Rome is probably one of the best cities in Europe for great food.

I was surprised to find that while there are, of course, plenty of below-average tourist "traps", even in the centre you can eat relatively cheaply and the majority of restaurants tend to be of good quality.

This is a selection of places we've personally tried that I would recommend without hesitation (or with a little warning if they have their "buts").

💬 But here, more than anywhere else, we're interested in what your experience has been. Where have you had the best food or drink in Rome? Let us know in the comments below and feel free to come up with photos.

Book a hotel in Rome in advance

I've also written up some other practical takeaways from Rome:

• 👉 What places to visit in Rome for free
• 👉 Where are the places without crowds
• 👉 How transport works in Rome

Restaurants I would go to again

I went to these restaurants for my main meal in the evening.

Pizzeria alle Carrette

A great example that even in close proximity to the Fora Romana or the Colosseum you can find a normal place at decent prices.

• The pizza is slightly above average (not offensive, but not shocking either)
• very pleasant atmosphere in a remote cul-de-sac
• prices surprisingly reasonable for the location
• 🕒 Daily 12:00-15:30, 19:00-23:30
• 📍Vicolo delle Carrette - map

What did I eat and how much did it cost?

• Tuna with tomatoes as an appetizer
• Pizza Capricciosa
• Water
• Total 25 eur

Ideal stop when you're already in the center and don't want to overpay for tourist traps.

Tonnarello

Tonnarello is one of the most famous restaurants in Rome - and a good example that "touristy" doesn't necessarily mean bad.

It has two branches.

• Paglia - the main "famous" branch in the centre of Trastevere
• Santa Maria - a quieter option near the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and near Termini station

My experience of the Paglia branch:

• waiting about 15 minutes in line for a free seat (over lunch)
• service extremely fast
• food fair, large portions
• 🕒 Daily 11:30-23:00
• 📍Via della Paglia - map

I was here with my partner and we had:

• Tonnarello Amatriciana (great, some of the best pasta ever!).
• Tonnarello Pesto Genovese (good, but Amatriciana much better)
• Two glasses of Prosecco
• One carafe of water
• In total, we paid 45 eur

My experience at the Santa Maria branch:

• No line (dinner time)
• service fast and menu the same as the main Paglia branch
• 🕒 Daily 11:00-23:00
• 📍Via di Santa Prassede - map

I was here by myself and had some:

• Foccacia
• Tonnarello Caccio e Pepe
• Crodino
• Panna Cotta with strawberries
• Total I paid 30 eur

💬 Have you been to Tonnarello? How did you like it and how did you like it?

Pit Pasta

An interesting "pasta fast food" concept right in the heart of historic Rome just minutes from Piazza Navona.

• Quite large portions at good prices
• ideal for a quick meal
• very good taste, the pasta is home-made
• 🕒 Daily 11:30-22:30
• 📍Via del Governo Vecchio - map

My experience was a bit contradictory:

• I waited quite a long time
• for fast food slower than I would have expected

But as a budget option, it makes sense and I really enjoyed my time here.

I had the pasta with shrimp for 10 eur.

Bars that are worth the evening

My girlfriend and I both love bars and drinks, and we like to check off establishments from our "50 Best Bars" list.

Drink Kong

One of the most famous cocktail bars in Rome, ranked 40th in the world in the 2025 50 Best Bars poll.

• Creative drinks
• Stylish ambience (Italian-Japanese concept)
• the drinks are a little sweeter, but the service is impeccable and the menu is very interesting
• reservations: recommended on Fridays and Saturdays via drinkkong.com
• 🕒 Daily 18:30-2:00
• 📍Piazza di San Martino ai Monti - map

Ideal if you want to make one evening a little more luxurious.

How much did we spend here? We had 4 drinks each, plus we each had a little something to eat.

Free unlimited water is a given.

For the whole evening, I spent 135 eur.

• Hotel Santa Maria Maggiore *

Freni e Frizioni

A bar in Trastevere that has a completely different energy than Drink Kong.

• A livelier atmosphere
• lots of people outside
• perfect for the start of the evening
• a very stylish and original setting, the name itself suggests (translated as "Brakes and Clutches")
• reservation: not necessary
• 🕒 Daily 18:30-2:00
• 📍Piazza Trilussa - map

We only stopped here for 2 drinks, which I paid for 26 eur.

Stravinsky Bar

A hidden gem in the luxurious Hotel de Russie.

• Beautiful inner courtyard
• quiet, minimal crowds
• significantly higher prices
• reservation: not necessary (the bar is free to all, not just hotel guests)
• 🕒 Daily 10:00-1:00
• 📍Via del Babuino - map

We stopped by here this morning for two drinks and two coffees.

We got a pretty generous snack included with them in the form of nuts, olives, cheese and water.

Still, the price 87 eur seemed quite high.

It's not about the price, it's about the setting. It's a perfect contrast to busy Rome.

💬 Do you have a tip for a similar "hidden gem" bar in Rome?

