Rome is a city where a great meal can become as memorable as the Colosseum or the Pantheon—but it is also surprisingly easy to end up in an overpriced tourist restaurant a few steps from the major sights. This guide brings together 18 of the best places to eat in Rome, from historic trattorias and legendary bowls of carbonara to Testaccio street food, wine bars and modern Roman cooking. Every recommendation includes a direct Google Maps link, and at the end you’ll find a free Google Maps food itinerary covering all 18 stops so you can save the route before your trip.
1. Armando al Pantheon — Pantheon
Best for: Traditional Roman lunch in the historic centre
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps Finding genuinely good Roman food this close to the Pantheon isn’t always easy, which is what makes Armando such a useful address. The family-run restaurant dates back to 1961 and remains firmly focused on Roman cooking. Look for classics such as saltimbocca alla romana, seasonal artichokes and traditional pasta dishes. Reservations are especially valuable here.
2. Emma Pizzeria — Campo de’ Fiori
Best for: Roman pizza and pasta in one place
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps Emma is an excellent choice when your group can’t decide between pizza and pasta. Its kitchen focuses heavily on high-quality ingredients and traditional Italian cooking, while the wine cellar contains an impressive selection. Its central location also makes it an easy lunch stop between Campo de’ Fiori, Piazza Navona and the Jewish Quarter.
3. Hosteria Grappolo d’Oro — Campo de’ Fiori
Best for: Carbonara and a relaxed Roman dinner
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps Just off Campo de’ Fiori, Grappolo d’Oro is the kind of restaurant worth knowing before wandering into whichever trattoria happens to have a table. Expect traditional Roman flavours, a thoughtful wine selection and an atmosphere that feels considerably more food-focused than many restaurants surrounding the city’s busiest squares.
4. Salumeria Roscioli — Historic Centre
Best for: Carbonara, cheese, charcuterie and wine
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps Roscioli is part restaurant, part gourmet deli and part wine lover’s paradise. The kitchen serves Roman classics using ingredients sourced through its deli, while the cellar holds more than 2,800 labels. Come hungry enough to explore beyond the pasta: the cheese and cured-meat selection is part of what makes Roscioli such a distinctive Rome food experience.
5. Ai Tre Scalini — Monti
Best for: Aperitivo, wine and a casual lunch
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps In atmospheric Monti, Ai Tre Scalini has been a wine shop since the 19th century. Today it remains wonderfully informal: come for a glass of wine, small plates and an easy-going break while exploring the streets between the Colosseum and Via Nazionale. No elaborate fine-dining ritual is required here—the convivial atmosphere is the attraction.
6. SantoPalato — San Giovanni
Best for: Modern Roman cuisine and adventurous eaters
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps Chef Sarah Cicolini’s SantoPalato takes the soul of a traditional trattoria and pushes it forward. Roman-Jewish influences, the city’s quinto quarto tradition and a strong respect for lesser-used cuts all play a part. It’s an especially good choice after you’ve already tried the classic pastas and want to see a more contemporary side of Roman food.
7. Tram Tram — San Lorenzo
Best for: Roman and Puglian comfort food
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps San Lorenzo has a more lived-in feel than Rome’s postcard centre, and Tram Tram fits perfectly into the neighbourhood. Its cooking combines Roman traditions with flavours from Puglia, making it a worthwhile detour for travellers who want something familiar but slightly different from another plate of carbonara.
8. Trecca — San Paolo
Best for: Contemporary Roman cooking away from the crowds
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps Trecca rewards travellers willing to move beyond central Rome. The approach is rooted in Roman cooking but feels less predictable than a traditional tourist-facing trattoria, with a market-driven menu and a willingness to explore richer, lesser-used ingredients. It’s one for serious food travellers rather than first-time sightseeing convenience.
9. Trattoria Pennestri — Ostiense
Best for: Seasonal Roman cooking and natural wine
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps Pennestri sits somewhere between an old neighbourhood trattoria and a contemporary bistro. The restaurant works closely with small producers and builds its cooking around seasonal ingredients, while still keeping the flavours recognisably Italian. It’s a strong choice when you want something refined without moving into formal fine dining.
