Rome, Italy
Eat in Rome
Rome is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate
district articles. Please help sort them out if you are familiar with this city.
The Trastevere neighborhood and the old Jewish quarter have some of the best
trattorie and ristoranti in Rome.
In Rome you can ask for:
Carciofi alla romana (artichokes, Roman style)
Carciofi alla giudia (artichokes, Jewish style)
Puntarelle
Bucatini alla Amatriciana
Spaghetti (or Rigatoni) alla “Carbonara”, a sauce made with egg
and pancetta (bacon)
Abbacchio alla “scottadito”
Rigatoni con la “Pajata” (not always available)
Scaloppine alla romana
Coda alla “vaccinara”
Pizza. Lots of the better places only serve pizza in the evening as it takes
most of the day to get the wood oven up to the right temperature. Try some of
the fried things like baccala (battered salt cod) for a starter, followed by
a pizza for a really roman meal. For one of the most famous places for pizza
try ‘Da Baffetto’ (Via del Governo Vecchio). Roman pizzas tend to be very thin
crusted.
Avoid the tourist areas where you’ll often pay double the going rate just to
get a badly reheated frozen pizza. Instead, head for a pizzeria like ‘Pizzeria
Maratoneta’ in via dei Volsci / via del Sardi, San Lorenzo area, where you’ll
find a fine atmosphere of families and groups of students, and you’ll get a
good meal with a bottle of local plonk at a very reasonable price. You’ll get
an English menu, too.
Pizza al Taglio. Pizza by the slice. A good cheap way to get something to
fill you up and makes a good lunch. Point to the one you want, indicate if you
want more or less than your server is indicating with the knife. Its sold by
weight (the listed price is usually per 100 gm) and a good quick lunch or snack.
Panini. If you don’t speak Italian the question you won’t understand and
will always be asked once you’ve pointed out the sandwich you want is ‘do you
want it toasted’. If not, you can simply state ‘caldo, per favore’ (make it
hot, please). Please note: singular is panino, and plural is panini. Never say
“2 paninis” or “1 panini”.
Ice cream. Look for a gelateria with a big plastic sign with a big ‘G’ on
it outside. This means it has a kind of guild association and will be good quality.
Remember it costs extra to sit inside. You pay for your ice cream first…take
your receipt and go fight your way through the throng to choose your flavors.
You will be asked Panna? when it’s almost made – this is the offer of whipped
cream on top. If you’ve already paid, this is free.
Trippa – is tripe. Offal is a roman tradition, e.g. osso buco, bone marrow.
Vegetarians – should have an easy time. Buffets usually have a good range
of delicious vegetarian stuff too – eg gratinated roast peppers/aubergines,
etc. Vegans should do OK, too. Pizzas don’t always have cheese – a Marinara
for example, is just tomato, garlic and oregano. Remember, though, that Parmesan
cheese is not permitted to vegetarians.
There are a few vegetarian restaurants in Rome. ‘Arancia Blu’ on Via Dei Latini
(Via Tiburtina) is posh, overpriced and not that good, but the wine list looks
impressive.
Coffee. Starbucks has a lot to answer for. A latte in Italian is just a
glass of milk. If you’re expecting coffee in that glass, you should ask for
a caffe latte. A latte macchiato (meaning “stained”) is steamed milk
stained with a smaller shot of espresso. “Espresso” or “normale”
is just that, but more commonly just referred to as caffe. Espresso doppio means
a double shot of espresso, while espresso macchiato is espresso ‘marked’ with
a dab of steamed milk. Americano — the one to order if you like filter
coffee — is espresso diluted with hot water and not drunk much by Italians.
Cappuccino is well known outside of Italy, but be warned: it is considered very
un-classy, and somewhat childish, to order one after 11am (and certainly after
a meal). Decaffeinato is self explanatory, but often referred to by the common
brand-name Caffe Hag. It is usually instant coffee, and not nearly as good as
the real thing.
Restaurants, Pizzerie and Trattorie
La Pergola. Hotel Cavalieri Hilton, Via A. Cadlolo 101, 00136 Rome. This
restaurant is awarded three stars in the Guide Rouge. The chef, Heinz Beck,
is german of origin, and has set a style which combines italian fresh produce
with exceptional creativity and presentation. The restaurant overlooks Rome,
so be sure to get a table by the window. The wine cellar is exceptional. Expect
to have to book months in advance, but the trip is well worth it.
Taverna Cestia, Via Piramide Cestia, 65 (at METRO Piramide), Tel: +39 065743754.
Excellent traditional roman restaurant. Menu only in italian and the waiters
do not speak much English. They have a good selection of seafood and the seafood
spaghetti is great.
Osteria dell’Aquila, Via Natale del Grande, 52/53, (take the H bus to Trastevere),
Tel/Fax: 06.5810924, Great mediterranean style restauraunt. Menu is in Italian
and English, and the waiters speak both languages. Open for lunch and dinner,
(closed only on Tuesday). The meals here were excellent, and at very good prices.
Make sure to try the seafood appetizers. All of the first and second plates
that I tried were quite tasty.
Sapore&Arte Really good and fresh food, this place run by young people
make a large use of biological and fair trade food. The have very good dressed
potatoes and salads, but also brushcetta and sweet cakes. Mid-range at lunch
and cheap at dinner, don’t miss it if you visit the very near Basilica di San
Paolo fuori le mura Via efeso 24/26 – 00146 Roma – Tel. 06 59 60 03 40 – Metro
B San Paolo Basilica
Tapa Loca Spanish food near Piazza Navona ‘Via di Tor Millina, 5 – 00186
Roma – 06 68 32 266′
Taverna Pio Bove Good steak house in the suburbs, but not so far from Basilica
di San Paolo fuori le mura. Maybe you’ll never reach this place if your stay
is one week or shorter, but in the case you’ll stay will be longer, this place
could be a nice choice the day you want to go out for a steak with friends.
Open at 19:00 everyday. ‘Via Alessandro Cruto 9 – Tel. 06 553 011 35 – Bus 128,
775′
Trattoria de “Gli Amici” Very interesting place in the heart of
Trastevere discrict, this place is fully run by very kind handicapped people
and has a nice cousine. Closed on sunday. Open every day from 19.30 to 23.30.
‘Piazza Sant’Egidio, 8 – 00153 Roma – Tel. 06 580 60 33′
Le Bistrot Creative, french and vegetarian cousine in the same place toghether
with a very kind staff and a homely enviroment. Better to reserve. ‘Garbatella
- Via delle sette chiese, 160 – 06 512 89 91′
Al peperoncino Very close to the Basilica di San Paolo fuori le mura and
the Metro B San Paolo Basilica station, this piezzeria has a good roman style
pizza (the thin one) and also a good choise of fried vegetables and appetizers.
Price is low to mid-range, food quality and service are medium. Via Ostiense,
369 – Tel. 06 54 10 192 – 00146 Roma (San Paolo)
Planet Kebab Good turkish food, from Kebab to Falafel. This place is very
clean and the guys working there are very friendly. They claim to be open every
day of the year, so remember this place when you are hungry and you can’t find
any open shop. Via Natale del grande, 17 – 00153 Roma (Trastevere) – Tel. 06
581 98 63
Casetta di Campagna Into the natural park Valle dei Casali they have very
good meat. They also offer a fixed price menu for pizza (only for more than
4 peopole) which is good for a large gathering dinner. You need a car to reach
the place. Closed on monday. Sunday, Saturday and holidays also open at noon.
Via Affogalasino, 40 – 00148 Roma (Casetta Mattei-Trullo) – Tel. 06 6574 32
30 -