Following careers in fine dining in Italy and abroad, Leonardo Vignoli and Maria Pia Cicconi went back to basics with Cesare al Casaletto, a straightforward trattoria the husband-and-wife duo took over in 2009. The menu features Roman classics with a few restrained twists, like fried gnocchi served on a pool of cacio e pepe sauce. The pasta alla gricia has achieved cult status, the suckling lamb mains are exceptional, and the beverage list spotlights stunningly affordable natural wines from Italy, France, and Slovenia. Cesare isn’t particularly close to any monuments but is easily accessible by public transit — though don’t rule out a post-lunch stroll through the nearby Villa Pamphili, a vast public park. [$$]

In 1993, the Gupta family opened Himalaya Palace, one of the first restaurants to introduce tandoor cooking to Italy. Their longevity in the Gianicolense district has proven customer demand for North Indian cooking in the typically seasoning-averse Italian capital. Their loyal clientele come for succulent chicken makhani, smoky baingan bharta, and tangy paneer tikka. [$$]

Gabriele Bonci’s landmark pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice) shop near the Vatican Museums has become a globally acclaimed landmark where cold-fermented, heirloom wheat-based dough is topped with exquisite produce from biodynamic farms and artisanal cured meats and cheeses. Most toppings change from day to day, or even hour to hour, but Pizzarium’s signatures (tomato-oregano and potato-mozzarella) are always available. There are only a few high-top tables outside and no seating, so don’t wear yourself out too much wandering the museums before stopping by. [$]

Mostò, which opened in 2015, is one of a growing number of natural wine bars in Rome. The neighborhood enoteca is set on a residential street in the Flaminio district, not far from Renzo Piano’s Auditorium and Zaha Hadid’s MAXXI museum for contemporary art. Mostò has an especially fun selection of pet-nat from Italy and France, which owner Ciro Borriello pairs with oysters, fish tartare, and exceptional buffalo mozzarella delivered regularly from his native Campania. [$]

Great atmosphere, an extensive list of wines by the glass (up to 30 in rotation), and endearingly surly service make this wine bar a cult favorite among locals. Look for the painted sign reading “vino e olio” above the entrance, and then push through the crowd of smokers to the wood-accented inner sanctum, where beloved owners Sergio and Anna Ceccarelli have built an enviable cellar of more than 800 labels. The recently renovated counter showcases sott’olii (marinated vegetables), canapes, cheeses, and cured meats, and there’s a small selection of salads offering a break from Rome’s unadulterated guanciale fest. For the time being, there is seating on the street outside, shaded by towering Renaissance apartment blocks. [$$]

Chef Arcangelo Dandini, known for his formal ristorante L’Arcangelo in Prati, opened this casual street food-inspired spot on the ground floor of a Renaissance building in central Rome in order to bring his fried specialties and signature finger foods to the masses. The name is inspired by suppli, Roman rice balls, which are served in assorted flavors alongside other fried classics, including crocchette di patate (potato croquettes), polpette di alici (anchovy “meatballs”), and, the most decadent of all, crema fritta (pastry cream). [$]

Chef Antonio Ziantoni trained at Rome’s ultra-contemporary, two-Michelin-starred restaurant Il Pagliaccio, as well as restaurants in France and the U.K., before opening Zia with his partner Ida Proietti in Trastevere in 2018. Zia’s service and cuisine were recognized with a Michelin star the following year. The a la carte menu features mutton tartare, buffalo mozzarella risotto with lemon and gentian root, and squab civet. There are tasting menus of five or seven courses as well, and the fine dining service has a formal, ceremonial feel to it. [$$$$]

Bruno Persiani, an Umbrian transplant to the Italian capital, opened this homey trattoria in southern Trastevere in 1968 to serve a mix of dishes from Umbria and Rome. Tavernaccia is now run by Persiani’s daughters and Sardinian son-in-law, who throws in a few of his own regional specialties like suckling pig cooked in the wood-fired oven. The fresh pastas are excellent (especially Sunday’s lasagna, which sells out fast), and the wood oven-roasted brisket is otherworldly. Organic and natural wines from Italy and Slovenia round out the wine list. The service is patient and unbelievably kind — far from the norm in the Italian capital, so don’t get used to it. [$$]

Routinely named among the best places to drink in Europe, this long-established craft beer pub in Trastevere pours around a dozen draft beers from Italy, the U.S., Belgium, Germany, and the U.K., in addition to a small but well-curated assortment of bottles. The staff is passionate and knowledgeable, and can guide you to the right choice for your palate. It’s worth waiting for the few tables on the street outside, set up during the pandemic, which offer a front row seat to Trastevere’s lively nightlife. Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà is open every day of the year — even on Christmas, Easter, Ferragosto, and New Year’s. [$]

