Roman cooking is gloriously simple and fiercely traditional — the holy trinity of carbonara, cacio e pepe and amatriciana, crisp fried supplì and artichokes, thin wood-fired pizza and unfussy seafood. These are the trattorias, pizzerias and special-occasion tables Romans and clued-up visitors actually book, from humble Trastevere queues to three Michelin stars, with prices and what to order at each.
€€€Roscioli
Area
Campo de' Fiori
Type
Roman / Salumeria
“Book days ahead and ask to sit by the deli counter; the carbonara and the burrata are the orders to make.”
€€€Armando al Pantheon
Area
Pigna
Type
Roman trattoria
“A tiny family room metres from the Pantheon — reserve well ahead; the abbacchio (lamb) is a highlight.”
€€Da Enzo al 29
Area
Trastevere
Type
Roman trattoria
“No dinner reservations — arrive by 12:15 or 19:00 sharp, or join the queue; the tonnarello cacio e pepe is the order.”
€€Flavio al Velavevodetto
Area
Testaccio
Type
Roman trattoria
“Built into Monte dei Cocci, a hill of ancient pottery shards — book a table by the glass wall to see it.”
€€€€Pierluigi
Area
Regola
Type
Seafood
“The place for fresh fish in the historic centre — request a table on Piazza de' Ricci and let them advise on the catch.”
€€Nonna Betta
Area
Ghetto
Type
Roman-Jewish
“Order the carciofo alla giudia — a whole artichoke fried until crisp and golden, the signature Ghetto dish.”
€Pizzeria ai Marmi
Area
Trastevere
Type
Roman pizzeria
“Nicknamed 'l'obitorio' for its marble tables — come for thin, blistered Roman pizza and fried starters, cash-friendly.”
€€€Pianostrada
Area
Regola
Type
Modern Italian
“A women-led kitchen doing creative, veg-forward cooking and superb focaccia — the leafy courtyard is the seat to snag.”
€€Hostaria Romana
Area
Trevi
Type
Roman trattoria
“A lively, graffiti-walled classic minutes from the Trevi Fountain — the bucatini all'amatriciana rarely disappoints.”
€€€€La Pergola
Area
Monte Mario
Type
Fine dining
“Rome's only three-Michelin-star restaurant — book weeks ahead, observe the dress code, and take the rooftop terrace view.”
Rome restaurants in detail
1.Roscioli
Roscioli is part salumeria, part wine bar and part restaurant, and it has become a place of pilgrimage for serious eaters visiting Rome. The front is a glorious deli hung with prosciutto and stacked with cheeses from across Italy; behind and below it, tightly packed tables serve a menu that treats the Roman classics with obsessive care. The carbonara — silky, peppery, made with quality guanciale and egg — is regularly called one of the best in the city, and the cacio e pepe, amatriciana and burrata with Sicilian anchovies are equally revered. The wine list runs to hundreds of labels, and the staff know how to match them. It is not cheap by Roman standards and the room is snug, so book several days ahead and be ready to dine elbow-to-elbow, which only adds to the buzz. The associated Roscioli bakery a few doors away is the spot for a morning pizza bianca or a pastry. For anyone who wants to understand why Roman cooking is so beloved, a meal here is the clearest, most delicious argument.
Hours
Daily 12:30–16:00 & 19:00–24:00 (reservations essential)
Price
Mains €18–28; tasting from ~€60
Getting there
Near Campo de' Fiori; bus 40/64 to Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, then a short walk on Via dei Giubbonari
Insider tip: Book days ahead and ask to sit by the deli counter; the carbonara and the burrata are the orders to make.
