Rome

After spending some time in the Eternal City, I have come up with a list of tips on where to eat in Rome, as well as some cultural notes for how to enjoy la dolce vita. Although it is hard to eat badly in Italy, you can often find yourself in tourist traps that sell over- priced food with bad service and sub-par standards. Because of Rome's world-wide popularity, it is quite easy to find yourself in one of these frustrating situations.

Italian menus are structured as such: you start with an antipasto, then move on to a primi, followed by secondi, then dessert (dolce).  Antipasti are usually things like sliced hams and cheese (affetati), fried or grilled seasonal vegetables, or other small appetizers like Prosciutto e Melone (Prosciutto with Melon).  Primi dishes tend to be pastas, risottos, and soups.  Secondi are meat and fish dishes often served without accompaniments- you order the contorni on the side.  And Dessert does not need any translation.  This may seem like a lot of food, but you do not necessarily have to order all four courses.  You may very well order an antipasto for the table to share, followed by just a primi, or an antipasto and secondi, or primi and secondi- you can mix and match as much as you would like.  Usually when you are on a business lunch or the guest at someone’s home, they will probably serve all four courses, or at least 3.  

Some tips:
Look at the prices on the menu before you go in and sit down.  In most Roman trattorias 9 Euros for a plate of pasta is about average, as is 12-18 Euros for meat or fish.  Of course, in nicer restaurants where they might have pasta with truffles or seafood, or offer more creative cuisine, prices will be higher.  You should save up so that you can enjoy some of these Italian delicacies at least once during your trip.  You should not skimp on the truffles!  

Roman water is drinkable and very good.  You don’t have to order bottled water when you dine out and can stick to asking for caraffes.  That will save you about 2-4 Euros per meal.  Sometimes bread is free in restaurants (usually the nicer ones), but you usually have to pay for it.  In Italy it is normal to see a “coperta”, or cover charge, on the bill.  Charging for bread is a way of them to cover your coperta.  

I don’t recommend eating dessert in restaurants in Rome.  Very rarely are they worth the 9+ euros they usually cost, and very often they are ridiculously small and average tasting.  Instead, stop by a pasticceria and enjoy a slice of crostata or a cookie.  Crostatas are tarts filled with jam or ricotta or chocolate.  Or better yet, head to one of the thousand gelaterias for an ice cream.  There are so many gelatos all over the city, but our favorite is Gelateria Gracchi on the Via de Gracchi in Prati.  They have wonderful combinations to choose from and the smooth texture is unbeatable.  We love their Ricotta and Pear, Dark Chocolate, and Chestnut with Rum.  Another charming place is Ciampini on the Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina.  They serve mini ice cream cones in which the scoop is encased in a chocolate shell and garnished with a hazelnut.

Restaurants:
My favorite place for breakfast is G. Antonini, right across the Cavour Bridge in Prati.  The long display case shows off the many desserts made of choux with pastry cream, fruit tarts, millefeuille, sandwiches, mini pizzas, and lieviti (croissants in Roman).  The whole scene is just simply dazzling.  Although we just went for breakfast, they have many savory choices, like croissant sandwiches with mozzarella and ham, as well as aperitivi.  Their lieviti with apricot jam are the best I have ever had, and arrive at the table still warm from the oven.  Their cappuccinos are also amazing and you might have to wrestle your way to the bar among the well-clad Romans to get one.  A better option is to just sit at a table and look out at the traffic crossing the Tiber and relax.  Lungotevere dei Mellini,1; Tel 063203971.  

There is a great restaurant a few blocks away from the Piazza del Popolo off the Via Corso called Il Grillo Parlante (www.ilbrilloparlante.com).   Even though they do straightforward classic Roman dishes, everything was memorably delicious and delightfully presented.  The Rigatoni a la Amatriciana was the best I tried in Rome, and was presented on a plate with a swirled design made out of the sauce.  The desserts, like in all of Rome, were 9 euros and very small.  They were good though, so if you are tempted here is one place where you could indulge. Via della Fontanella,12; Tel 063243334.

We had a great time at the Antica Osteria “La Lupa” on the Via della Lupa in the historic center.  There were no frills and the food was nothing extraordinary, but you cannot recreate the charm that La Lupa has.  The service there was relaxed and comfortable, and the people very nice. This is a great restaurant for a quiet, romantic dinner.  Although it rained the night we went, there are tables outside covered by a canopy of green, which only adds to the restaurant’s cuteness.  Via della Luppa,6; Tel 066871606.

Al Bric was a great place we found off of the Campo di Fiori on the Via del Pellegrino.  The menu focuses on cheese, with many of the dishes being heavy in the formaggio department.  The execution was not perfect- my penne with taleggio, capers, anchovies and green peppers was missing half of the ingredients.  When I pointed it out to the waitress, she told me I was mistaken.  (I confirmed the kitchen and waitress’s mistake with the menu afterwards.)  My dinner companion ordered a Cream of Parmesan soup (delicious) and pasta with a Roquefort sauce (delicious, but slightly heavy).  Nevertheless, the menu was inventive and different, and the atmosphere was still rustic and cozy, yet modern and light, which was a welcome change. They have a wine list that covered every price range, and we managed to find a half bottle of Arneis for 8 Euros that was perfect.  Dessert was not worth the 9 euros we paid for it, so either spend your money on a digestivo or go for a gelato afterwards.  Via del Pellegrino, 51-52; Tel 066879533.  

