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One of the best reasons to visit Italy is for the food. Sure, there are plenty of historic sites, museums, and beautiful landscapes to see, but let’s face it: Those are things to do to kill time between meals. While some Italian foods can be found nationwide, others are traditionally associated with specific cities or regions. The best food in Rome includes everything from historic dishes that date back to the ancient Romans to new concoctions that have quickly become beloved favorites. Here are my favorite things to eat in Rome, Italy, including must-eat foods that no visit is complete without trying.
Love food? Why not take a Rome food tour or even a cooking class?
The Best Dishes in Rome
If you’re looking for what to eat in Rome, you’ve come to the right place. While no list of the best Roman foods could ever be complete, these are ones that I’ve particularly enjoyed. I hope you will enjoy them, too.
Four Pastas of Rome
There are tons of great pasta dishes in Rome, but the most famous are these four classic Roman pasta dishes. However, don’t limit yourself to them! There are plenty of other great sauces to enjoy.
These four pastas of Rome are all related, containing different combinations of similar ingredients.
Book your hotel in Rome now!Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e pepe is made from Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper and is typically made with tonnarelli or spaghetti.
Gricia
Pasta alla gricia takes the ingredients of cacio e pepe and also adds guanciale (cured pork cheek or jowls) to the mix.
Carbonara
Carbonara is also made from the same Pecorino Romano cheese, black pepper, and guanciale as gricia, but it also includes adding eggs. It is usually made with spaghetti, rigatoni, bucatini, or mezze maniche.
Amatriciana
Amatriciana is the only one of the main pasta dishes of Rome that uses tomatoes. The dish includes tomatoes, Pecorino Romano cheese, guanciale, and black pepper, served with bucatini or rigatoni.
Arrabiata
Arrabiata is another popular pasta dish in Rome. The sauce is made from a mix of garlic, tomatoes, dried red chili peppers, and olive oil.
Gnocchi Alla Romana
Although gnocchi (potato and flour dumplings) are often most associated with Northern Italy, they can also be found in Lazio, the region that is home to Rome.
Gnocchi alla Romana is a baked dish with gnocchi (made with semolina, not potato) topped with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and often served with meatballs and tomato sauce.
Pizza
Pizza is most commonly associated with Naples, but don’t overlook it when you’re in Rome.
The types of pizza in Rome are varied. The most uniquely local shops sell slices of rectangular pizza by weight. This is known as pizza al taglio. Varieties include pizza bianca, pizza rossa, and more.
Taglieri (Platters of Local Meat & Cheese)
There are tons of excellent meats and cheeses from Rome and beyond. One of the best ways to sample as many of these as possible is to get a platter for antipasto.
Known as taglieri, these platters of local meat and cheese can be served as a first course or even as an entire meal in their most generous forms.
Read about my favorite places for platters in Rome.
Pecorino Romano
I mentioned Roman cheeses and meats above, but let’s single one out since it’s so crucial to local cuisine in Rome.
Pecorino Romano cheese is a hard sheep milk cheese that’s popular in many dishes, including the pasta dishes I mentioned above. You can also find it on taglieri.
Bruschetta
The idea of topping bread with things is hardly unique. In Italy, grilled bread topped with olive oil, garlic, and salt, plus various other toppings such as tomatoes or vegetables, is known as bruschetta.
It’s believed that bruschetta dates back to Ancient Rome.
Carciofi Alla Giudia (Fried Artichokes)
Springtime is artichoke season in Rome. Every year, locals and visitors alike look forward to the availability of fresh artichoke dishes.
One of the most popular foods to try in Rome is carciofi alla giudia. These deep-fried artichokes are an essential staple of Roman-Jewish cuisine.
Romanesco artichokes are used for these dishes in the spring. If you see fried artichokes during other seasons, it’s likely other varieties are being used, or they were frozen.
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Carciofi Alla Romana (Pan Braised Artichokes)
The other popular way of serving artichokes in Rome is carciofi alla romana.
This method uses the same whole Romanesco artichokes, but pan-braises them.
Fiori di Zucca Fritti (Fried Zucchini Flowers)
Another delicacy in Rome is called fiori di zucca fritti.
Zucchini flowers are stuffed with cheese and anchovies and deep fried. It is often served as a starter.
Misticanza (Mixed Greens)
Misticanza is a mixed green salad. It can contain a variety of greens, including arugula, chicory, dandelion, fennel, lettuce, and anise.
Suppli
Suppli are popular snack food in Rome.
Similar to arancini or croquettes, suppli is made from balls of rice, tomato paste, and mozzarella cheese.
Trapizzino
Trapizzino is the newest beloved Roman snack. Although only invented in 2013, these delightful pockets of goodness are a must-eat food in Rome.
Chef Stefano Callegari is the creator of Trapizzino. He wanted to create a form of stuffed pizza that could be easily eaten for takeaway.
There are five core Trapizzini served in their shops, as well as three daily rotating flavors. I especially loved the Doppia Panna, which is stuffed with double burrata stracciatella and Cantabrian anchovies.