Trapizzino is a small street food chain with locations throughout Italy (and an outpost in New York). The concept is based on the trapizzino, a combination of the popular triangular tramezzino sandwich with long, slowly leavened pizza dough, invented by pizzaiolo Stefano Callegari in 2009. Callegari fills his tricornered creations with Roman classics like oxtail simmered with tomato and celery, chicken cacciatore, and tripe cooked with tomato, each going for just 4.50 euros ($5.50). Most locations provide a quick, affordable meal, but the branch in Trastevere also offers table service and a full bar highlighting wines and beers from across Lazio. [$]

Marco Radicioni trained with Rome’s gelato maestro Claudio Torcè, embracing his sensibility of all-natural flavors, meticulous sourcing, and restrained sweetness. Since striking out on his own, Radicioni has grown into a maestro in his own right, churning some of the most exquisite gelato in Italy. Otaleg’s rich and creamy gelato is made from high-quality ingredients like Valrhona and Amedei chocolate, and IGP Tonda Gentile Romana hazelnuts. The fruit, chocolate, and nut sorbets are intense and delicious. [$]

After nearly 30 years at the helm of Rome’s first Thai restaurant, Beijing-born chef Ge Jing Hua opened Sinosteria in 2020 to serve a blend of Chinese regional cuisines like Beijing-style tripe with chile oil and cilantro, and Shandong-inspired squid with peppers, ginger, and bamboo. There are also signature creations like basmati rice with coconut milk, shrimp, capers, and oregano from Pantelleria. The front of house is expertly managed by Ge’s gregarious sommelier son Jun, whose natural wine list and coffee menu are outstanding. [$$]

The Testaccio neighborhood market is the best place in central Rome to shop for seasonal produce, meat, fish, and baked goods all in one place. Get there in the morning to see it in full swing (it’s open Monday through Saturday until 2 p.m.). Visit Da Artenio (Box 90) for takeaway pizza slices and pizzette, little pizzas topped with tomato sauce, potatoes, or onions. Don’t miss the essential Mordi e Vai (Box 15), where husband-and-wife team Sergio Esposito and Mara Cipriani prepare sandwiches filled with offal and meat based on family recipes, including disappearing historic dishes like allesso di scottona (simmered brisket). Nearby Da Corrado (Box 18) sells natural wines and Italian gourmet products, while Casa Manco (Box 22) serves naturally leavened pizza by the slice by weight. [$]

Originally founded in 2013 near Piazza Fiume, Marzapane relocated just north of Piazza del Popolo to a townhouse on the Via Flaminia in early 2021. The ground-floor kitchen is run by co-chefs Guglielmo Chiarapini and Francesco Capuzzo Dolcetta, who both trained in fine dining kitchens in France. They deploy their technical virtuosity in fun, flavorful dishes like sweet red shrimp with tomatoes and Nero dei Nebrodi prosciutto, and cold spaghetti with clams, an exercise in contrasting temperatures that is more delicious than it sounds. They also serve a more casual aperitivo-type menu in the evenings. [$$$$]

Located in Testaccio, Rome’s undisputed offal capital, Piatto Romano focuses on classics like rigatoni con la pajata (pasta with milk-fed veal intestines cooked in tomato sauce) and fettuccine con le rigaglie di pollo (fettuccine with chicken innards). There are plenty of pescatarian options as well, like the outstanding cod baked with onions, pine nuts, apricots, and prunes. [$$]

Just 100 feet from Rome’s most intact ancient monument, Armando al Pantheon champions local food traditions. For more than five decades, the Gargioli family has been dutifully producing Roman classics like spaghetti ajo ojo e peperoncino (spaghetti with garlic, oil, and chile) and coda alla vaccinara (oxtail braised in tomato and celery). Among the seasonal side dishes, look for puntarelle (Catalonian chicory) with anchovy sauce and carciofi alla romana (simmered artichokes) in the cooler months. Save room for the torta antica Roma, a ricotta and strawberry jam pie. The lovingly curated wine list gets better every year. [$$]

The dishes at Nonna Betta, a Kosher restaurant on the main street in Rome’s Jewish quarter, are inspired by traditions of the historic ghetto, which tend toward fried vegetables like carciofi alla giudia (deep-fried artichokes) and pezzetti fritti (assorted battered vegetables), as well as humble fish offerings like alicotti con l’indivia (anchovy and frisee casserole). Alongside centuries-old Roman Jewish classics, owner Umberto Pavoncello also serves more modern dishes like carbonara with zucchini instead of guanciale. [$$]

After years of pop-ups in their apartment, baker Sofie Wochner and chef Domenico Cortese have inaugurated Marigold. The operation is part bakery, focused on naturally leavened breads and pastries, and part restaurant, focused on hyper-local, foraged, and seasonal ingredients. The dining room’s light-filled, spartan interior is open for morning and midday meals from Wednesday to Sunday. The menu is vegetable-driven, offering a pleasing break from Rome’s seemingly nonstop carbonara train, with dishes like beets with roasted carrots, peaches, and labneh, or lupini bean hummus with herbs, green beans, hazelnuts, and plums. [$$]

