Before coming to Rome🏛️, I did what any food-obsessed person would do: I spent two months researching the best eats in the Eternal City, read countless articles, talked to people who actually live in Rome, and binge watched every episode of Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy (again) 🤦🏻‍♀️. There was NO WAY I was going to fly 🛫 all the way to Italy just to spend my entire trip standing in line at every TikTok-viral tourist trap.

This guide is not meant to be a “perfect” list of every restaurant in Rome. It’s an honest recap of the places my dad and I loved, the bites I’d go back for in a heartbeat 🩷, the spots I’d skip, and one unforgettable experience that made the whole trip feel like a movie 🚗.

My Rome Hit List

If you only have time to visit a few spots, add these Top 5 your can’t miss list!

🍝 Best carbonara: Pommidoro dal 1890 (San Lorenzo)
💎 Best hidden gem: La Vecchia Locanda (Pantheon)
🍧 Best gelato: Giolitti (Pantheon)
🍘 Best snack: Cacio e Pepe supplì at Supplì Roma (Trastevere)
🧀 Best meat and cheese board: Pizza in Trevi or Le Tamerici (Near Trevi)

Where to Eat by Area

Near the Pantheon

Giolitti

Order: Pistachio

Located near the Pantheon, Giolitti was hands down our favorite gelato 🍦of the trip. The pistachio was delicious: creamy, nutty, and exactly what I wanted from gelato in Rome.

Venchi was nice as well, but think of it as the Starbucks of gelato in Italy – there’s one on every corner.

Ginger

Order: Eggs, omelettes, freshly squeezed juices

Ginger 🫚 is a decent option if you’re near the Pantheon and want something easy, fresh, and a little more familiar for breakfast. The restaurant overlooks a beautiful square and is a great way to start the day before you binge on pasta.

La Vecchia Locanda

Order: Tonnarelli truffle pasta, Amatriciana

This is the kind of place that feels rustic, warm, and local, like you accidentally walked into someone’s Nonna’s 👵🏼 house for dinner.

The pasta was perfection: homemade, authentic, and perfectly al dente. I loved the tonnarelli truffle pasta, and my dad loved the Amatriciana. It was his favorite pasta of the whole trip, which says a lot because my dad and I ate very well in Rome.

It’s tucked into a cozy corner near the Pantheon 🏛️, so it didn’t feel like one of those touristy spots that’s just surviving off location. The atmosphere was charming, the food was beautiful, and I would come back here in a heartbeat.

Trevi / Spanish Steps

Pizza in Trevi

Order: Antipasto board with ricotta, mortadella, burrata, cheeses, and cured meats

This meat and cheese board was unbelievable, piled high with fresh ricotta, mortadella, burrata, plus a mix of other cheeses and meats. Order it and thank me later.

The pizza 🍕 is a labor of love, made with a 24-hour sourdough crust. There are three locations, but my favorite was Via della Mercede 32, which is between the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps, very close to the large Zara on Via del Corso.

Le Tamerici

Order: Salami and cheese platter, gnocchetti, and pinsa

Le Tamerici was a 500/10 moment for me. No notes. If you’re near Trevi, go here and get the salami and cheese platter. It was fresh, beautiful, and exactly the kind of thing you want with a glass of wine after walking around Rome all day.

The gnocchetti were amazing: soft, delicate, and served in a sweet, creamy coconut sauce that I’m still thinking about. I would go back for that dish in a heartbeat.

Don’t skip the PINSA with gorgonzola, pear, and honey 🍯 – it’s sweet, salty, creamy, and perfect in all the right ways. 

My honest note: Skip the Alla Gricia if you’re sensitive to salt. It was WAY too salty!

Campo de’ Fiori

Forno

Order: Potato focaccia and a mortadella sandwich with provolone, toasted

This historic bakery has two sides, and you need to know the move.

First, go to the door on the right and order the potato focaccia. It’s light, crispy, and perfectly salted in all the right places. (I’ve also heard the pomodoro focaccia is amazing.)

Then go to the other side and order the mortadella sandwich with provolone. Ask them to toast it on the panini press. When they ask “caldo?” — which means hot in Italian— say “sì.”

It felt like locals only 🤌 (all speaking Italian-no English!), which honestly made it even better. This is the kind of quick snack that makes you feel like you’re doing Rome correctly. There’s no seating, so get it to-go and enjoy at the nearby fountain.

Roscioli Salumeria

Order: Fresh ricotta, tiramisu, homemade mortadella, spinach ravioli

Roscioli is a Roman rite of passage for a reason. Featured in the Michelin Guide, this renowned spot is known for pasta, an insane amount of cured meats and cheeses 🧀, and a massive wine 🍷 cellar featuring over 2,800 labels.

We had fresh ricotta, the butteriest mortadella, ravioli with spinach, and Alla Gricia. I would go back for the tiramisu alone. I also enjoyed the zucchini flowers, but personally I prefer them without meat and filled with ricotta.

The pasta 🍝 was the miss for me because it was undercooked for my personal taste. I love al dente pasta, but this was a little tooooo crunchy. If you prefer your pasta cooked longer, ask for that when you order. Overall, I gave it an 8/10, and my dad loved it – giving it a 10/10.

Trastevere

Supplì Roma

Order: Cacio e Pepe supplì

This was my best bite 😋 in Trastevere. Crispy, cheesy, peppery, and exactly the kind of quick bite you want while wandering through the cobblestone streets of Rome.

