Roman delicacies is a mirrored image of the town itself — layered, deeply rooted in custom, and filled with contrasts. After years of consuming my method by Rome, I’ve discovered the perfect meals are formed as a lot by historical past because the fingers that put together them. Household-run trattorias have served the town’s defining dishes for generations: cacio e pepe, carbonara, roasted lamb, and offal-based specialties, lots of which hint their origins to Rome’s historic slaughterhouse economic system. Whereas these locations stay important, a wave of neo-trattorias continually reinterprets the classics, and the broader eating scene continues to shift too. The affect of Rome’s immigrant communities and cuisines, from Ethiopian to Colombian, is stronger than ever.
Summer season in Rome is a sensory overload. The solar is relentless, the cobblestones radiate warmth, and even the town’s most impatient drivers decelerate come afternoon, sapped of vitality by the scalding streets. Markets are stocked with candy, sun-ripened tomatoes, pale zucchine romanesche with their blossoms nonetheless connected, and crates of figs that fragrance the air earlier than melting in your mouth.
Consuming and consuming effectively in Rome isn’t nearly figuring out the place to go; it’s about figuring out the best way to navigate the town’s idiosyncratic eating tradition. Vacationers typically e-book tables months upfront, making last-minute reservations robust. Whereas on-line reserving is turning into extra frequent, many locations nonetheless depend on the telephone, and it’s finest to name on the very begin or very finish of service, when the workers really has time to select up. Plan forward — however depart some room for spontaneity too.
We replace this record quarterly to ensure it displays the ever-changing eating scene in Rome. Our write-ups embrace insider ideas from our skilled writers and editors, in addition to a tough vary of pricing for every vacation spot — starting from $ for fast, cheap meals with dishes largely below $10 (or the equal in euros), to $$$$ for locations the place entrees exceed $30.
New to the map in August 2025: In Trastevere, L’Antidoto gives a deeply private tackle up to date cooking, with chef Mirko Pelosi turning out extraordinary dishes from a minimalist kitchen that defies logic; at Santo Palato, Sarah Cicolini continues to push cucina romana ahead, pairing technical precision with heartfelt storytelling on the plate in her new location; and in Monteverde, Aqla gives a private tackle Yemeni and Ethiopian cooking, served with heat and intention by a household whose meals tells their story one sambusa at a time.
Katie Parla is a Rome-based meals and beverage journalist, culinary information, and New York Occasions best-selling cookbook writer. Her newest cookbook, Meals of the Italian Islands, is out there now.