Trecca is, for lack of a better term, a neo-trattoria. It delivers everything a Roman trattoria should: an informal setting, rigorously seasonal comfort food, and an offal-forward menu. But there’s also a natural wine list, an Instagram page, and two young brothers at the helm. Manuel and Nicolò Trecastelli lean into Rome’s powerful flavors and rich ingredients. Their carbonara and amatriciana are as loaded with pepper-spiked guanciale as any in the city, and tomato and vinegar are employed in the meaty mains to offset their unctuousness. [$$]

Veteran mixologist Patrick Pistolesi opened craft cocktail bar Drink Kong in the shadow of a towering medieval fortress at the cusp of the Monti and Esquilino districts. The bar, however, is anything but dated: Neon accents, tropical plants, and Blade Runner vibes anchor the slick black interior. Rather than individual drinks, the conceptual menu prompts guests to select from a litany of flavors and emotions, which the bartenders then use to mix the ideal cocktail. All this might sound incredibly precious, but Drink Kong is just a fun place to drink well with help from some of Italy’s top talent. [$]

The Regoli family were originally charcoal makers from Tuscany, but when they came to Rome they opened Pasticceria Regoli in 1916. Since then the family has transformed their small operation into one of the city’s most beloved pastry shops. The display cases are packed with cakes, wild strawberry tarts, maritozzi (whipped cream-filled buns), and seasonal treats like bigne in March, colombe at Easter, and pandoro at Christmas. Get your pastries packaged to take away, or order at the counter and the kitchen will send the items to your table at the neighboring Caffé Regoli, which also serves coffee. [$]

A short walk from the Colosseum, Tempio di Iside is an elegant fish restaurant known for its crudi (raw dishes) like fish carpaccio, sea urchin roe, langoustines, and oysters. The pasta with sweet red shrimp, cherry tomatoes, and fresh pecorino is excellent (and proof there are valid exceptions to the “no cheese with seafood” rule), as are the spaghetti with clams, whole roasted fish, and pasta with spiny lobster. Book ahead, especially to secure an outdoor table for dinner in the summer, and expect to pay a premium for access to some of the freshest fish around. [$$$$]

Sbanco is the most central pizzeria of Rome’s foremost pizza entrepreneur, Stefano Callegari, who teams up with Italian craft brewery Birrificio del Ducato to serve thick-rimmed pizzas baked in a domed, wood-burning Valoriani oven alongside draft beers. Toppings range from classic margherita and marinara to creative cacio e pepe. There’s even a stack of seven margherita pizzas known as lasagna di pizza. Sbanco also serves lots of crispy fritti (fried starters) including suppli carbonara (rice croquettes flavored with the classic carbonara ingredients) and fiori di zucca (battered and fried squash blossoms stuffed with mozzarella and anchovy). For more excellent pizza from Callegari a bit further afield, visit Tonda and Sforno. [$$]

Atsufumi Kikuchi is deep into his fourth decade as a sushi chef, and his newest Roman endeavor is Kiko in the student area of San Lorenzo. There, he prepares some of the finest sushi in town, characterized by clean flavors and austere presentation — a rarity at most Roman sushi spots. The sushi combination plates primarily feature mainstream fish such as tuna and salmon, so dive into the a la carte menu for nigiri, sashimi, and rolls offering more variety, including locally caught amberjack and shi drum. [$$$]

In San Lorenzo, a district near La Sapienza University, this family-run trattoria serves carnivorous Roman fare, along with vegetable and seafood dishes influenced by Puglia’s coastal cuisine. The sparsely decorated dining rooms welcome workers and families hungry for rigatoni con la pajata (pasta with milk-fed veal intestines), coratella (sauteed lamb hearts, lungs, and liver), pureed fava beans paired with simmered dandelion greens, and potatoes with mussels. [$$]

Occupying the ground floor of an aesthetically challenged residential block in southeast Rome, this kebab shop is worth a trip on the Metro A for quick and delicious Syrian food. Order assorted kibbeh (bulgur and spiced-meat croquettes) and brik (savory phyllo pastry) to start, followed by lamb or chicken kebabs sliced from vertical spits and wrapped in house-made lavash. Around the corner, on Via Arco di Travertino, you’ll find Ali Babà’s full-service restaurant. [$]

Fasika and Giovanni Ghirlanda run this historic Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurant just off the ancient Via Prenestina, not far from the Villa Gordiani public park. Deeply flavored simmered vegetables and legumes, along with perfectly seasoned chicken and beef stews, are served on house-made injera. [$$]

Former produce vendor Patrizio Bonelli opened his eponymous osteria a decade ago in Tor Pignattara, a diverse, working-class district in eastern Rome. The place is a casual affair known for abundant pasta portions and meaty mains like roasted lamb and horse skirt steak. Owing to Bonelli’s previous profession, the osteria offers a wide range of contorni (vegetable side dishes). [$$]