Away from the monuments, in the neighbourhoods. Our eleven picks are trattorias in Prati, San Lorenzo, Testaccio and Ostiense, thin-crust pizza in Casal Bertone, Garbatella and Flaminio, market counters in Testaccio and San Giovanni, a gelateria in Parioli, and the bakery on Campo de’ Fiori for pizza bianca sold by weight. These are the places we’d send a friend to.
The short list
11 places, in the order they appear below.
- 01Hostaria Dino e TonyLetting the host order for youPrati
- 02Tram TramRoman and Puglian home cookingSan Lorenzo
- 03PecorinoFamily trattoria, artichoke seasonTestaccio
- 04Trattoria PennestriPajata with a twist, local winesOstiense
- 05L'Elementare - Casal BertoneThin Roman pizza, sit-down dinnerCasal Bertone
- 06PanteraClassic pizza al taglioGarbatella
- 07Il BuchettoHalf portions, old-school roomFlaminio
- 08Mordi e VaiQuinto quarto sandwiches at lunchTestaccio market
- 09Nonna PiaSavoury maritozziSan Giovanni market
- 10Forno Campo de' FioriPizza bianca with mortadellaCampo de' Fiori
- 11Gelateria TorcèInventive flavours, afternoon gelatoParioli
Which Rome trattorias do we send friends to?
Hostaria Dino e Tony in Prati, Tram Tram in San Lorenzo, Pecorino in Testaccio and Trattoria Pennestri in Ostiense. Each is run by a pair or a family, the cooking is Roman (with a Puglian streak at Tram Tram), and three of the four cook from the market.
Dino e Tony has been open since 1992, with Tony in the kitchen and Dino in the room. Let Dino order, and a long run of antipasti arrives, then three pastas, then slow-cooked mains.
Hostaria Dino e Tony
Hours: Mon–Sat 12:30–15:00, 19:30–23:00 · Sun closed
Address: Via Leone IV, 60, 00192 Roma RM, Italia
At Tram Tram, open since 1990, Rosanna cooks Roman and home-style Puglian food, and a handwritten blackboard lists what came in from the market that morning. Start with the fried anchovies, have the rigatoni con la pajata if it’s on, and on Thursdays there’s usually homemade gnocchi.
Tram Tram
Hours: Mon closed · Tue–Sun 12:30–15:00, 19:30–23:00
Address: Via dei Reti, 44, 00185 Roma RM, Italia
Alfredo and his daughters buy Pecorino’s ingredients every day at the Testaccio market, and the room feels more like a Roman dining room than a restaurant. In artichoke season, order the carciofo alla giudia.
Pecorino
Hours: Mon closed · Tue–Sun 12:30–14:30, 19:30–23:00
Address: Via Galvani, 64, 00153 Roma RM, Italia
Tommaso Pennestri and Valeria Payero founded Pennestri, and the wine list leans towards local, lesser-known labels. In the kitchen, Tommaso finishes his rigatoni con la pajata with a splash of colatura di alici, and the chocolate mousse with bread and olive oil is the way to end.
Trattoria Pennestri
Hours: Mon closed · Tue–Thu 19:00–23:00 · Fri–Sun 12:00–15:00, 19:00–23:00
Address: Via Giovanni da Empoli, 5, 00154 Roma RM, Italia
Where do we go for thin Roman pizza?
To L’Elementare in Casal Bertone, Pantera in Garbatella and Il Buchetto in Flaminio. The first is a sit-down pizzeria for a full dinner, the second a tiny pizza al taglio shop, the third an old pizzeria that serves half portions, so you can try two pizzas without ordering two. All three keep the base thin, the Roman way.
L’Elementare’s Casal Bertone room sits in a residential pocket of Roma est, with around sixty seats across three window bays. Order the Marinara Doppia, with yellow tomato and anchovies, to taste how thin the dough is, then ask which pizzas were made for this address, because the group’s other rooms don’t serve them.
