If you’re visiting the Eternal City and want to try its different cuisines, you must first take note of the best restaurants in Rome.
Italian cuisines are widely accepted and celebrated worldwide and there is no doubt that the Italian capital has some of the best and most romantic restaurants in the world. Roman dishes celebrate tastes and ingredients that bring images of flavorful tradition to mind.
Rome has so many things to do that it would be nearly impossible to do them all, but you could try. That will take a lot of food, so prepare to eat something special.
The oldest restaurant in Rome is Ristorante la Campana, which has been around for more than 500 years. Today, it’s known for its tasty home-style dishes. Caravaggio and Goethe were both fans of the restaurant. In fact, Goethe wrote a famous lyric poem about the Osteria della Campana.
Want to know more about the best restaurants in Rome? Keep scrolling and enjoy!
13 Best Restaurants in Rome, Italy
In this post, we listed some of the best as well as the most visited Rome restaurants that you can’t afford to miss. Here they are.
1. Felice e Testaccio
Via Mastro Giorgio, 29, 00153 Rome RM, Italy
Testaccio is regarded as the best neighborhood in Rome for Roman cuisine, and this restaurant is its unrivaled star.
This old-school but famous Rome restaurant – with its retro-designed floors, white table covers, and a tantalizing array of traditional dishes – is ideal for a weekend lunch with or a romantic option for a gourmet dinner.
Da Felice’s signature dish is cacio e pepe, which is a tangle of noodles, melted cheese, and black pepper freshly tossed at the table for you.
Since 1936, Roman tradition and cuisine have been the cornerstones of this popular restaurant’s success, so much so that reservations are strongly advised, especially on weekends.
Felice e Testaccio is a welcoming restaurant where you can enjoy timeless traditional dishes like tonnarelli cacio e pepe (pasta with cheese and black pepper) while creating a modern, contemporary style.
2. Ristorante Moma
Via di S. Basilio, 42, 00187 Rome RM, Italy
Moma is a modern, multi-faceted restaurant in Rome situated between Via Veneto and Piazza Barberini. It serves informal dishes at lunchtime and traditional creative fare in the gourmet restaurant on the first floor, which includes a small outdoor dining space.
Ristorante Moma is one of the popular restaurants in Rome. The key features here are the balance of textures and combinations, as well as the attention paid to presentation and top-quality ingredients, resulting in regionally inspired cuisine that includes creative dishes like risotto with camomile, smoked eel, honey, and oregano.
The wine list favors labels produced by small artisanal wineries and reflects the Lazio region’s focus on refined local producers. The young staff is attentive and eager to make your evening a success.
There are thoughtful reinterpretations of classic dishes alongside modern plates, such as ravioli filled with caramelized onions, cod, and chestnut flour lasagne with vegetables and cheese – all of which are appropriately plated like works of art.
3. Trattoria Monti
Via di S. Vito, 13, 00185 Rome RM, Italy
Trattoria Monti is one the most dependable, delicious, and famous restaurants in Rome.
It’s easy to see why it’s so popular: great food, friendly service, and a charming atmosphere. Its dishes seem to improve with time and remains a local favorite.
The cuisine, like the family who runs it, is from Le Marche, so the meat is prominent on the menu. Vegetarian options include tarts with seasonal vegetables and oversized tortello with a runny egg.
An extensive wine list with reasonable markups is also undoubtedly beneficial, so do not miss Trattoria Monti when you’re in Rome!
4. Pianostrada
Via delle Zoccolette, 22, 00186 Rome RM, Italy
Pianostrada is one of the most popular restaurants in Rome right now.
Pianostrada’s menu is full of creative gourmet dishes and plates that can be shared.
Start with airy focaccia before ordering a portion of pasta with zucchini flowers, squid ink burger, or eggplant parmesan filled with sweet red onions from Tropea.
Pianostrada also has a sister restaurant — Pianoalto, which is in the southern part of Rome and has a rooftop terrace with plants. It is also one of Rome’s famous restaurants.
5. Seu Pizza Illuminati
Via Angelo Bargoni, 10 – 18, 00153 Rome RM, Italy
Seu Pizza Illuminati is everyone’s favorite pizza place.
The restaurant is modern and fresh, with neon lights and a simple design that will appeal to everyone. It has dozens of delicious pizzas, from classics like Margherita and marinara to more creative ones with purple cauliflower, smoked salmon, and pistachio crumbles. The fritti, which are fried appetizers, are a great way to get your stomach ready for the main course.
Seu Pizza Illuminati’s pizza is described by many as akin to eating a “crispy cloud” with its dough that is both airy and crispy at the same time. Try Seu Pizza Illuminati and it will easily become your favorite pizzeria in the world!
READ ALSO: 16 Best Types of Italian Pizza To Try in Italy
6. Osteria Fernanda
Via Crescenzo del Monte, 18, 00153 Rome RM, Italy
Osteria Fernanda is just as good as many of the city’s most famous places to eat. The menu is very avant-garde, and the dishes are both “comfort food” and new ways to eat. For example, the rigatoni with a sweet roots-based sauce and the snails and eel with radishes and Campari are worth trying.