Il Fico is a charming spot that got its name from its previous location by the fig tree in the Piazza del Fico.  Now it is located around the corner on the via di Monte Giordano, but with no less charm.  This is a great place for budget dining in Rome, without making any compromises on the food or service.  When we ate there we stuck to the traditional Cacio e Pepe and Amatriciana (both excellent), which are only 7 Euros.  We washed them down with some of the house Montepulciano wine for 2.50 Euro a glass and were set.  The place obviously has a local following that provides for great ambience.  Via di Monte Giordano, 49; Tel 066875568.

‘Gusto was one of the favorite spots of the trip.  Occupying a big building on the Piazza Augusto Imperatore, ‘Gusto offers the diner the choice of 3 settings each with their own menu.  The pizzeria, wine bar, and restaurant were all tempting choices for our dinner there.  If you are on a budget, stick to the pizzeria, where you can get both red and white pizzas (white pizza is quite common in Rome), salads, and fried appetizers like salt cod and zucchini flowers.  We had a wonderful dinner in the restaurant with Cod Carpaccio, Tuna with Lemon Compote, and Gnocchi with Shrimp Sauce.  The restaurant prices were very expensive, but the service was top-quality and the wines were very affordable. Next door they have a shop that sells cookware and books, where a foodie could spend hours going through all of the merchandise. Around the corner they have another caffe and wine bar perfect for an aperitivo or coffee and snack. Piazza Augusto Imperatore, 9; Tel 063226273.

In Testacchio we ate at Checchino dal 1887, right across from MACRO (Museo d’Arte Contemporaneo di Roma).  This is a famous restaurant in Rome, where you will find more offal-heavy dishes characteristic of the neighborhood.  This was the old meat packing district, where workers would receive the leftover parts from animals as part of their wage (the most desirable cuts went to the shops).  I started the meal with farro soup with artichokes.  It was the best dish I had in Rome all week.  Maybe it was not the most creative or different, but it showed Italian cooking at its best.  We shared Coda a la Vaccinara, a traditional oxtail stew with tomatoes and other vegetables, as our main dish.   It was a delicious meal, and the service was excellent.  This restaurant is very expensive, but well worth a trip.  We managed to keep our cost down by each getting a primi and then sharing the stew.  Via Monte Testaccio, 30; Tel 065746318.  

While you are in the neighborhood go to Gastronomia E. Volpetti and buy some cheese, ham, and bread.  They also make fresh pastas, tortas, and marinated vegetables.  I could spend hours in this store staring at all of the artisinal food products.  The men that work there have a sparkle in their eye and are so charming that you will be sure to spend a little money while you are in there.  The prices are very reasonable however, so you might as  so you might as well get some Parmesano cheese to bring home (they will vaccum pack it for you).   We made a picnic meal out of what we bought the next day, spreading their creamy Burrata on bread topped with Prosciutto and eating Taleggio with fresh pears.

You do not need to sit down to a plate of pasta for every meal.  For a light lunch, stop by a Forno (bakery) and buy a panini or pizze bianche farcita (stuffed white pizza-basically a focaccia sandwich).  My favorite is the Forno in the Campo di Fiori, where I get a pizza filled with creamy strozzaprieti, arugula, and walnuts.  This will cost you about 3 Euros, and you can just eat hanging around any one of the city’s gorgeous piazzas.  If you eat in the Campo you can finish off your meal with some fresh fruit from the market.  

This leads us to one of our favorite Italian traditions-Pizza Da Baffetto is a must in Rome.  Expect to wait in line for a table.  And once you get a seat at a table, expect to wait a really exaggeratedly long time for your pizza.  He crams as many people into that place as possible, and only so many pizzas can cook at a time.  He takes you to the point of desperation, where you are not sure if you are an animal or a human, you just want to put something in your mouth.  But then the pizza arrives, and all of your complaints fade away.  The crust is super thin and the cheese and tomatoes melt and marry into a libation of bliss.  It is good.  One last thing- you never know who he will seat you at a table with.  Couples are often squeezed in with other couples or families, so do not expect it to be a romantic night. Via del Governo Vecchio, 114; Tel 066861617.

I hope that this guide helps for your travels to Rome, and that you enjoy the Eternal City as much as possible.

Contributors

Sophia Brittan

Sophia Brittan hosts the online cooking show Kitchen Caravan, http://www.kitchencaravan.com. She is a trained chef and holistic health counselor, and is dedicated to teaching people about food, health, and culture. She currently resides in New York City, but loves traveling as much as possible.

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