Roman Fuel
Everything we ate in Rome.
One of the best things to indulge in in Rome is the food. And the Romans take it seriously. Like everywhere in Italy, there are rules to dining that we do not have in America: pasta is not a main, no splitting dishes, be ready to order everything all at once, water refills are frowned upon, it’s normal to start dinner at 9:30 PM, and no cappuccinos after 11:00 AM!!!! Once you have internalized these rules and truly start living the roman lifestyle, your dining experience will be enhanced.
I got a lot of questions about how to find the best food in Rome. My answer: it’s hard to find bad food in Rome. But here are a few good rules of thumb that we followed when trying to find spots to eat:
Don’t eat anywhere where there is a host persuading you to come in. It most likely will be a tourist trap. The food will still be good, but not AMAZING. Also, if a place is good, it won’t need anyone to convince you to come inside.
Look around. If there is not a soul in a place, you should probably skip.
Avoid the overly hyped places on TikTok. We walked by some of these “famous” restaurants and the lines were very long. And personally, I do not think it’s worth it.
Rome is known for all the great things in life: Cacio e pepe, carbonara pasta, and bucatini all'amatriciana. All three are a MUST when you are within the city walls, so plan your meals accordingly.
*We were traveling with my mother who is gluten free so I will note if a place didn’t have gluten free options.
LUNCH SPOTS
This is one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in my life. The menu looks a little overwhelming when you first arrive, but note that one of the QR codes is labeled for english. I recommend you order a sandwich with either the pistachio spread or truffle spread.
These are grab and go sandwiches with no spot to eat except for on the street–so grab extra napkins after you pay!
*No gluten free options
We stopped here during our walking tour. We are pretty sure our guide had a deal with the restaurant. But they did have AC and it was 100 degrees outside, so no one was being picky. The food ended up being really good and my mom said their gluten free pasta was surprisingly great. We ordered the bucatini all'amatriciana–it was on the spicier side and the perfect little kick we needed mid-day.
This restaurant is packed for three reasons:
It is the best gluten free pizza in Rome
It has very good regular pizza
There is ice coffee (JK. This isn’t a main reason, but it would be a reason I would come back!)
As the name suggests, this spot is in a prime location right next to the Trevi fountain so it’s easy to stop by for lunch. Be prepared to wait 10-20 minutes, this place is well known and loved. (We even heard locals recommending it.)
We stopped here for breakfast and coffee before we headed out to catch our train. I was shocked that they served eggs since Italians think eggs for breakfast is “too heavy” and leads to “bad digestion.”
DINNERS SPOTS
There was a little confusion on our part and we ended up dining at their smaller bottega right behind the main restaurant. But we do not regret this little hiccup at all. We had some of the best food and service of our whole trip. They serve wine by the carafe (Whenever you see this, order it. It’s going to be local wine. It’s cheaper than a bottle and better tasting than expensive wines.) and the best carbonara pasta I’ve ever had in my life.
They didn’t have gluten free pasta, but their meat dishes we “sansa gluten.”
All’Oro
A Michelin star restaurant that lives up to the hype. If you’ve ever wanted to go to a restaurant that feels like you’re in the movies, this is your restaurant. Nothing is presented as how it tastes, which takes your tastebuds and brain for a crazy ride.
SPEAKEASY
This place is a little hard to find, but you can tell this is a local favorite. There drinks are made based on taste profiles. For example: “You like wasabi, apples, and bitters– you’ll like this drink ___.” This is a little overwhelming, but leads to a fun adventure for your tongue.
Note: I got the wasabi one and it was awful (to me) so I switched with Chris.
There are more restaurants in Rome than cars, so for that reason, I can’t wait to go back and discover even more spots to eat. These are just the tip of a very large iceberg. Let me know where you have eaten and if you recommend it!