The Best Restaurants In Rome: Our Recommendations

Here are our choices for the best restaurants in Rome, in the opinion of a local, that you should consider choosing when you are planning your next visit.

From packed food markets like Mercato Centrale to centuries-old trattorias spread across the city, the restaurant scene in Rome is a slowly evolving feast. The city offers a contradiction of old and new, traditional and experimental, luxurious and affordable. For me, however, traditional food executed with passion and skill is the only food that “speaks” to me. 

I can find enjoyment in a hole in the wall (literally: Er Buchetto, a favorite), a small family run eatery where they don’t even ask what you want and simply start bringing you food and an unpretentious restaurant that will never win a James Beard award, but can make a Carbonara as good as any palace in the city.

With traditional and classic tastes and a reasonable budget, Rome offers unforgettable culinary experiences in every neighborhood and down every alley. In this guide, we dive into the best restaurants in Rome that we think you should consider during your next visit and link directly to supporting articles that explore each corner of Rome’s diverse dining scene a little bit more.

The Best Dining In Rome Is Around Every Corner

Wander the cobblestone streets of Rome and you’ll quickly realize that great food is literally around every corner. There are restaurants that you might easily miss, apart from the line of people standing outside, to others that you only read about on social media and to still others that don’t have anything that distinguishes them from the street (i.e. no curb appeal).

In our overview of The Best Dining in Rome Is Around Every Corner, we highlight how the real magic of eating in Rome often lies in its casual, family-owned restaurants that haven’t heard about social media and look as basic as basic can be. From spots like Trattoria Vecchia Roma to Trattoria Morgana, the beauty of Roman cuisine is in its simplicity and freshness. These places may not always be flashy or on socials, like Luciano Cucina Italiana, but the carbonara, cacio e pepe, and amatriciana they serve are iconic.

One of the key takeaways from this guide is to trust your instincts and skip the tourist spots: if it smells good and it’s packed with locals, it’s likely worth a seat.

Popular Appetizers In Rome Restaurants You Should Try

If you are unfamiliar with dining in Italy, you should know that your meal is typically a selection of multiple courses (piatti), and one of them is likely to be an appetizer (Antipasto). Before choosing your pasta or meat courses, you will need to select from a list of mouthwatering antipasti. 

These dishes aren’t just warm-ups, they set the tone for the entire meal. Restaurants all around Rome offer excellent versions of these starters that often steal the spotlight from your main dish.

The Best Authentic Italian Restaurants In Rome, Italy

Traditional Roman food is alive and well in the Eternal City. While you can certainly find the classics like Carbonara and Cacio e Pepe all over the city, you’ll want to choose a  restaurant that specializes in the classics.

Each of these restaurants sticks close to traditional Roman recipes, letting the ingredients and preparation shine. Don’t forget to end your meal with a traditional Roman Panna Cotta.

The Best Irish Bar In Rome Is Waiting To Pour You A Pint

This might be a crime to admit here in Rome, but as an American who enjoys having a wide selection of foods to choose from, there are times when I want a foreign food. It doesn’t happen too often, but from time to time, I might want to swap wine for a delicious Guinness or instead of focaccia, I might like some pub nachos. Also, when I want to catch a proper football game (think: NFL) there is no better place in Rome than the TV filled walls of an Irish pub. Enter The Best Irish Bar in Rome: The Scholars Lounge, and a lengthy list of others.

Aside from Irish, British and German drinks, these bars serve a full food menu with options like burgers, nachos and even traditional Irish breakfasts. Each of these pubs are a great place to mix with locals and fellow tourists while enjoying live music or quiz nights, while speaking entirely in English.

Rome’s Train Station Food Court Is Mercato Centrale

When you think of the great food in Rome, it is unlikely that the first place you will consider dining is in the Train station. With images of homeless encampments and crime, dining might not be a priority to keeping safe, but there is a place that you might consider checking out.

Right inside Termini Station, but a little out of the way, lives a culinary treat: Mercato Centrale. This food court reimagines the idea of quick dining by showcasing Rome’s top chefs under one roof. Instead of fast food chains, you’ll find artisan pizza makers, Argentinian Empanadas and a beer house.

The Mercato Centrale food court is deceivingly large. When you first enter the space, your senses are hit on all sides by the delicious sound and smells of the market. Don’t be overwhelmed by this and continue on into the seating area that is surrounded by the amazing artisan restaurants.

Try the triangular pizza, American-style hamburgers or fresh vegetarian fare, then finish with a scoop of gelato or a glass of wine. It’s perfect for a pre-train snack or a full sit-down meal in transit.

Here Is The Best Carbonara In Rome That You Need To Try

I have a problem with all the social media posts suggesting which is the “Best Of…”, and Carbonara is no exception. There are a ton of high quality restaurants that you will be happy with, so don’t waste time or effort searching for “The Best”. In search of “High Quality” should be the goal.

There are obvious biases and subjectivity of asking someone: “What is the best Carbonara in Rome?”, so you should definitely take these recommendations with a grain of salt. Consider these restaurants if you are in their neighborhoods, and you won’t be disappointed.

This Rome Food Court At The Mall Shouldn’t Be Missed

While Mercato Centrale offers a higher quality train-station-based feast, the mall known as EURMA2 has a food court that is a surprising haven for variety and quality. From poke bowls and sushi to classic American food, this mall-based dining hub proves that even commercial spaces in Rome don’t compromise on flavor.

For a quick, satisfying meal before or after a shopping spree: “This Rome Food Court At The Mall Shouldn’t Be Missed”.

The Best Burger In Rome Is Waiting For You To Stop By

Craving a break from pasta? Our review of The Best Burger in Rome spotlights sets the bar at what some people might consider a pretty low level. When I’m craving food from home, it isn’t a gourmet burger filled with pretention, it is a fast food burger that tastes like home.

Can You Get A Hamburger In Italy? Yes, you can easily find both traditional and gourmet burger places in Rome and Italy. Like in the US, Italy likes to go pretty fancy with their burgers. Over-stacking them, too many condiments, ridiculously and unnecessarily high quality beef and gourmet buns.

No, for me it is what I grew up on: MacDonald’s, Burger King and more recently Five Guys. These are the fast foods that I turn to when night is the darkest or simply when I have a craving.

The Best Foreign Foods To Try When You Are In Rome

This is similar to how I described my urge to eat at an Irish Pub. There are just some times when you want to enjoy something other than Italian food while you live in Rome. You might think that a week-long vacation might not allow for some home cooking, but don’t be surprised if you are just tired of pasta and want something French or Mexican, despite the likelihood of inferiority.

These restaurants reflect Rome’s growing diversity and are perfect when you want to try something different.

The Best Affordable Restaurants In Rome Are Waiting For You

Finally, eating well in Rome doesn’t require a luxury budget. This is without a doubt one of my favorite aspects of dining out in Rome. We have recently enjoyed a sit-down pizza lunch (al fresco) with water, wine and coffee for 2 people that cost €25. I doubt there are many places in the US that can match that.

In The Best Affordable Restaurants In Rome, we round up some of our favorite restaurants where you can eat like a local without spending a fortune.

These places combine quality with value, proving that in Rome, a great meal doesn’t have to be expensive.

Where To Go From Here

Rome’s restaurant scene is a dynamic blend of styles, but we like to focus on the traditional and foundational foods. Our choices aren’t based on innovation or molecular gastronomy, simply the perfect execution of a classic dish is what we love! From classic trattorias and affordable food courts to international delights and some of the greatest carbonara in the world, the Eternal City has something for every palate.