Patisseries and sweet (this one is worth it)

I'm a sucker for sweets and especially enjoy my stays in Italy. Italians are just great at sweets!

Pasticceria Regoli

One of the most famous places for maritozzi, a traditional Roman sweet pastry.

It gets pretty crowded, but we didn't expect any line.

• a short walk from Termini
• Authentic setting
• great value for money
• 🕒 Daily except Tuesday 7:00-19:00
• 📍Via dello Statuo-map

We had one traditional maritozzi and one tart with raspberries and paid around 12 eur.

Pasticceria Leonardo

My personal "accidental hit".

• 1 minute from Piazza Navona
• a backstreet
• I was all alone, no tourists, no queues.
• 🕒 Daily 8:00-19:30
• 📍Via di Santa Maria dell'Anima - map

Delicious in taste, but most importantly absolute tranquility - which is almost a miracle in this location.

I had the pistachio cornetto for 6 eurwhich I can still remember now.

Two Sizes

This is the best tiramisu in Rome according to many instagram accounts.

It's located right next to Piazza Navona, so we had a few trips around and just had to try it to see what was true.

• A small stand with a simple concept
• two sizes of tiramisu - small for 3 eur or large for 4 eur
• always a queue in front of the shop, but we didn't even wait 5 minutes
• 🕒 Daily except Monday 11:00-22:00
• 📍Via del Governo Vecchio - map

It's a bit touristy but it makes sense - the quality is consistent and the location perfect.

💬 Do you know a better tiramisu in Rome than here? I'd really like to know.

Sandwiches / street food that you will remember

I unfortunately didn't get to eat more here and I'm so sorry. So maybe next time.

All'Antico Vinaio

This was one of the highlights of the whole trip.

• focaccia sandwiches
• huge portions
• strong flavours
• long line, but it went by pretty fast (we waited about 10 minutes)
• 🕒 Daily 10:30-22:00
• 📍Piazza della Maddalena - map

Mortadella + pistachio pesto = one of the best meals I've had in Rome. And not only in Rome. I'll probably remember this for the rest of my life.

My girlfriend had the traditional vegetarian foccaccia and that was great too.

We paid for two giant sandwiches 16 eur.

💬 What sandwich did you have? Recommendations here (in the comments below the article)!

Ice cream (gelato), which is worth a stop

For a long time I actually didn't like ice cream, but lately I've become quite fond of it.

Which comes in handy when traveling to Italy!

Gelateria Hedera

• the beautiful Borgo Pio street near the Vatican
• quieter than the centre
• prices slightly higher, but still good
• 🕒 Daily 10:00-23:00
• 📍Borgo Pio - map

Apple + cream ice cream top. Big cone with two scoops cost me 7 eur.

Even though this ice cream shop is just a few meters from the Vatican, I was alone. No line.

Giolitti

One of the most famous ice cream parlors in Rome.

• Queue about 5 minutes
• low prices
• classic "old" atmosphere
• 🕒 Daily 10:00-23:00
• 📍Via degli Uffici del Vicario - map (but there are more branches in Rome)

Here you go more for tradition - and it works.

First, you pay at the cashier (small / large gelato) and with a slip you go to the counter where you say which kind of gelato you want.

Knowing this ahead of time saves a lot of time (at least one queue).

I had my favorite combination of mango + maracuja and it cost me 7 eur.

Gelateria Tiberino Roma

A small stand on Isola Tiberina.

• Great location
• I personally enjoyed the gelato a lot
• ideal stop for a walk
• 🕒 Daily 11:00-17:00
• 📍Via di Ponte Quattro Capi - map

I had a combination of hazelnut and vanilla ice cream for a total of 6 eur.

Map of all recommended places

To make it easier to navigate, I've marked all the places on one map.

It's especially handy when you start planning a specific route - you'll often find that you have several great places just minutes away from each other.

How we chose our food in Rome

• don't go to the first restaurant near the monument
• watch the queues (but be sensible)
• don't be afraid to go down the street

Truth be told - there are so many restaurants, patisseries and bars in Rome that for me there's not much point in choosing ahead unless you're really interested in something (like us bars or some patisseries).

The way I did it was that when I was hungry or in the mood for something, I opened Google Maps and picked the nearest place based on the reviews.

You don't have to do that anymore, just keep this article of ours handy.

💬 Do you have a personal tip for a restaurant, bar or gelato in Rome? Write down in the comments - I'd love to discover something new for next time.

Practical tips for the end

• We paid by card everywhere without any problems
• coperto (tip) is often included in the price (but usually only 5%)
• if you were satisfied, leave some cash on the table after you pay
• there are often queues at famous places - you can wait for more than 30 minutes for restaurants, while usually only 5-10 minutes for patisseries or bakeries

If you're still figuring out accommodation, check out our section 👉 Where to stay in Rome or directly compare current hotel prices 👉 Hotels in Rome - Booking.com.

If you want to quickly search for businesses, book an Uber or maps, a local Italian eSIM is worthwhile - like airalo.com.