Unmissable Restaurants You Must Eat at When Visiting Rome.

I’ve been desperate to return to Rome recently after reading back through my Girls Weekend in Rome blog post. And it reminded me that I never shared my favourite places to eat in Rome! So here it finally is, three years later. Oops. I’ve visited Rome twice, once in 2014, and once in 2019, and these are the very best restaurants we ate at in 2019 and the ones that really stood out to me! They’re mostly locals restaurants that were recommended to us by a local contact, however there are a couple of key touristy places that are 100% worth dining at.

Armando Al Pantheon

Armando Al Pantheon is Rome’s most famous restaurant for the traditional Roman dish, Carbonara! You need to book in advance (I booked two weeks in advance), otherwise you’ll have to join the huge queue outside, and when we were there everyone who hadn’t booked was turned away as they just didn’t have room. The restaurant is very small, but the food is exceptionally good and I absolutely loved my Carbonara! It’s also reasonably priced and not too pricey considering how in-demand it is.

Hostaria da Pietro

Hostaria da Pietro is a small local Italian restaurant near the Spanish Steps. It was recommended to us by a local, and we’re so glad it was recommended to us as the food was delicious! It’s very much no-frills, no-fuss, but absolutely chock full of local Romans enjoying meals with their families and friends. A truly local Roman foodie experience and somewhere I can’t wait to return to someday.

Antica Trattoria della Pace

At Antica Trattoria della Pace we enjoyed the most delicious clam and truffle tagliatelle lunch. The restaurant is located just behind the Piazza Navona, and it came highly recommended to us. It was one of my favourite meals the whole time we were in Rome, and it definitely needs to be at the top of your list for when you visit the ancient city.

Emma

Emma is one of Rome’s most celebrated pizzerias, and I can see why! We dined here very late at night and it was exactly what we were after – exceptionally good pizza with a buzzing atmosphere and full of locals enjoying a late dinner in this tucked away spot near the main sights.

Zanzara

Zanzara is reasonably close to Vatican City, and was where we ate a late lunch enroute to St Peter’s Basilica. We loved the cocktails and Carbonara here (yes, we did basically only eat pasta and pizza the entire trip – When in Rome!), and they had the most moreish fresh bread and salted butter! The restaurant has a very trendy East London/New York vibe to it, and although the interiors were beautiful we chose to sit outside which was the best decision. The weather was glorious and it’s the ideal people watching spot!

Vineria il Chianti

Vineria il Chianti was another restaurant that came highly recommended from our local contact, and once again we had a fabulous meal that didn’t disappoint. We sat outside in the courtyard right by the Trevi Fountain, the scent of Jasmine filling the air, and devoured one last Roman pizza! It wasn’t as good as Emma, and the staff were a little unfriendly (although they were incredibly busy), but it was still worthy of a mention here. Plus the location was fantastic!

La Buvette

I’d spotted La Buvette when we first arrived in Rome, and was desperate to eat there as it just looked incredible. We finally went on our last day in the city and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Once again we enjoyed a huge moreish dish of pasta! We chose the fresh truffle fettuccine and it was absolutely magical and a favourite memory of our time in Rome.

Ginger Sapori e Salute

Ginger is very different to the other restaurants on this list! Ginger is more of a breakfast/lunch place, with a huge focus on health and wellness foods, so very ideal if you’ve eaten your body weight in pizza, pasta, and gelato, and need a healthy meal. It offers delicious salads and açai bowls made with superfoods and organic ingredients, and is a very chic and beautiful cafe.