Rome… what to say about Rome. The Eternal City, a relic of so many eras, grandeur on every corner… We could drown in praise as in a love letter to the Italian capital. It’s also true that it’s chaotic and sometimes decadent, but we love it like few others.
Rome is not just ruins, imposing buildings and postcard-perfect photos like the one you can get through the keyhole of the Knights of Malta, which frames the silhouette of St. Peter’s dome to perfection. It is also the cradle of universal wonders such as carbonara, amatriciana, or supplì, of succulent steaks like the saltimbocca alla romana and even dishes for offal lovers like the trippa alla romana.
It is home to boisterous trattorias where the cooking goes on as if time had never passed, coexisting with a new generation of chefs who reinvent the classics without betraying a single ounce of their soul. Which places are those you can’t miss? We tell you where to eat in Rome.
The Classics That Never Fail
To Caesar what is Caesar’s. And if there is anything Romans take seriously, it’s their untouchable recipes. The ideal starting point to try them is Armando al Pantheon, that family trattoria right beside the Pantheon that has been in the same family for a couple of decades. Armando Gargioli opened this in 1961 and today in the kitchen are Claudio and Fabrizio, his sons.
Fabiana, Claudio’s daughter, runs the cellar – with around 400 references – and Flavio, Fabrizio’s son, handles the reservations. All of them have achieved something few do: running an outstanding place where you are served divine rigatoni all’amatriciana with plenty of guanciale, concentrated San Marzano tomatoes, and pecorino on top. The best amatriciana in Rome? Many locals swear by it. Here they also nail the saltimbocca alla romana – tender veal with sage and prosciutto – and the abbacchio, a suckling lamb roast with rosemary.
In Campo de’ Fiori there is a place we never tire of recommending. Roscioli isn’t just a restaurant, it’s a kind of parallel universe where a salumeria, an enoteca, a bustling dining room, and a family dedicated to this for generations coexist. It all began with a bakery on Via dei Chiavari – documented as far back as the 19th century – and today that legacy has become one of the city’s gastronomic epicenters.
