitely the must-try original or simple street food. You will be delighted with the richest flavours connected by the strong traditions and the everyday study to make better recipes with innovative techniques; to please everyone with simple, seasonal and quality ingredients.
Trapizzino
During my last year spent in Rome, before becoming an ex-pat in 2014, I was working in a restaurant in Trastevere. The crazy weekly hours, the many covers from breakfast till dinner time and the non-stop production make me feel tired and enthusiastic at the same time. I was only 20 years old and working under lots of stress was a misunderstandable emotion, but I had so much energy that during my break I was able to ride my bicycle from Trastevere to Testaccio (10 minutes) and reach this new original business which just opened and that from day one showed to be a winning idea.
Trapizzino is this tremendously amazing idea from Stefano Callegari, which had the power to enclose two traditional things and create a unique “street food”. A triangular pizza bianca slice, freshly made with lievito madre and stone ground flour, stuffed with your favourite traditional – roman and Italian – sauce.
Speciality: My weakness for eggplant is a big thing, I can eat them every day in any different way; so definitely my favourite Trapizzino will be the “Parmigiana di Melanzane”. Tasty and vegetarian options are also Burrata and scapece zucchini or pumpkin, almond and Pecorino cheese.
Budget: 5€ is the standard price for a Trapizzino and 2€ for a Suppli.
Where: The first Trapizzino opened in Testaccio, following a few more openings not only in Rome but in Milan, Turin, Trieste, Florence and New York.
- Testaccio, Via Giovanni Branca 88
- Ponte Milvio, Piazzale di Ponte Milvio 13
- Trastevere, Piazza Trilussa 46
- Piazza Bologna, Piazzale delle Province 9
- Mercato Centrale, Stazione Termini Via Giovanni Giolitti 36
- Piazza Risorgimento, Be.Re Via Vespasiano 2
Supplì
From 1979 Supplì intend to create a new way of fast food, known these days as “street food”, producing freshly made traditional delicatessen. The captivating smell in the heart of Trastevere will definitely capture you from the closest tram stop. Here you will face plenty of options to choose from for your takeaway food; pasta, pizza, roasted and fried food.
Speciality: Obviously you can’t go to Supplì and not have at least one of their tasty and rich supplì, Cacio e pepe or Classico are my favourites.
Budget: € starting from as little as 2€ for a supplì.
Where: Trastevere, Via di S. Francesco a Ripa, 137
Opening time: Monday to Tuesday from 9 to 17 / Wednesday to Saturday from 9 to 21.
Antico Forno Roscioli
Antico Forno Roscioli has this strong goal of satisfying Roman’s palate, so get ready to eat like a local in this Bakery situated 1 minute away from Piazza Campo ‘de Fiori.
The original old furnace structure dates back to Rome in 1824, but the Roscioli family bought it in 1972 and every day since then, they make sure to give locals and tourists also the best products. Gathering traditions and evolutions, the family, is focused on using the best selections of ingredients and on applying – when needed – new techniques over the old ones in order to please every customer.
Speciality: Buy pizza al taglio, as a local would eat here, and definitely just a single bite will let you fall in love with the crunchiness of the slice, the taste of the sauce on top and the lightness of the dough. Trust me, the taste of a simple Pizza Rossa will be just the beginning of a love story with this Forno.
Budget: € starting from as little as 5€ per person.
Where: Campo ‘de Fiori, Via dei Chiavari, 34
Opening time: Monday to Sunday from 7.30 to 20.30.
Forno Campo ‘de Fiori
As said earlier, I was so lucky to attend high school lost in one of Trastevere’s streets. So every time the school organized a day trip or a couple of hours at the closer Cinema, my classmate and I, we were passing by Piazza Campo ‘de Fiori.
This square is famous for many things such as the biggest daily open-air Market in Rome, Giordano Bruno’s memorial in the Piazza centre, the historic cinema and the simple yet so traditional Forno Campo ‘de Fiori.
If you want to eat like a local in Rome this is a must-try Forno, to experience the so famous traditional bakery products. The little shop offers simple, super fresh, super tasty products; definitely worth queueing to eat your food surrounded by this historical square and buildings.
Speciality: Pizza Bianca, yes as simple as that. One of the best pizza al taglio you will eat in beautiful Rome. If you want to try something sweet I love their “Crostata di Visciole” (Sour cherry tart).
Budget: € get ready to spend few Euros for a good slice of Pizza Bianca (or to spend a lot cause you can’t get to choose only one thing to eat).
Where: Campo de’ Fiori, 22
Opening time: Monday to Saturday from 8 to 14.30 and from 16.30 to 19.30.
Il maritozzo Rosso
In 2016 a new way of eating Maritozzo was born in Trastevere, the idea was to create this special “street food” mixing something so traditional, such as the Maritozzo (a typical Roman kind of brioche, stuffed with whipped cream), with not any more sweet stuffing, but replacing it with the savouries fillings. The idea boomed and today, in 2022, the Maritozzo Rosso is awarded as “Regional Champion of Lazio” by the “Gambero Rosso’s Street Food guide”.
Every day the Maritozzi are freshly prepared and stuffed with traditional roman and Italian ingredients. Here you can taste the balance of traditions and innovations and you can definitely feel the passion the staff put into what they do.
Perhaps you rather have your lunch in a restaurant? Don’t worry, because Maritozzo Rosso has two locations; offering the exact same menu, but with more tables and comfortable sits to enjoy the “street food” in slow food style in the beautiful neighbourhood of Prati.
Speciality: Maritozzo with broccoli, anchovies and pecorino or with creamed cod and hummus were my favourites. If you are a meat eater try them all, I believe you will not regret it.
Budget: € starting from 6.50€ per Maritozzo.
Where:
- Trastevere, Vicolo del cedro, 26
- Prati, Via Pietro Cavallini 25
Opening time: in Trastevere: Monday to Friday from 12.30 to 15.30 and from 19.00 to 23.30. In Prati: Monday to Friday from 12 to 15 and from 18.30 to 23.
Here we are at the end of your foodie journey in Rome. I really hope you get the chance to eat at least in a few of these places I put together for you.
As a chef, but mainly as a food lover, I believe that every place you visit deserves an unforgettable food experience. Eating like a local in the country you are visiting will not only fulfil yourself but will support the local restaurants, shops, bakeries, pizzerias and small businesses giving them the chance to keep offering the best service, with quality and devotion.
Leave me your feedback in the comment and any questions you would like me to answer. Any extra tips to have the best food experience and to feel like a local is always given with pleasure.
Love it 😍
wow!! I can’t wait to eat the famous Trapizzino 🙂
wow!! I can’t wait to eat the famous Trapizzino 🙂
I’m pretty sure you will love all the tasty sauces and the soft oily pizza too. 🙂
This was a great reading!
It has brought me back to when as a teenager I leaved a short time in Rome. The way you describe the streets and flavors it’s like reliving that magical time! Thank you, I now wish to be there soon and visit Trastevere! Keep exploring and sharing with the world! THANK YOU!!!!
I am so glad you enjoy the reading and that this brought you back in the narrow street of Trastevere. I really hope you will get the chance to go back there soon and try some of the best restaurants and street food to eat like a proper local. Thank you for your reviews, I love to share all these with you