2.Armando al Pantheon
Armando al Pantheon is proof that a restaurant can sit right beside one of the world's great tourist magnets and still cook with total integrity for locals. Run by the Gargioli family since 1961 and now in the hands of the third generation, this small, wood-panelled room a few steps from the Pantheon serves the Roman canon exactly as it should be: cacio e pepe, gricia, amatriciana and carbonara, hearty offal dishes like coda alla vaccinara (oxtail) and trippa for the adventurous, and a tender abbacchio scottadito, grilled lamb chops eaten with the fingers. The portions are honest, the ingredients seasonal and the prices fair for the quality and the location. Because it is tiny and famous, reservations are essential and often needed a week or more in advance, especially for dinner. Service is brisk and warm in equal measure, the wine list leans satisfyingly Roman, and the whole experience feels like being let in on a very old family secret. If you eat at only one classic trattoria in the historic centre, make it this one — just remember to book.
Hours
Mon–Fri 12:30–15:00 & 19:00–23:00, Sat 12:30–15:00 (closed Sun; reservations essential)
Price
Mains €14–24
Getting there
On Salita dei Crescenzi beside the Pantheon; buses to Largo di Torre Argentina, 5-minute walk
Insider tip: A tiny family room metres from the Pantheon — reserve well ahead; the abbacchio (lamb) is a highlight.
3.Da Enzo al 29
Da Enzo al 29 is the quintessential Roman trattoria — a handful of tables in a tiny room on a quiet cobbled lane in the eastern part of Trastevere, cooking a short, seasonal menu of the classics with produce sourced from the Lazio countryside and small artisan suppliers. The fried starters, the supplì (rice croquettes), the puntarelle in anchovy dressing when in season, and above all the pasta — carbonara, gricia and a benchmark tonnarello cacio e pepe — draw a devoted crowd of locals and clued-up visitors. Portions are generous, the house wine is cheap and cheerful, and the whole place hums with the unpretentious energy that defines Roman dining. The catch is that it is small and does not take reservations for the crush of the evening service, so either arrive right as it opens for lunch or dinner or be prepared to wait on the street, glass in hand. It is worth it. Finish with a homemade tiramisù. For a genuine taste of neighbourhood Trastevere without a tourist mark-up, few places do it better or more honestly.
Hours
Mon–Sat ~12:30–15:00 & 19:00–23:00 (closed Sun; queues common)
Price
Mains €12–18
Getting there
In the quieter eastern lanes of Trastevere near Ponte Sublicio; tram 8 to Trastevere, 8-minute walk
Insider tip: No dinner reservations — arrive by 12:15 or 19:00 sharp, or join the queue; the tonnarello cacio e pepe is the order.
4.Flavio al Velavevodetto
Flavio al Velavevodetto sits in Testaccio, the old slaughterhouse district that is the ancestral home of Roman cucina povera — the resourceful, offal-rich cooking that turned humble ingredients into the city's most iconic dishes. The restaurant is literally built into Monte dei Cocci, an artificial hill made of the shattered terracotta amphorae that ancient Romans discarded here for centuries, and a glass panel in one room lets you see the layered shards. The food is the real draw: enormous, satisfying plates of cacio e pepe served in the pasta pan, carbonara, amatriciana and gricia, alongside polpette (meatballs), carciofi alla romana (braised artichokes) and the offal specialities like trippa and coda alla vaccinara for the curious. Prices are moderate for the quality and quantity, the atmosphere is warm and bustling, and there is a pleasant courtyard for warmer evenings. It is popular with Romans as well as visitors, so booking is wise, particularly at weekends. Combine a meal here with a wander around Testaccio's excellent food market and the non-Catholic cemetery where Keats and Shelley are buried nearby.
Hours
Daily 12:30–15:00 & 19:30–23:00
Price
Mains €12–18
Getting there
In Testaccio on Via di Monte Testaccio; Metro line B to Piramide, 10-minute walk; bus 83/170
Insider tip: Built into Monte dei Cocci, a hill of ancient pottery shards — book a table by the glass wall to see it.