Today, you can find Trapizzino at several locations around Rome. The one in Trastevere is a larger restaurant, while the one near the Vatican has a good selection of craft beer. There are also Trapizzino locations in Milan, Florence, Turin, and even New York City.
The Best Meat Dishes in Rome
Saltimbocca
Saltimbocca is a beloved Rome meat dish.
For saltimbocca alla Romana, veal, prosciutto, and sage are rolled up and then cooked in butter and dry white wine.
Abbacchio
Abbacchio is a dish with long historical significance in Lazio. Historically, this Roman lamb dish is eaten at Easter and Christmas, though nowadays, some preparations can be found year-round.
The Roman lamb dish can be prepared in a variety of ways, but some are more common in Rome compared with other areas of Italy.
Abbacchio alla Romana is roasted lamb with garlic, oil, chopped ham, rosemary, salt, and pepper. It also includes an anchovy and herb-based sauce.
Coda Alla Vaccinara
Coda alla vaccinara is a hearty Rome food. It is an oxtail stew made with lots of vegetables, especially celery, plus tomatoes, red wine, herbs, and more.
Chicken Liver Frittata at SantoPalato
I especially liked a couple of dishes in Rome that might not be widely available. However, I think they’re still worthy of being included in my favorite foods in Rome.
I went to SantoPalato for their excellent pasta, with the carbonara alone making it one of my favorite pasta restaurants in Rome. However, I also enjoyed the chicken liver frittata.
It was a luxuriously rich dish that was a great way to start my meal.
Pork Shoulder Stew at Spirito Di Vino
Another must-try dish in Rome is at Spirito Di Vino in Trastevere.
This restaurant is in a building with a history of over 1,000 years. We visited on a food tour in Trastevere and enjoyed their pork shoulder stew, which harkens back to the days of ancient Rome and Julius Caesar.
Porchetta
Porchetta is one of the most glorious foods of Rome (and the rest of Italy).
This roast pork can be served in several ways. It can be the centerpiece of a dinner or used as an ingredient or topping in sandwiches, pizza, pasta, and more.
There are several shops and restaurants in Rome where you can eat porchetta, but the porchetta sandwiches at La Norceria di Iacozzilli in Trastevere (which we had on a Rome food tour) are excellent.
Trippa Alla Romana
Trippa alla Romana is one of those dishes that isn’t for everyone. You’ll want to skip this one if you’re not into the whole nose-to-tail movement.
The Roman dish contains tripe, white onions, tomatoes, carrots, white wine, pecorino romano cheese, and pennyroyal leaves.
Trippa alla Romana originated in the poorer classes of Rome. It’s often served on Saturdays at lunch.
The Best Pastries & Desserts in Rome
Maritozzi
One of Rome’s most iconic pastries is maritozzi. These whipped cream-filled buns are a popular subject for Instagram and TikTok food videos.
It’s easy to see why. Who can go wrong with some pillowy dough filled with tasty whipped cream?
Several bakeries in Rome sell maritozzi, but Regoli Pasticceria is one of the best-known.
Crostata di Ricotta e Visciole (Ricotta & Sour Cherry Tart)
There are a couple of pastries in Rome that are the result of the combination of Jewish and Roman baking traditions. Those who want to try them out can find them at Pasticceria Boccione in Rome’s Jewish Quarter.
Crostata di Ricotta e Visciole is a ricotta and sour cherry tart. You can purchase a whole tart or a slice, which you can eat outside.
Legend has it that these delicious tarts result from a papal decree that forbade Jewish people from consuming dairy products, so they hid the ricotta cheese inside a well-baked crust. However, this is disputed by the owners of Pasticceria Boccione, who detail its history as a more recent creation. Whatever the case, I love it.
Pizza Ebraica
Pizza Ebraica (also known as pizza dolce di Beridde) is a ceremonial baked good in which Pasticceria Boccione specializes.
This Jewish-Roman fruit cake is made from almond flour with nuts, raisins, and candied fruits.
Tiramisu
Many restaurants in Rome serve the beloved Italian dessert, tiramisu. Some shops even specialize in the dish made from ladyfingers dipped in coffee and topped with a luscious mixture of mascarpone cheese, eggs, sugar, and cocoa.
Read about my favorite places to eat tiramisu in Rome.
Gelato
I’ve made no secret of my daily gelato habit in Italy, whatever the weather. Rome is packed with excellent gelato shops serving the creamy treat, including some regarded as among the best in the world.
Read about my favorite places for gelato in Rome.
Grattachecca
If you want another icy treat, try grattachecca. Similar to granita, it’s made from shaved ice topped with a sweet syrup of your choosing. It’s sold at kiosks all over Rome.
If you love food and you’re visiting Rome, why not take a food tour? Check out these excellent food tour options. There are even classes where you can learn how to make pasta, pizza, tiramisu, gelato, and more!
Here are some great Rome tours & my favorite things to see & do in Rome.
If you’re looking for a place to stay, check out these Rome hotels.