L'Elementare - Casal Bertone
Hours: Mon–Thu 19:00–00:00 · Fri–Sat 19:00–01:00 · Sun 19:00–00:00
Address: Piazza di Santa Maria Consolatrice, 1, 00159 Roma RM
The brothers behind Trecca run Pantera, a tiny Garbatella shop with a short list of strictly classic toppings. Start with the marinara: tomato, oil and parsley on a crust that nearly shatters.
Pantera
Hours: Mon 12:00–22:00 · Tue–Sat 12:30–22:30 · Sun 17:00–22:00
Address: Circonvallazione Ostiense, 153, 00154 Roma RM, Italia
Il Buchetto in Flaminio has kept its white tiles, marble tables and old plates on the walls for decades, and it takes no reservations, so expect a short wait at the door. Regulars finish with the ventaglio with cream, which is easy to miss on the menu.
Il Buchetto
Hours: Mon–Tue closed · Wed–Fri 12:00–14:30, 19:00–23:30 · Sat–Sun 19:00–23:30
Address: Via Flaminia, 119, 00191 Roma RM, Italy
What Roman street food do locals eat, and where?
Market sandwiches, filled maritozzi (soft Roman buns) and pizza bianca, eaten standing up. Our three are a sandwich stall in the Testaccio market, a bakery counter in the San Giovanni market run by two former restaurant chefs, and the bakery on Campo de’ Fiori, where market traders, builders and parents on the school run all pass through before lunch.
At Mordi e Vai, a former butcher turned the quinto quarto (tripe, brisket, offal and artichokes) into sandwiches. Order the allesso di scottona, slow-braised brisket in a roll dipped in its own broth with bitter cicoria and a little chilli, and get there before 13:00.
Mordi e Vai
Hours: Mon 10:15–14:30 · Tue–Thu 10:00–14:30 · Fri–Sat 10:00–15:00 · Sun closed
Address: Nuovo Mercato Comunale di Testaccio BOX 15, Via Beniamino Franklin, 12/E, 00153 Roma RM, Italia
Nonna Pia is named after one of the chefs’ grandmothers, and its maritozzi come filled with meatballs, with ricotta and sour cherries, or with shredded chicken cacciatore. The savoury ones run out well before the sweet, so come before midday, and bring cash.
Nonna Pia
Hours: Mon closed · Tue–Sat 09:00–15:00 · Sun closed
Address: Piazza Epiro, 17A, BOX, 29 e 30, 00183 Roma RM, Italy
Forno Campo de’ Fiori pulls pizza bianca from the oven on long peels, blistered and salty, and wraps it in paper while it’s still too hot to hold. For the filled version, go to the smaller counter around the corner, ask for it split with mortadella and eat it standing up before it cools.
Forno Campo de' Fiori
Hours: Mon–Sat 08:00–14:30, 16:30–19:30 · Sun closed
Address: Campo de' Fiori, 22, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Where should you get gelato in Rome?
In Parioli, at Gelateria Torcè, a counter on a quiet corner where families with kids in school uniform crowd in most afternoons. The flavour list is long and odd in the right way: gorgonzola with pear, orange peel with Cointreau. There are gluten-free and vegan options, so nobody at the table has to sit out.
Ask for the black sesame and caramel first. It holds its shape instead of melting into syrup, and on hot afternoons it’s the flavour that goes first.
Gelateria Torcè
Hours: Mon closed · Tue–Sun 12:00–21:00
Address: Piazza Euclide, 25, 00197 Roma RM, Italy
Which Rome neighbourhoods should I eat in?
Testaccio, if you only have one: it has Pecorino and the Mordi e Vai stall. After that, pick by meal. Prati, San Lorenzo and Ostiense for a trattoria, Casal Bertone, Garbatella and Flaminio for pizza, San Giovanni and Campo de’ Fiori for the morning, Parioli for gelato. The places are far apart, so plan one area per meal.