5.Pierluigi
Pierluigi has been a fixture of the Roman dining scene since 1938 and remains the go-to address for seafood in the historic centre. Set on the charming Piazza de' Ricci a short walk from Campo de' Fiori, it pairs a smart, contemporary interior with a coveted outdoor terrace that fills on warm evenings with a well-dressed, international crowd. The kitchen focuses on the day's catch, much of it displayed on ice — expect crudo and carpaccio of raw fish, spaghetti alle vongole and with lobster, grilled and baked whole fish sold by weight, and classics like the fritto misto. There is a serious wine and Champagne list to match. This is one of the pricier tables in central Rome, and the fish-by-weight pricing can add up, so it suits a special occasion rather than a casual bite; ask the staff to guide you on portions and the freshest choices. Service is professional and the atmosphere lively without being stuffy. Book ahead, especially for a terrace table at dinner, and go hungry — the seafood towers and pasta portions are generous.
Hours
Tue–Sun 12:30–15:00 & 19:30–23:30 (closed Mon)
Price
Mains €22–40; whole fish by weight
Getting there
On Piazza de' Ricci near Via Giulia; bus 40/64 to Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, short walk
Insider tip: The place for fresh fish in the historic centre — request a table on Piazza de' Ricci and let them advise on the catch.
6.Nonna Betta
Nonna Betta sits on Via del Portico d'Ottavia, the main street of Rome's Jewish Ghetto — one of the oldest Jewish communities in Europe, established here in 1555, whose distinctive cucina ebraico-romanesca is one of the city's great culinary treasures. The undisputed star is the carciofo alla giudia, a whole globe artichoke pressed flat and deep-fried until the leaves crisp into golden petals while the heart stays tender, a dish invented in these streets and worth ordering the moment you sit down. Beyond it, the menu roams through fried salt cod fillets (baccalà), zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella, hearty pastas and slow-cooked meats, all prepared kosher. The setting is warm and informal, with tables spilling onto the pedestrianised street beneath ancient ruins, and prices are reasonable for the historic centre. Because it observes Jewish dietary laws and the Sabbath, opening hours can shift around Friday evening and Saturday, so check before you go. A meal here is a delicious way to connect with a distinct and deeply rooted strand of Roman history that many visitors miss, right beside the ruins of the Portico d'Ottavia and the Great Synagogue.
Hours
Daily 12:00–22:30 (kosher; check Shabbat hours)
Price
Mains €12–20
Getting there
On Via del Portico d'Ottavia in the Ghetto; tram 8 or bus H to nearby stops, short walk
Insider tip: Order the carciofo alla giudia — a whole artichoke fried until crisp and golden, the signature Ghetto dish.
7.Pizzeria ai Marmi
Pizzeria ai Marmi is a Trastevere institution and the archetype of the classic Roman pizzeria — loud, brisk, brightly lit and enormous fun. Its long marble-topped tables earned it the affectionate local nickname 'l'obitorio' (the morgue), but there is nothing sombre about the atmosphere, which is all clattering plates, shouted orders and communal energy. The pizza is the Roman style rather than the Neapolitan: bases stretched paper-thin and baked in a fierce wood-fired oven until the edges blister and crisp, arriving fast and cheap. Start with the fried supplì (rice and mozzarella croquettes), fiori di zucca (battered zucchini flowers with anchovy) and baccalà, then a pizza and a cold beer or carafe of house wine. It is one of the best-value proper meals in central Rome, popular with locals and visitors alike, and does not take reservations, so expect to queue at peak times — turnover is quick. It opens only for dinner and closes on Wednesdays. For a fast, boisterous, authentically Roman pizza night without ceremony or a big bill, it is hard to beat.
Hours
Thu–Tue 18:30–24:00 (closed Wed)
Price
Pizzas €7–11
Getting there
On Viale di Trastevere; tram 8 from Piazza Venezia stops almost outside
Insider tip: Nicknamed 'l'obitorio' for its marble tables — come for thin, blistered Roman pizza and fried starters, cash-friendly.
