When in Rome, eat as the Romans do! Roman food is based on its ancient past and demonstrates simple, yet delicious cuisine!
Italian specialities you should try on your visit to Rome:
Abbacchio alla scottadito – roast lamb with rosemary potatoes
Baccalà – dried cod, often with peas
Bollito misto – mixed boiled meats, usually served with a green sauce
Bucatini all’amatriciana – pasta with tomato sauce, bacon and pecorino
Carciofi alla giudea/romana – artichokes fried in oil
Carpaccio di manzo – thin raw slices of fillet of beef with rocket leaves and parmesan
Carpaccio di pesce – thin marinated slices of swordfish or tuna
Ciammotta – deep-fried vegetables
Coniglio alla cacciatora – rabbit braised in the oven with rosemary
Fave e pecorino – beans with pecorino
Finanziera – stew of chicken, sweetbread and mushrooms
Garofolato – braised beef
Gnocchi salvia e burro – small potato dumplings with sage and butter
Insalata di puntarelle – bitter salad leaves with garlic and anchovies
Orecchiette – ear-shaped pasta, often served with broccoli and scampi
Pagliata – calf’s intestines with penne pasta
Panzanella – white bread with tomatoes, oil and chopped basil as a salad
Panzarottini – pasta bake with cheese and egg
Pasta e fagioli – penne or other fresh pasta with bean soup
Pesce spada – swordfish with lemon and oil, usually grilled
Pollo al diavolo – spicy chicken
Porchetta – slices of suckling pig on a roll, usually served cold at a stall
Saltimbocca – slice of veal with sage and parma ham
Scamorza con prosciutto – smoked cheese with ham
Trippa alla romana – tripe, usually served with vegetables
Restaurants serving traditional Italian cuisine:
Gelateria Giolitti
Rome’s most famous ice-cream parlour has been in business since 1900. Traditionalists order the bacio chocolate ice-cream or the truffle ice. Fruit sorbets, particularly the champagne and ginger flavours, are also chart-toppers here. Open Daily 7am–2am | Via Uffici del Vicario 40 | Bus 62, 63 | www.giolitti.it
La Veranda
In the Baroque courtyard of the Hotel Columbus near the Vatican you can enjoy modern Roman food such as rabbit chasseur. Open Tuesday–Sunday | Via della Conciliazione 33 | Tel. 066 87 29 73 | Bus 40, 62
Vincenzo alla Lungaretta
A cosy eatery where cannelloni, lasagne and pizza come from the wood-fired oven. Try the imaginative antipasti, which includes stuffed aubergines, pepperoni and artichokes. Open daily | Via della Lungaretta 170/173 | Tel. 0 65 80 03 45 | Tram 8, Bus 780
Il Bocconcino
Right behind the Colosseum, Giancarlo and his wife Nelly have opened a slow-food trattoria that has been a real hit in the locality. Try their traditional Roman-style starters such as polpette di melanzane e pinoli (aubergine dumplings with pine kernels), crostini di alici (toasted bread with anchovies) or spezzatino di vitella (veal stew with beans). Open Thursday–Tuesday | Via Ostilia 23 | Tel. 06 77 07 91 75 | Tram 3, Bus 60, 75, 81, 85, 117 | www.ilbocconcino.com
Hostaria Romanesca
A restaurant situated in the buzzing and colourful Campo de’ Fiori, a square located south of Piazza Navona and means “field of flowers”. It serves classic Roman dishes such as spaghetti carbonara and pollo ai peperoni. A reservation is necessary in the evenings! Open daily | Campo de’ Fiori 40 | Tel. 0 66 86 20 24 | Bus 116
Il Boscaiolo
A pizzeria north of the Fontana di Trevi with a wide selection of toppings and thin, crispy dough. The salads here are delicious too! Open Tuesday–Sunday (evenings only) | Via degli Artisti 37 | Tel. 0 64 88 40 23 | Metro A: Barberini
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