Italy’s capital is not only about the Colosseum, narrow cobblestone streets, the Trevi Fountain, and pasta – but when it comes to food, our locals had a hard time selecting a few but ultimately gave their best five restaurants.
OSTE NOSTRO
📍Vicolo del Bologna, 87, 00153 Roma RM
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Classic Italian rustic interiors with wooden furniture, pristine white tablecloth, and their speciality of traditional handmade Roman cuisine, Oste Nostro doesn’t usually grab the attention of tourists. The restaurant can get easily unnoticeable with its entrance perfectly blending with the other houses, but a couple of wooden chairs and a table outside grab the attention of locals.
Claiming to be located in one of the most beautiful alleys of Trastevere, the restaurant offers, as you may guess, traditional Roman dishes, using only high-quality fresh ingredients. For example, expect to find mouthwatering Tonarelli Cacio e Pepe, also known as pecorino cheese and pepper pasta. The type of pasta they use for this sauce is named Tonarelli, which are similar to spaghetti but thicker and with a delicate square-cut shape.
LA FRASCHETTA DE SORA INES
📍Via Borgo S. Rocco, 29, 00040 Ariccia, RM
Located an hour away from the centre of Rome, La Fraschetta De Sora Ines is the first fraschetta built in the small town of Ariccia. Finding a fraschetta means the place is known for its combination of wine and porchetta, and Sora Ines is famous for having the best porchetta.
Here you’ll find large portions of food at a cheaper price. From carbonara pasta, mixed starter with different types of ham and cheese, to Trippa alla romana, or Roman-style Tripe, and a delightful range of red wine, including their own Sora Ines red wine.
It’s also worth mentioning that at the end of your meal, you may or may not be offered, in the house, ‘le ciambelline di Sora Ines’, which are tiny sweet handmade fennel ring biscuits, alongside red wine, or other liqueur, and an espresso. But if you want to get the full experience of the restaurant, when offered the ciambelline, dip them onto their red wine and eat them as if they were biscuits and tea.
I PANIZZERI PANIZZO
📍Via Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia, 102, 00139, RM
Do you have a busy schedule and no time to eat but still want a taste of a local treat? Then Panizzeri might be the perfect option for you. Claiming to serve high-quality fresh ingredients, Panizzeri created their bread, which is freshly baked on a daily basis. The way the place works can be associated with Subway with the variety of food options to choose from to create your own sandwich.
That doesn’t mean they don’t have their own creations advertised, with the latest one having a filling of Danish hamburger, cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, fresh big tomato slices, thinly sliced onions, and crumbled potatoes.
If you don’t fancy a sandwich, you still have a wide variety of pizza options available alongside a discounted price on their beers or any other drinks they have.
FRASCHETTA DA I FRATELLI
📍Via dell’Uccelliera, 10, 00072 Ariccia, RM
Found in the same town as Sora Ines in Ariccia, I Fratelli offers similar dishes: classic Roman pasta dishes, starters with ham and cheese, red wine, and porchetta. The restaurant is informal with rustic interiors and a blend of white and different shades of brown adorning the tables, furniture, and walls – pretty much the whole place whether you stay indoor or outdoor.
They always offer two types of menu: à la carte or fixed price. We recommend choosing the latter. At a price of €20-25, you get a bottle of red wine, mixed starter filled with beans, tripe, ham, cheese, homemade bread, and the traditional porchetta. Afterwards, you can choose between mains that offer a variety of pasta, or seconds, with a choice of meat they have available, and sides. To finish off, homemade desserts are included, which range from the classic tiramisu, sorbet, to their version of ciambelline with red wine.
EDEN
📍Via Carlo Gherardini 107 RM
A must-go restaurant for pistachio lovers. Eden’s success in blending traditional Roman and Sicilian cuisine with pistachios made the brand build two additional branches. The one recommended to us to go to is found a little bit over an hour from the Colosseum.
Welcoming you through a bright green tree arch at the entrance, Eden made sure to highlight their pistachios’ specialty as much as they could. The mix of modern and classic interiors shows a blend of patterned wallpaper, going from palm trees on a white background to flamingos and exotic flowers on a deep forest green background. With wooden square tables draped in the same green-coloured wallpaper tablecloths, you’ll find yourself sitting down on either pastel pink or emerald green suede chairs. Of course, we couldn’t forget to mention the bright green neon lights calling for its founder’s muse: Pistachio.
Pistachio lovers will be happy to know that your favourite nut is present in every dish Eden serves, from starters to desserts. Are you vegetarian, vegan or lactose intolerant? Don’t worry, there’s something with a sprinkle of pistachio for everyone: vegan nuggets, burrata, pesto pasta with mushrooms sprinkled with red onions, vegan burger, and lactose-free tiramisu and cheesecake.