Trattoria Da Teo

Order: Pasta, make a reservation

Da Teo is a good one to have on your list for Trastevere. The pasta is delicious, but it’s definitely a spot I’d book ahead instead of leaving dinner to chance in a busy neighbourhood.

IVO

Order: Thin crust pizza

IVO felt local, authentic, casual, and easy, which is exactly what you sometimes need in Rome. Not every meal has to be a major production with a reservation and a full review. Sometimes you just want thin crust pizza 🍕, good vibes, and a relaxed dinner.

Worth the Taxi Ride

Pommidoro dal 1890 (San LORENZO)

Order: Their legendary carbonara

Make a reservation immediately. I am so serious.

This is the best carbonara I have ever had in my entire life. It’s also the family-run trattoria Stanley Tucci 🤓 featured on Searching for Italy. It’s about 20 minutes outside the city center, so you’ll probably need a taxi, but it is worth the trip for the carbonara alone.

This is not a neighborhood I’d go walk around in or plan a whole afternoon around. Go for the restaurant, eat the carbonara, and head back.

My honest note: Worth the taxi 🚕. Worth the reservation. Worth the hype.

Not headed to Rome this summer? You can make this carbonara at home!

Honest Skips That I Wouldn’t Rush Back To

Tonnarello – trastevere

I was curious to try one of the viral tourist traps so I could give an honest review. For me, Tonnarello was a 4/10. It’s in Rome city center, and it was underwhelming and too salty 🧂.

Otaleg – Trastevere

I know people love this gelato spot, but for me, it was a little underwhelming. Gelato is personal, and maybe we just didn’t order the right flavors, but it wasn’t a favorite from the trip.

Da Enzo – trastevere

Da Enzo is one of those places everyone talks about. The pasta was decent, and for only 10 euros I understand the appeal. But the crowd and the chaos? Personally, I would not wait in that line again 🙅🏻‍♀️. The vibe felt a little too touristy and hectic for me. 

The Pink Fiat Tour That Made Our Trip

We did a private tour in a vintage hot pink Fiat 500 through FACILE TOURS 🚗💕 with a driver and guide, and it was pure magic ✨. It felt personal, special, and so different from a typical walking tour. Rome is gorgeous, but in the summer heat, walking all day can be a lot. This let us see so much of the city without exhausting ourselves.

Our driver was incredible. She knew the history 👮‍♂️, knew the city, and made the whole experience feel thoughtful and personal. The tour was customizable, so we got to stop at beautiful places, take photos 📸, and see Rome from a completely different perspective.

Some of our stops included the Colosseum , Villa Borghese, the Orange Garden, Gianicolo Hill, churches, and gorgeous photo ops all over the city.

Get ready for your paparazzi moment, because people will stare. You are in a hot pink vintage Fiat in Rome. You become part of the scenery 😎.

Good to know:
The tour is great for photos, it’s customizable, and especially helpful if you’re visiting when it’s hot or traveling with someone who is unable to walk all day. My dad is 6’1″ and fit comfortably, so don’t worry if you’re tall.

My Travel Tips

📲 Make reservations well in advance. Rome is busy, and the places worth eating at often fill up quickly.

⏱️ Don’t overpack your schedule. You need time to wander, sit, listen to music, and eat gelato by the fountain at midnight.

👟 Wear comfortable shoes. The cobblestones are no joke.

☀️ If you’re traveling in summer, plan for heat. Do your walking earlier or later in the day, take breaks, and don’t underestimate the power of an afternoon nap before dinner.

👨‍👧 Try not to judge Rome only by the viral spots. Some of the best moments are the quieter ones: a little local restaurant, a warm sandwich from a bakery, a street musician, a glass of wine, and your dad making you laugh in the middle of a piazza.

My Travel Must Haves

This is by NO means an exhaustive packing list 😆. Just a few staples that made walking around Rome a little more comfortable. You can find more of my travel and packing essentials here: TMNs Travel and Packing Must Haves.

Teva Flatform Sandals 👡
I wanted to pack light, so these are the only sandals I brought on the trip – and the only ones I needed! They’re comfy, go with everything, and perfect for walking around in warm weather. (Seriously, my feet were never hot.) I did 20k steps a day in these for 10 days straight ON COBBLESTONE! No blisters, no cutting in, no pain!

Lacoste Sneakers 👟
Classic, clean, and ready for anything. These are perfect for when you need something comfy with a more elevated vibe than a trainer.

Makeup Protector Hood 💄
I used this net to change out my shirts and dresses with without getting any makeup on my collars. Once you try it, you’ll never leave home without it!

Anti-theft Crossbody Bag 👛
A MUST in busy city centers. There are people in Rome who literally earn an entire living pickpocketing tourists. This bag protects your credit cards from readers, and locks to keep your money and passport secure.

You can find two styles and more of my travel essentials here: TMNs European Travel Essentials.

Are You Packed Yet?

If Italy 🇮🇹 was the only country I ever saw in my life, I’d die happy.

I had the most incredible time exploring, laughing, dancing 💃🏻🕺, and eating my way through Rome with my dad. Of course, the food was amazing and the city was beautiful, but what I’ll remember most are the little moments with him.

So if you’re going to Rome this summer, I hope this guide helps you eat well, skip a few disappointments, and make room for the moments you’ll remember forever with the people you love 🩷.