8.Pianostrada
Pianostrada offers a fresher, more modern counterpoint to Rome's traditional trattorias, and it has built a devoted following for it. Run by a mother-and-daughters team, the kitchen is proudly female-led and creative, taking Italian home cooking as its base and lifting it with vibrant vegetables, herbs and unexpected touches. The house-baked focaccia, split and stuffed to order, is legendary and reason enough to visit; beyond it the menu changes with the seasons and the market, spanning inventive pastas, gourmet burgers, generous vegetable plates and beautifully plated fish and meat, much of it lighter and greener than the Roman norm. The setting matches the food — a chic, contemporary dining room with an open kitchen and, best of all, a leafy internal courtyard that is one of the most pleasant places to eat in the centre on a warm evening. Prices sit in the mid-to-upper range but feel fair for the quality and originality. It is deservedly popular, so book ahead, particularly for a courtyard table. For travellers craving something modern, produce-driven and a little lighter after a run of hearty carbonara dinners, Pianostrada is a delight.
Hours
Tue–Sun 12:30–16:00 & 19:00–23:30 (closed Mon)
Price
Mains €16–26
Getting there
On Via delle Zoccolette near the river; bus 23/280 along Lungotevere, short walk from Campo de' Fiori
Insider tip: A women-led kitchen doing creative, veg-forward cooking and superb focaccia — the leafy courtyard is the seat to snag.
9.Hostaria Romana
Hostaria Romana is a rare thing — a genuinely good, genuinely Roman trattoria within a few minutes' walk of the Trevi Fountain, an area otherwise thick with tourist traps. Family-run and always buzzing, it has two floors, the lower one a vaulted room whose walls diners are invited to cover in scrawled signatures and messages, adding to the convivial racket. The kitchen delivers the Roman repertoire with confidence and generosity: an antipasto buffet of vegetables and cured meats, then benchmark bucatini all'amatriciana, spaghetti alla carbonara and cacio e pepe, followed by saltimbocca alla romana, abbacchio and grilled meats. Portions are hearty, the house wine flows and prices remain reasonable given the prime location. Service is quick, friendly and used to a mix of Romans and visitors. Because word is well and truly out, booking ahead is strongly recommended, especially for dinner. It is the ideal place to eat properly before or after an evening visit to the floodlit Trevi, proving that you do not have to trek far from the big sights to find honest, satisfying Roman cooking at a fair price.
Hours
Mon–Sat 12:15–15:00 & 19:00–23:00 (closed Sun)
Price
Mains €13–20
Getting there
On Via del Boccaccio near Piazza Barberini; Metro line A to Barberini, 5-minute walk
Insider tip: A lively, graffiti-walled classic minutes from the Trevi Fountain — the bucatini all'amatriciana rarely disappoints.
10.La Pergola
La Pergola is the pinnacle of fine dining in Rome and the only restaurant in the city to hold three Michelin stars, a distinction it has retained for years under German-born chef Heinz Beck. Perched on the rooftop of the Rome Cavalieri hotel on the Monte Mario hill, it pairs a sumptuous, art-filled dining room and terrace with a breathtaking panorama over the entire city to the dome of St Peter's — a view best caught at sunset before dinner. Beck's cooking is Mediterranean at heart but executed with extraordinary technical precision and lightness, built around impeccable seasonal produce and delivered through multi-course tasting menus. The wine cellar is one of the largest and most celebrated in Italy, with tens of thousands of bottles, and the service is faultless and formal. This is a serious occasion restaurant: prices are among the highest in the country, there is a dress code (jacket required for men), reservations must be made well in advance, and it opens only for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. For a milestone celebration or a once-in-a-trip splurge, it is unforgettable — a complete sensory experience high above the Eternal City.
Hours
Tue–Sat 19:30–23:30 (closed Sun–Mon; jacket required for men)
Price
Tasting menus from ~€270; à la carte very high
Getting there
Atop the Rome Cavalieri hotel on Monte Mario; taxi recommended (hotel shuttle from the centre)
Insider tip: Rome's only three-Michelin-star restaurant — book weeks ahead, observe the dress code, and take the rooftop terrace view.