Dining in Rome
Roma has many good restaurants but not many great ones. And yet the dining experience is hella fun and makes up for the reality, which is that almost every restaurant in Rome caters to tourists. Yes, the food is better in Tuscany but Rome has that magical combination of grand theatre and good taste.
Suggestions and Biases: My ratings are based on max points for food, then ambiance, and very little for service. If you have an expectation for good service in Rome you’ll be disappointed. Just keep in mind it’s almost never personal. Most diners are tourists and never come back, hardly ever tip, and criticize the saltimbocca for being too thin and having too many capers when that’s how it’s supposed to taste. That’s not easy to tolerate day after day. Another tricky issue is salt. Many Roman dishes are made with pecorino or pecorino romano, which are both very salty. If it’s your second time at the same place and you are now comfortable with the waiter you can plead poor health and ask that it be made with parmesan or just less salt.
I have included a few places that critics have loved but I thought were just above average, figuring the kitchen maybe had a bad day. Value is an important consideration on a vacation hence my bias is against Michelin starred restaurants. I believe that primi and Roman themed secondi should not be break-the-bank expensive on a summer holiday. For that reason, Roman restaurants are very challenging to objectively rate. This also makes TripAdvisor and Yelp pretty unreliable because their diners emphasize service and more traditional cuisine, especially pasta.
Dining Tips:
- For lunch, just go with your instincts and try random neighborhood places that you walk by. That is part of the joy of exploration, not to be tethered to reviews and lists. For dinner, make reservations and go with these recommendations. Try different places even if you fall in love with a restaurant. The next one might just change your baseline.
- Resist the urge to eat early and experience the energy of a full Roman dining experience at 8 or 9 PM. This list is based on dinner service, which is when the real chefs come in and you can have a leisurely dinner.
- In Rome, a great dining experience you’ve had the first time will often fall short on your next visit in Rome—for all the usual reasons. The chef walks out, waiter goes to a competitor, etc. Be prepared to change horses.
- In just about every other part of Italy the vino di casa is reliable. In Rome, the vino di casa (house wine) is usually a good bet for lunch but not always for dinnerTry to figure out the wine list and match it to your dishes. A good primativo, Nero d’Avola or Rosso Toscano is a good choice, a pricey Brunello rarely, unless they have a cellar or cooler for proper temperature control.
- Attempts to make reservations via email are often ignored and should be made closer to the reservation date to ensure a response and reconfirmed. Your best bet is to have your hotel call and make your reservations, which will ensure a better table than doing it online. Always, always request an outdoor table but don’t get butt hurt if you end up getting stuck inside, in the very back. It’s Rome, where your preferred table will go to a repeat visitor or a local and not you unless your hotel makes the booking.
- Never ever add cheese to any dish—seafood or pasta—even if they bring it out for you. That’s just a trick to figure out if you are a total yahoo. The dish is made the way it’s supposed to be eaten so don’t add cheese, salt, pepper flakes etc.
- In Rome as elsewhere in Italy, no one order coffee with milk (like a cappuccino) after noon. Its just how it is, although they are happy to sell you whatever you want.
- If you want attentive service, try to order antipasti, primi and secondi for dinner. Yeah, yeah you aren’t that hungry, but they don’t turn tables fast and you’ll walk it off, trust me.
- Never ever ask to share portions or split dishes. Don’t bring your own bottle to dinner.
- Always tip, even if the locals do not. It is really appreciated. For breakfast and lunch, a euro per person, for dinner tip 10%.
I have tried every restaurant on this list except for a few restaurants at the end recommended by friends I trust, shown with an asterisk*
La Lista, in no particular order:
Antica Tratoria da Pietro al Pantheon. Good hearty food, truffle based. A very traditional Roman restaurant and in a super fun part of town. As with all Roma restaurants, there are big hits and minor misses.
Armando al Pantheon. Critics love it, but I thought it was just above average so it was probably just a bad day for the kitchen. Next to me was a food critic from San Francisco and he was chatting with the owner about Thomas Keller and Giada. Reserve in person only and well in advance. Moderate
Roscioli, close to Campo de Fiore. Easy online reservations. Service is just OK and doesn’t equal the food, which is between very good and exquisite. I love the tiny intimate restaurant space downtown but the deli upstairs is good too. The restaurant is a special event, end of the stay dinner that may disappoint if service is critical for you. Moderately Expensive
Flavio al Valevavedetto—on the other side of the river, fun open outdoor space. Great pasta and a super energetic vibe. Moderate
Da Buccatino, in Testaccio. Great squid spiedini, bucatini amatriciana. Hole in the wall locals joint our Roma friends took us to but so obscure that even the taxi drivers can’t find it sometimes. Cheap
Pizza in Trevi—right by the Trevi fountain for good pizza and pasta after a day of walking around. Cheap
La Pollarola —around the corner from Campo de Fiori, not spectacular but steady and fun if you get an outdoor table. Moderate
Venchi at the Pantheon—there are a million great gelato places in Rome, and frankly I’m not enough of an aficionado to really pick one. Venchi at the Pantheon is just really good with a wide range of flavors. Moderate
La Terrazza at the Eden. A short uphill walk from the top of La Spagna, here’s your lone romantic, expensive first or last night in Rome splurge. Michelin starred and you get the food, the service and the ambiance for €150 a head. Ask for a window table. Expensive
Recommended by foodie friends but not tried:
Viva*—via Siciliana 47, near via Venuto, close to the Borghese.
info@ristoranteviva.it for reservations
Archimede*—behind the Pantheon for bucatini amatriciana, one of my favorite dishes, quintessentially Roman although born in Amatrice.
Checchino dal 1887* checchino-dal-1887.com, For bucatini all’amatriciana
Critics Choices:
The links below—especially Bloomberg’s Great Chefs’ Recommendation for pasta—has other quality restaurants that I have not tried.
https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2019-rome-best-pasta/?srnd=pursuits-vp
https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/10-great-restaurants-in-rome
Eating and shopping is great but try to do 1 historic site a day in the morning and just roam the streets the rest of the day. Next, visit the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. There’s a reason why this is one of the great historical treasures. Tickets can be purchased online to get to the shorter line, or through a guide. I think a guide is a great option, and keeps the local economy going.
All the major guidebook sites are fabulous, but one of your 3 days should be San Clemente (a short walk from the Coliseum) and the Rotunda Santo Stefano nearby. Now you can say you’ve done something that not every other visitor to Rome has also done. Definitely check the hours to avoid siesta time and buy the ticket for the lower levels of San Clemente.
Please send me your reviews for any places you’ve tried that you think should go on this list. Make sure you tell me why you liked it, what dishes you enjoyed and where else you ate that it was superior to. I only want your Top Choice, not your top five!
Have a great time, and Mangia!
