What to Eat in Rome
Wondering what to eat in Rome? Read on to discover Rome food favorites that you simply can not miss during your trip to the Italian capital.
With over 8000 restaurants and 15,000 pizzerias, Rome’s culinary scene offers endless gastronomic delights for all tastes and budgets.
Dining on a perfectly cooked plate of spaghetti alla carbonara, crispy style Roman pizza, or sinking your teeth into a mouthwatering maritozzi, are essential experiences to have in Rome. In this guide, we cover 10 foods to eat in Rome and where to get them.
For a complete insight into Italian cuisine, join our award winning Rome food tour.
What to Eat in Rome
Trapizzino
Trapizzino is the recent addition to street food in Rome, created in 2008 by pizza chef Stefano Callegari.
The concept is simple; pizza dough in a triangular pocket is filled with gourmet ingredients. Examples include, meatballs, parmigiana di melanzane, Roman oxtail stew and artichokes.
In addition to three restaurants in Rome (Testaccio, Trastevere, Termini station), you can also find this Roman street food in Milan, Turin, Naples and New York.
Roman Pizza
It may come to no surprise to have a blog on what to eat in Rome including Pizza.
Pizza is likely the most consumed food in Rome. Roman pizza comes in a variety of forms; tonda, pizza al taglio and pinsa.
Roman style pizza (Tonda/round pizza pie)
The two types of round traditional pizza (tonda) served in Rome, usually cooked in a wood-fired oven and at sit-down restaurants, are Roman-style pizza and Neapolitan styel pizza.
Unlike Neapolitan pizza which is thick crust with a chewy dough, Roman-style pizza is round and flat base, with a thin, crispy and crunchy crust.
Pizza al taglio
Pizza al taglio translates as pizza by the cut. A rectangular shaped pizza, baked in a electric oven, cut into slices usually by a pair of scissors, then sold by the weight.
Pizza al taglio translates as pizza by the cut. A rectangular shaped pizza, baked in a electric oven, cut into slices usually by a pair of scissors, then sold by the weight.
Pizza al taglio tends to be a popular lunchtime option or a snack, as apposed to round pizza pie which is usually a dinner choice.
The most popular place in Rome to eat pizza al taglio is Pizzarium.
Pinsere
Pinsa Romana is lighter, crunchier and more digestible than regular pizza. The dough is made from wheat, rice and soy flour. It is baked at a lower temperature creating a higher level of hydration.
See our post for a complete guide on where to eat pizza in Rome
Roman Pasta
- Spaghetti alla carbonara
- Bucatini all’amatriciana
- Spaghetti cacio e pepe
- Pasta alla gricia
Roman pasta
Many Italian cities are home to specific pasta, such as pasta al pesto Genovese from genoa or spaghetti alle bolognese from bologna. Rome has four famous pasta dishes.
Spaghetti alla carbonara
A pasta dish, usually spaghetti, with a sauce made with pecorino, guanciale, grated pecorino cheese and egg.
Bucatini all’amatriciana
A pasta dish, usually spaghetti or bucatini, with a sauce made with guanciale, grated pecorino cheese and tomato.
Spaghetti cacio e pepe
A pasta dish with a sauce made with grated pecorino cheese and black pepper.
Pasta alla gricia
A pasta dish made with guanciale and grated pecorino cheese.
Popular restaurants where Romans eat pasta include
1 – Il Segreto by the Vatican Via Canada 71
2- Rione 13 in Trastevere Via Roma Libera 19
What Fried Foods to eat in Rome
Wondering what to eat in Rome on the go?
Aside from pizza, the menu at pizzerias often includes a variety of fried food. Here are the popular ones to try.
Suppli
The suppli is the most popular street food snack in Rome. It is a deep-fried rice ball, coated with eggs and breadcrumbs, filled with tomato ragu and mozzarella cheese.
Although typical to Roman cuisine, suppli are sold throughout Italy as an antipasto in most pizzerias and restaurants.
They are sometimes referred to as supplì al telefono, as the melted mozzarella cheese stretches into a long cable once the supplìis pulled apart.
Fiori di zucca
Fiori di zucca are zucchini flowers, stuffed with mozzarella cheese and anchovies, battered and deep fried.
Fried baccala
Dating back to ancient Rome, filetto di baccala (fried baccala) is the oldest Roman street food. Filetto di baccala is a cod fillet dipped in egg, battered and deep-fried, served in proper street food fashion in a paper cone to go.
Artichokes
Fried artichokes
In most Roman restaurants during the months between December and April, you will find artichokes on the menu. They are prepared in two different but equally delicious ways; alla romana (Roman style), or alla giudia, “Jewish-style.”
Carciofi alla giudia
Deep fried whole artichokes
Carciofi alla Romana
Whole artichokes filled with minced garlic and cooked in olive oil
What meat dishes to eat in Rome
Panino con Porchetta
Panino con porchetta is a sandwich filled with roasted pork, juicy in the middle and crispy on the outside. It is stuffed with garlic, rosemary and other aromatic herbs.
This street food is popular throughout the region of Lazio, with the Roman towns Marino and Ariccia most closely associated with this snack.
Coda alla vaccinara
Coda alla vaccinara is oxtail stew, cooked with tomato sauce, onions, celery, carotts, herbs, pine nuts and sometimes bitter chocolate
Abbacchio alla cacciatora
Floured lamb chops cooked in oil and vinegar, spiced with garlic, sage, anchovies and rosemary
Saltimbocca alla Romana
Roman-style veal with ham (prosciutto) and sage. Saltimbocca is a contraction of “salta in bocca”, which translates as ‘jump in the mouth’
Scaloppine alla romana
Veal slices coated with raw ham and sage cooked with white wine.
Trippa alla Romana
Tripe (cow stomach) cooked with tomato sauce and mint, and topped with pecorino is an ancient Roman tradition.
What Desserts to eat in Rome
Maritozzi
Maritozzi is a typical Roman dessert, enjoyed in cafes for breakfast as well as an after hours snack
Traditionally the maritozzi is a soft loaf of bread filled with whipped cream, however recently it has also been served with savory options.
If you have any questions about what to eat in Rome or restaurant recommendations, see our blog on the best restaurants in rome or email us contactus@romanfoodtour.com