Restaurants in Rome

Traditional Roman cooking is conservative, rustic and deceptively simple, but this masks an obsessive dedication to best seasonal ingredients, which give Roman cuisine its intense, rich flavours. Rome has excellent restaurants everywhere, but be wary of expensive tourist traps near the main sights.

The Rome restaurants below have been handpicked by our editors and are grouped into three pricing categories:
Expensive (over €70)
Moderate (€30 to €70)
Cheap (up to €30)

These prices are for a two-course meal for one and a drink; they include tax but do not include service charge or tip. Some restaurants may add up to 15% service charge to your bill and there may also be a 'cover' charge for bread and napkins.

La Tavola, il vino e la dispensa

Price: Expensive
Cuisine: Italian

La Tavola, il vino e la dispensa, which translates to "The table, the wine and the pantry", is the pride and joy of Oliver Glowig, an internationally renowned Michelin Starred chef and ambassador of the Italian gastronomic culture. The restaurant occupies the first floor of Mercato Centrale Rome and showcases some of the chef's signature dishes, including Eliche cacio e pepe ai ricci di mare (eliche pasta with cheese, pepper and sea urchins) and Tortelli di coda vaccinara (tortelli pasta in oxtail stew).

Address: Roma Termini, Via Giovanni Giolitti 36, Rome, Italy
Telephone: +39 6 4620 2989

La Rosetta

Price: Expensive
Cuisine: Fish

Founded in 1966 and regarded as Rome's finest fish and seafood restaurant, La Rosetta lies in a quiet street close to the Pantheon. The interior is simple yet elegant. Outstanding dishes are accompanied by superlative wines.

Address: Via della Rosetta 8, Rome, Italy
Telephone: +39 6 686 1002

La Pergola

Price: Expensive
Cuisine: Modern European

Three Michelin stars, over 60,000 bottles in the cellar and breath-taking views mark this roof garden restaurant in the Rome Cavalieri as one of Italy's best. The chef, Heinz Beck, shapes the seasonal menu, creating inspirational dishes such as deep-fried zucchini flower with caviar on shellfish and saffron consommé. Reservations are necessary.

Address: Rome Cavalieri, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Via A Cadlolo 101, Rome, Italy
Telephone: +39 6 3509 2152

Piperno

Price: Expensive
Cuisine: Italian, Jewish

Located in Rome's ancient Jewish Ghetto, Piperno is a classic wood-panelled dining room with an intimate alfresco patio. The crowd-pleasing menu has hardly changed since 1860, featuring all-time favourites such as Artichokes alla giudia (deep-fried artichoke) and Coda alla vaccinara (oxtail stew). Fresh pasta is also made in-house daily.

Address: Via Monte de’Cenci 9, Rome, Italy
Telephone: +39 06 6880 6629

Na Cosetta

Price: Moderate
Cuisine: Fusion

In the trendy Pigneto district, east of Termini station, this street food diner serves up creative cuisine using wholesome ingredients. Popular dishes include potato ‘cups’, large bowls of diced, fried potatoes tossed with all sorts of ingredients from bacon and cheese to chicken curry and lime. Stay late for the live music.

Address: Via Ettore Giovenale, 54,, Rome, Italy
Telephone: +39 6 4559 8326.

Ditirambo

Price: Moderate
Cuisine: Italian

Just off the Campo de' Fiori, this intimate, relaxed restaurant shows off the best of Italian regional cuisine in a decidedly touristy area. The interior is warm and inviting, ingredients are organic, and the bread and pasta are both homemade. Ditirambo does delicious desserts too that are worthy of an Instagram.

Address: Piazza della Cancelleria 74-75, Rome, Italy
Telephone: +39 6 687 1626.

Il Nido del Pettirosso

Price: Moderate
Cuisine: Modern Italian

Foodies rave about this blink-and-you'll-miss-it spot, where chef Raul Natividad's short but perfectly executed menu offers a modern French twist on Italian cuisine - and for a reasonable price, too. The quirky interior is crammed with framed paintings and ornamental dishes; it's tiny, so book ahead if you can. 

Address: Via Palermo 89, Rome, Italy
Telephone: +39 388 90 70 600.

Pizzeria Da Baffetto

Price: Cheap
Cuisine: Italian

Da Baffetto serves some of the best Roman pizzas in town. Popular with local celebrities and footballers, you’ll have to join the queue of devotees to get in. Try the fried courgette flowers to start, before moving on to classic Roman pizzas such as provolone cheese and speck.

Address: Via del Governo Vecchio 114, Rome, Italy
Telephone: +39 6 686 1617.

Obicà

Price: Cheap
Cuisine: Italian

There are two of these innovative mozzarella bars in Rome (the other at Parlamento), which pay homage to the delicious cheese delivered daily from Campania and Puglia. Minimalist decor makes it feel like a sushi bar, but with cheese instead of fish. Customers can eat at counters or tables.

Address: Piazza Campo dei Fiori, 16, XX, Rome, Italy
Website:

Pane e Salame

Price: Cheap
Cuisine: Italian

A two-minute walk from the Trevi Fountain amid the hustle and bustle of central Rome, this busy restaurant serves delicious traditional Italian sandwiches and charcuterie platters. During busy times you may have to wait for a table, otherwise opt for a take-away.

Address: Via di Santa Maria in via 19, Rome, Italy
Telephone: +39 6 679 13 52.

Mercato Centrale Roma

Price: Cheap
Cuisine: Italian, International

Occupying an old railway dining hall inside Termini Station, this food market offers a wonderful combination of location, choice and price. There are 18 food shops on the ground floor offering classic Italian dishes such as Trapizzino (trademarked triangular pizza), a wide range of pasta dishes and refreshing gelato, among others. The first floor is home to the acclaimed Oliver Glowig's restaurant "La Tavola, il vino e la dispensa" (see the entry in the Expensive category).

Address: Via Giolitti 36, Termini station, Rome, Italy
Telephone: +39 6 4620 2900
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