I’m Reena Bromberg Gaber, a Contributing Writer Ntern for Just N Life and a rising senior in college. Because my two best friends from college graduated in May, we decided to take a girls’ trip to Rome. Somehow, even with the hectic end of school and the beginning of “adulthood” for my friends, our trip miraculously made it out of the group chat. Our trip was focused on ancient Roman history and, of course, food. How could it not be focused on the food?
There are so many restaurants in Rome that we could never try every single restaurant in the entire city. Instead of deciding what the ten best places for food are — because that would be humanly impossible — here’s a guide, including the food you need to try and a few places to try them, to get you started on planning your own trip.
Gelato
Gelato is a must-eat while you’re in Rome. More importantly, because you’re on vacation in Italy, no one is going to judge you if you eat gelato more than once a day. Actually, eating gelato more than once a day is important because you have to try as many gelato shops as possible. According to deep research on TikTok and Instagram, I found that gelato is better when it’s kept in covered cases, rather than on fancy display. However, this does not mean that the fancy gelato on display is bad. This is just the trick to find places with even better gelato.
Here are a few places of the best places we found for you to try out:
I Caruso
There are two locations of I Caruso and though they are further away from the most touristy areas, this is the best gelato we found. The chocolate was so creamy and delicious and the pistachio was unexpectedly splendid. I say that as someone who loves pistachios, the nut, but would rarely choose pistachio, the flavor, before something else.
Fiordiluna
Fiordiluna is a small shop in Trastavere, a more touristy area with shopping and lots of food and restaurants. Though the wait can get long, the gelato is totally worth it. The people behind the counter were friendly and chatted with us while their card reader was working slowly.
Old Bridge
This location is also in Trastavere and the gelato was fantastic here as well.
The Gelatist
This gelato was a little more traditional, as are most of the gelato places you’ll find in Rome, but it was still great, of course — no gelato could ever be bad.
Pasta and Pizza
When I think of Italy, I think of food and I think of pasta and pizza. While I wouldn’t say my favorite food is definitively Italian, the presence of carbs, cheese, garlic, and to-die-for olive oil, absolutely puts it up higher. Though the origins of both food groups are not concretely in Italy, it cannot be denied that the country has perfected them. If and when you go to Rome, or Italy in general, most of the restaurants you’ll eat in will be some version of Italian food. You can just walk down the street and step into the first pasta place you see but if you’re hungry and searching out something specific, here are a few places you can try:
Pinsitaly
The food here was incredible but you should get to the location on the earlier side; the later you go to dinner, the longer the wait will be. Pinsitaly is near the Trevi Fountain so the area is a bit touristy, but the pizza and pasta were truly delicious.
Tonarello
There are two Tonarello locations in and around Trastavere. We recommend finding the larger location; the smaller location seems to be more popular but has an insane waiting time — at least 30 minutes for three people to sit down — and the larger location is just as good. Their pesto is fantastic. As someone who would never choose pesto first, I was looking to switch it up from the regular tomato sauces I’d been eating. I’m so glad I did because this pesto is unlike any you’ve tried before. It’s creamier, softer, and tastier than any American pesto I’ve had. Their Roman-style artichoke, artichoke fried so crispy that you eat the normally tough leaves like a potato chip, is also a must-try.
Pizzium
This was hands-down the best pizza I had while in Italy — and maybe ever. Each pie is made to order and cooked in a wood-burning pizza oven. There aren’t many other words to explain this pizza; you have to try it yourself. It was so good that I had eaten a third of it before remembering to take a picture.
Pasta e Vino
There are also multiple locations for Pasta e Vino. While the food did not stand out as more delicious than the other restaurants we tried, it has multiple locations close to each other so there were not long wait times for a table and food. After a long day of walking and sightseeing, this quick service is a must.
Coffee and Pastries
Most of your breakfasts in Rome will probably be some combination of coffee and a pastry. While these are only a few of the best places we found, definitely spend some time searching for new places to go every morning. Just like with pasta and pizza, you can wander down a street and find fifteen different cafes. You’ll get something a little different with each place you find.
Le Levain Cafe
This cafe is fantastic. It’s a chain but there’s a small location in a more residential area near where we stayed, about a fifteen minute walk outside of the Trevi Fountain area. The barista brews coffee to perfection, the pastries are made in-house and delicious, and the vibes of the location are amazing. You can sit and eat for hours or you can grab something quick while you’re on your way to your day’s adventures. The croissants at Le Levain may have been better than the croissants I had while in Paris two years ago — that’s how good they are. The vibes of this cafe were so immaculate that we came back multiple times.
Tre Caffe Bistrot
If you’re looking for more substantial breakfast food than just coffee and pastries, try this cafe. They have a meal deal that includes a breakfast item with coffee and orange juice. The orange juice is freshly squeezed and fantastic. Unfortunately I didn’t take a picture of the orange juice because I drank it too quickly. So here’s a coffee and a pastry instead.
Java Roma
Java Roma had a great selection of cakes, cannolis, and mini croissants. It was truly a wonderful beginning to the day.
What Else You Should Know About Food in Rome
Food in Italy doesn’t just have to be pasta, pizza, and gelato. There’s a little more you should know before you get there.
Eat the tomatoes
If you eat nothing else in Italy and Rome (although how could you not?), you have to eat the tomatoes. Rome has no business serving better tomatoes than the United States. I said this the second day I was there and repeated it every day after that. Tomatoes are native to the Americas but for some reason, Rome seems to have better tomatoes than the US. Eat as many as you possibly can, in between the cheese and pasta, of course.
Try something different at Ginger
Most of the food you’ll eat while in Italy will be Italian style. You’ll eat a lot of pasta and pizza, cheese and tomatoes. And while I’ve made it clear that I do not think that can ever be bad, sometimes you do need to switch your food up a little bit. The restaurant Ginger has other types of food available, not Italian-style. It was delicious. What’s even better is that there’s a new location of Ginger coming soon to New York City!
Drink a bottle of Coca Cola
Even if you’re not a big soda person, I recommend drinking the Coke in Italy. Unlike in the United States where the soda is made of high-fructose corn syrup, Italian Coke is made of real sugar. It’s fantastic and even better when you drink it out of a glass bottle, as most places will serve it to you. Drinking Coke is especially good when it’s really hot outside. The little kick of real sugar in Coke will help you through your adventures.
Drink an Aperol Spritz
There’s not much more to this than asking “why wouldn’t you drink an Aperol Spritz while in Italy?” Also, if you go to Rome during the summer, it’ll be very hot. While it may be more appropriate to drink wine while in Italy, a Spritz will be lighter and leave you feeling more refreshed.
Find a winery to tour
The wine scene in Italy is amazing, so when you plan your trip, be sure to schedule a winery tour and tasting. One great option is Cantine Neri in Orvieto. Accessible by a train from Rome, Orvieto is a beautiful, ancient, artsy town. There are ruins you can tour, including medieval wells and caves. A short taxi ride from the Orvieto train station is the mid-sized winery. While there, your group can take a tour of the winery, an overview of their tens of acres of vineyards, and experience a wine tasting. The best part of the tour is the privacy; it was just my friends and I with our guide which meant that he was able to give us a great explanation about tasting and drinking wine.
Give airport pasta a chance
This probably sounds gross. But it’s Italy. Of course there’s pasta in the airport. Of course you have to eat it. It’s a good dinner to have before you get on a long flight and have to eat bad airplane food.
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