10. Mercato di Testaccio — Testaccio
Best for: Roman street food on a budget
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps
If you only visit one food market in Rome, make a strong case for Testaccio. Instead of ordering a full restaurant meal, you can sample your way through different stalls serving pizza, sandwiches and Roman street food. Mordi e Vai is among the market’s best-known food stands, but exploring is half the fun.
11. Perilli a Testaccio — Testaccio
Best for: Old-school Roman trattoria cooking
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps
Perilli has been part of Testaccio since 1911, and four generations of the family have continued its Roman culinary tradition. This is the kind of place to visit when you want hearty, uncomplicated trattoria cooking in the neighbourhood that helped shape many of Rome’s most famous dishes.
12. Checchino dal 1887 — Testaccio
Best for: Historic Roman cuisine and quinto quarto
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps
Checchino is the stop for travellers who want to understand the deeper roots of Testaccio cooking. Its menu still celebrates dishes such as rigatoni with oxtail sauce, coda alla vaccinara, trippa alla romana and pajata, alongside more familiar carbonara and cacio e pepe. Come here prepared to be adventurous.
13. Flavio al Velavevodetto — Testaccio
Best for: Cacio e pepe and classic Roman pasta
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps
Built into Monte Testaccio, Flavio is one of those addresses pasta lovers repeatedly hear about before visiting Rome. This is a place to lean fully into the classics: cacio e pepe, gricia and the rich flavours that define traditional Roman trattoria cooking. Save room for dessert rather than planning another food stop immediately afterwards.
14. Da Oio a Casa Mia — Testaccio
Best for: Casual neighbourhood Roman food
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps
Da Oio a Casa Mia feels much closer to the idea of a neighbourhood trattoria than a polished destination restaurant. Expect recognisable Roman pastas alongside home-style meat dishes such as meatballs and chicken alla cacciatora. It’s a particularly useful option when you want an unfussy meal while exploring Testaccio.
15. La Tavernaccia da Bruno — Trastevere Edge
Best for: Wood-fired flavours and traditional Lazio cooking
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps
Family-run La Tavernaccia has been serving Roman and Lazio food since 1968. One of its signatures is focaccia baked in a wood-fired oven, alongside traditional first and second courses and regional cheeses. Its location away from Trastevere’s busiest lanes also makes it appealing when the centre of the neighbourhood feels overwhelmed by visitors.
16. Trattoria da Enzo al 29 — Trastevere
Best for: Carbonara and a quintessential Roman trattoria experience
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps
Da Enzo is one of Trastevere’s most sought-after trattorias, and its menu reads like a lesson in Roman pasta: amatriciana, gricia, carbonara and cacio e pepe all appear alongside oxtail and tripe. The restaurant does not take reservations, so arriving early is far more pleasant than arriving hungry at peak dinner time.
17. Roma Sparita — Trastevere
Best for: Cacio e pepe in a picturesque Roman square
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps
Tucked into Piazza di Santa Cecilia, Roma Sparita offers a quieter setting than many of Trastevere’s busiest streets. Cacio e pepe is one of the dishes most closely associated with the restaurant, making this a good stop if sampling different versions of Rome’s famous cheese-and-pepper pasta is becoming a theme of your trip.
18. Da Cesare al Casaletto — Monteverde
Best for: A destination lunch away from central Rome
Google Maps: Open in Google Maps
Da Cesare sits well outside the usual tourist circuit, and that’s exactly why food-focused visitors make the journey. The menu stays close to Roman traditions, with favourites including the much-loved fried gnocchi with cacio e pepe flavours, classic pasta, wine and generous desserts. On a pleasant day, this is the sort of place where lunch can easily stretch into the afternoon.
Free Google Maps Rome Food Itinerary — All 18 Stops
Save this section before your trip. The map below shows the full collection of restaurants across Rome, from the Pantheon and Monti through Testaccio, Trastevere, Ostiense and Monteverde.
Google Maps Food Route 1 — Stops 1–9: Pantheon → Campo de’ Fiori → Monti → San Giovanni → San Lorenzo → San Paolo → Ostiense
Open Rome Food Itinerary: Stops 1–9
Google Maps Food Route 2 — Stops 10–18: Testaccio → Trastevere → Monteverde
Open Rome Food Itinerary: Stops 10–18
