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 helmed by chef Tommaso Tonioni who puts his training from Etxebarri and other flame-focused kitchens to good use. The chef’s table menu features an ever-changing selection of dishes that are grilled, smoked, cooked under ash, or prepared in clay vessels. There are three- and five-course tasting menus, as well as a la carte options like rabbit with salt cod and black garlic, pasta with red chickpea miso and rockfish, and heritage pork sausage with caponata.

Whether you’re shopping for pantry provisions for your Airbnb or hunting for mature cheeses, aged vinegars, and extra-virgin olive oil to take home, La Tradizione has got you covered. The selection of cheeses, up to 400 depending on the season, is unrivaled in Rome, and few gastronomie offer such a prestigious assortment of cured meats. In spite of being one of the city’s premier gourmet food purveyors, the prices are reasonable, owing to its location in the working- and middle-class Trionfale district. Owners Stefano Lobina and Francesco Praticò are devoted to serving their local clientele.

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.

A short walk from the Trevi Fountain, this friendly trattoria has been serving satisfying dishes from Emilia-Romagna, a region in northeastern Italy, since 1931; the current owners took the helm in 1967. The menu is rich in egg-based house-made pastas like tortelli di zucca (pumpkin pasta with butter and sage) and tagliatelle alla bolognese (long strands of fresh, egg-based pasta dressed with a rich meat sauce). Save room for meaty mains including bollito misto (assorted simmered meats) and fried liver. Book well in advance and try for a Sunday, when Colline Emiliane serves delicate, bechamel-laced lasagna.

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. Online booking is essential and opens (and books up) one month ahead.

In the southwest corner of one of Rome’s most touristy squares, Forno Campo de’ Fiori bakes sweet and savory Roman specialties like jam tarts and flatbreads. Look for pizza alla pala (long slabs baked directly in a deep electric deck oven), which is sold in slices by weight; the unctuous toppings and crispy bases make a surprisingly balanced pair. The pizza con mortadella, perfectly salty slices of pizza bianca sandwiching thin slices of mortadella, is one of the best bites in town.

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.

Founded in the Historic Center in 2004 by Rome’s premier baking family, Salumeria Roscioli does triple duty as a deli, wine bar, and restaurant. Though the menu is extensive, the real stars are the cheeses (burrata with semi-dried tomatoes is spectacular), cured meats (Culaccia and mortadella with Parmigiano-Reggiano are both stellar), and pasta classics (get the gricia, cacio e pepe, amatriciana, or carbonara). If you dine at lunch or on the early side at dinner, the bread basket will include warm bread from nearby Antico Forno Roscioli. The wine list is wide-ranging, and don’t miss the distilled spirits before closing out the meal. Be sure to book online well in advance and reserve a ground-floor, bar counter, or outdoor table so you don’t get stuck in the basement.

After more than a decade of selling Italian and French cheeses and wine at the edge of the historic Ghetto of Rome, Beppe e I Suoi Formaggi renovated and considerably downsized its space and menu. Now the single dining room is mostly occupied by the incredible array of cheeses made by, among others, owner Beppe Giovale. The menu is predictably dairy focused with cheese plates, as well as butter and ricotta, which are paired with salted anchovies and honey, respectively, alongside natural vino. The wine list features collaborations with wine makers like Sicily’s Nino Barraco. Beppe e I Suoi Formaggi also expanded to a stall in the Mercato Trionfale in late 2021. 

The dishes at Casalino, 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 verdure in pastella (assorted battered vegetables), as well as humble fish offerings like tortino di alici (baked anchovies). Along with centuries-old Roman Jewish classics, Casalino also serves more modern dishes like carbonara with tuna instead of guanciale and cacio e pepe with crispy squash blossoms.

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 5 euros or less. 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.

Latteria Trastevere is a wine bar and bistro in Rome’s nightlife epicenter focused on natural vino, cheeses, and cured meats culled from tiny, sought-after producers across Italy. There are some hot dishes too, and Sardinian owner Antonio Cossu brings in island specialties like sa fregola (pearl couscous) with crab and bottles from Barbagia, one of Sardinia’s most delicious wine regions. As a bonus, Latteria is open nearly every day of the year.

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.

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.

Chef Sarah Cicolini started in fine dining kitchens, but her forte is expertly executed trattoria fare that channels the soulful simplicity of Rome’s peasant classics — a refreshing change in a city where young chefs frequently try and fail to modernize the local cuisine. Diners visit Cicolini’s small dining room in the residential Appio-Latino quarter for carbonara, amatriciana, and a wide range of quinto quarto (offal) dishes, like delicate trippa alla romana (tripe cooked with tomato and seasoned with pecorino Romano and mint). Don’t overdo it with the savory dishes so you can fully enjoy desserts like the maritozzo (cream-filled bun) made with smoky grano arso flour.

Casa Manfredi opened in 2015 on a shady stretch of Viale Aventino, a tree-lined residential avenue between Circo Massimo and Testaccio. Like many cafes in Rome, it offers coffee and pastries to customers standing at the counter and seated at some outside tables. But what sets it apart is its exceptional coffee program and the absolutely exquisite pastries made by Giorgia Proia, who laminates croissants (both sweet and savory) and fills maritozzi (Rome’s classic leavened breakfast brioche) with clouds of ethereal whipped cream. In the summer months, Casa Manfredi makes gelato; ask for a few scoops stuffed into a maritozzo for the ultimate warm weather treat.

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, and pan-fried anchovies spiked with vinegar and chile pepper. To top it off, the vegetable dishes are incredible, especially the foraged greens salad with anchovy dressing and sumac, and the marinated, grilled squashes.

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 the Esposito family prepares sandwiches filled with offal and meat based on generations-old recipes, including disappearing historic dishes like alesso di scottona (simmered brisket). Nearby Da Corrado (Box 18) sells natural wines, artisan cheeses, and a handful of hot dishes — including some of the best polpette (meatballs) in town — while Casa Manco (Box 22) serves naturally leavened pizza by the slice by weight.

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.

On paper, Dogma’s house-milled flour, farm-to-table sensibility, and self-described ethical approach to sourcing could play like a trinity of cliches. But the work of young co-founders Alessandra Serramondi and Gabriele Di Lecce feels entirely earnest. After more than a decade in fine dining focusing on seafood, chef Di Lecce has crafted a style that balances attention to detail with accessibility. Dishes like skate-filled bottoni with cultured butter and oregano, or turbot with zucchini and foyot sauce pair brilliantly with minerality-driven white wines. The 40-euro five-course tasting menu is an absolute steal.

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).

Pizza maestro Marco Quintili opened his second location in Rome in July 2020, where he marries thick-rimmed Neapolitan pies with Roman flavors. Classic Neapolitan starters like frittatine (pasta croquettes) are flavored with cacio e pepe or amatriciana sauce, while the carbonara pizza channels Rome’s most famous sauce as a topping. Quintili’s dough is ethereal, highly digestible, and the product of years of thoughtful trial and error. The hydration of the dough, temperature of the oven, and bake time are all perfectly calibrated to create a pizza that is stable, not soupy like so many Neapolitan pies.

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.

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 cafe, 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.

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.