On the long list of wines, there are some excellent champagnes that will go well with the equally delicious desserts.
Osteria Fernanda not only captivates its diners with its delightful dishes but also its decor and a friendly team of waiting staff – all of which make Osteria Fernanda one of the best restaurants in Rome.
7. Roscioli Ristorante Salumeria
Via dei Giubbonari, 21, 00186 Rome RM, Italy
Roscioli is a well-known deli restaurant you can’t miss if you’re in town.
You can find this deli restaurant in one of the best food outlets in Rome, with offerings such as typical Roman pastas, meat, cooked and raw fish, and an impressive selection of cheeses and cold cuts. Here you can also get the best mozzarella and anchovies, as well as exquisite home-baked bread and a varied wine list from the deli counter.
This remarkable place to eat is just a few steps from Campo de Fiori, a classic spot that both food critics and travelers love, so reserve a table ahead of time.
8. Marigold Roma
Via Giovanni da Empoli, 37, 00154 Rome RM, Italy
Marigold is a small bakery, café, and restaurant that combines the best seasonal Italian food with a simple Scandinavian design. It’s hip and minimalist, offering breakfast staples and farm-fresh meals, as well as baked goodies and fantastic coffee.
The menu changes daily and has creative dishes like stracciatella with artichokes, zucchini, cardoncelli mushrooms, and walnut pesto. The ingredients are fresh and wild.
On the weekends, you can come here for brunch, where you can get things like avocado toast with poached eggs and new cinnamon swirls.
9. Coromandel
Via di Monte Giordano, 60/61, 00186 Rome RM, Italy
Coromandel is one of the coziest places to go on a rainy day or a cold night. It looks like something out of Alice in Wonderland and has the best brunch in the city, with pancakes, eggs, cakes, and coffee treats. The decor is fun, and there are thoughtful touches everywhere.
Coromandel is also an excellent choice for lunch and dinner. Try creative dishes like roast suckling pig with bok choy and a sweet-and-sour onions sauce or scallop tartare with passion fruit and bacon. You can’t pass up the soufflé with vanilla and Armagnac cream, which is truly fabulous!
10. Enoteca La Torre
Lungotevere delle Armi, 23, 00195 Rome RM, Italy
Enoteca La Torre captures the essence of la dolce vita by being in Anna Venturini Fendi’s beautiful Villa Laetitia.
Domenico Stile, who is from Campania, runs this high-end restaurant. He uses ingredients from Southern Italy, like buffalo milk cheeses, Sorrento lemons, and fresh fish.
Enoteca La Torre serves sophisticated Mediterranean dishes, with tasting menus and wine pairings. Choose the seven-course surprise tasting menu chosen by the chef for a real treat.
READ MORE: Famous Italian Chefs
11. Ristorante Giulia
Lungotevere dei Tebaldi, 4/4a, 00186 Rome RM, Italy
Giulia, one of the best restaurants in Rome, is a romantic restaurant in the heart of the Eternal City. It’s located on one of Rome’s most beautiful streets.
Ristorante Giulia is a cocktail bar and a gourmet landmark, with offerings served in a classy presentation that provides an upscale dining experience.
Chef Pierluigi Gallo hails from Campania but got better at his job in Abruzzo. He gives comfort food a new twist that will make diners happy.
Ristorante Giulia is a good opportunity to try different types of Italian cuisine when in Rome. Celery and cocoa ketchup is served with oxtail, and baby octopus, sea snails, and sea urchins are used to create a red sauce for spaghetti.
12. Trapizzino
Various locations in Rome
Stefano Callegari, the man behind Trapizzino, came up with this new kind of street food after he started working as a pizza delivery boy in 2008.
Callegari opened a string of well-known pizzerias and street food joints in various locations in the Italian capital, including Trilussa, Ponte Milvio, and Testaccio. Following that, he enrolled in a culinary training program.
The trapizzino is a soft and mouthwateringly flavorful focaccia pouch full of delicious ingredients from meatballs to eggplant parmesan with tomato sauce and chicken cacciatore. It also comes with vegetarian options such as Roman artichoke and misticanza with leafy greens sautéed in garlic and red chili pepper.
ALSO READ: 14 Best Italian Street Foods To Try in Italy
13. Ristorante la Campana
Vicolo della Campana, 18, 00186 Rome RM, Italy
Last but definitely not least on our list of the best restaurants in Rome is the city’s oldest – Ristorante la Campana.
Located near Piazza Navona, Ristorante la Campana is a simple, open-plan trattoria that has been serving classic Roman dishes since 1518 – a tough record to break. And because of this, La Campana is deemed by some as too touristy. Most visitors flock to La Campana for its history.
However, you should also go there for the food. At La Campana, you can experience cucina romana – the good, classic Roman food. They do not overprice either.
Sample Ristorante la Campana’s saltimbocca, which is veal wrapped with prosciutto. It’s juicy and pleasing to the palate. Also must-try offerings are coda alla vaccinara (oxtail stew with vegetables), trippa (a traditional Roman dish prepared with tripe, white wine, carrots, tomatoes, white onions, pennyroyal leaves, and Pecorino Romano cheese), and fettucini al ragù (meat-based sauce with fettuccini pasta).