What to Eat in Rome
Rome has been named best food destination in the world by TripAdvisor’s 2025 Travelers' Choice Awards
Can you believe it?! 🤩
Rome has been crowned the best food destination IN THE WORLD, and this news makes our hearts smile.
As locals living in Rome, we’re used to seeing our city win awards for its beauty and history.
But as Co-founders of Local Aromas, a food and wine experiences company, this particular award makes us extra proud.
It shines a spotlight on the local dishes we’ve been sharing with travelers for almost 10 years!
So let’s dive into the iconic dishes of Rome, breaking them down the way locals eat—starting with antipasto and ending with dolce.
All the drawings we used have been hand-drawn by a local artist and are available on our online shop, A Tavola! … bring a little piece of Italy into your home.
Antipasto
The appetizer begins an Italian meal, teasing your hunger without being too filling.
You can order one for yourself or share several in the center of the table, like locals do. Here are some of the most traditional Roman antipasti.
Bruschetta, a toasted rustic bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. It is often topped with fresh tomatoes, basil, or other seasonal ingredients.
Filetto di baccalà, a deep-fried salted cod fillet with a crispy crust and a tender flaky interior.
Supplì, fried rice balls typically stuffed with mozzarella.
Crocchette di patate, creamy mashed potato croquettes, breaded and fried.
Fiori di zucca, zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies, then lightly battered and fried.
Primo
A primo is a first-course dish and pasta takes center stage in Rome.
Please don’t leave Rome without trying at least one (or more) of these iconic dishes.
Cacio e pepe is made with just three ingredients: pasta, Pecorino Romano sheep-milk cheese, and black pepper.
Gricia, unknown to most travelers, is made with guanciale (cured pork cheek), Pecorino Romano, and black pepper.
Carbonara is made with guanciale, eggs, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper.
Amatriciana is made with guanciale and Pecorino Romano, just like gricia, plus tomato sauce and a little chili.
Gnocchi alla romana don’t look like the pillowy potato gnocchi you are used to. This dish features semolina gnocchi baked in the oven with butter and Parmigiano cheese.
Rigatoni con la pajata is a bold choice made with rigatoni and pajata (the intestines of unweaned calves).
Pomodori al riso are tomatoes stuffed with seasoned rice and baked until tender.
The “four Roman pastas”—cacio e pepe, gricia, carbonara, and amatriciana—are legendary. Why not join our Four Roman Pastas Tasting or our Four Roman Pastas Cooking Class in Rome to taste them (all in one meal!) or learn to make them yourself?
And BTW, we filmed this video for you so you can learn all about the four Roman pastas!
Secondo
When talking about Roman second-course dishes, we can’t overlook the quinto quarto—literally the "fifth quarter."
This term comes from Rome’s tradition of making use of every part of the animal. After the butcher divided the cow into the first four quarters (two front, two back), the leftover parts—the organs, offal, and other "less desirable" cuts—became the quinto quarto.
Born out of necessity in the working-class neighborhoods of Rome, they are a testament to the creativity of Roman cuisine where humble ingredients have been turned into extraordinary dishes.
Coda alla vaccinara is an oxtail stew slow-cooked in a rich tomato sauce with celery, onions, and wine.
Trippa alla romana, Roman-style tripe, is cooked in a tomato sauce with mint and Pecorino Romano cheese.
Saltimbocca alla romana is a classic Roman dish made with thin slices of veal, prosciutto, and fresh sage, cooked in butter and white wine. The name means "jumps in the mouth", a nod to its irresistible taste.
In Rome, pollo alla cacciatora, chicken cacciatore, is traditionally cooked in a light sauce with white wine, garlic, rosemary, and sometimes olives. Unlike other versions of this dish in Italy, the Roman version skips the tomatoes.
Straccetti alla romana are thin slices of beef sautéed quickly with olive oil, garlic, and arugula and topped with shaved Parmigiano or Pecorino cheese.
Contorno
A contorno, or side dish, is always seasonal and it’s served alongside your secondo to complement the main dish.
Don’t forget to grab some bread from the basket for the scarpetta—the final (and delightfully unelegant!) mopping up of the dish. Here are the must-try contorni when you’re in Rome:
Carciofi alla giudia, Jewish-style artichokes are a specialty of the Roman-Jewish tradition. These artichokes are flattened and deep-fried until crispy and golden. These can also be ordered as an antipasto.
Carciofi alla romana, Roman-style artichokes are braised artichokes stuffed with garlic, parsley, and mint, cooked in olive oil and water until tender.
Puntarelle, a salad of crunchy chicory shoots tossed with an anchovy-garlic dressing.
Cicoria ripassata, blanched and sautéed chicory with olive oil, garlic, and chili flakes.
Broccolo romanesco, a stunning-looking broccoli that is steamed, roasted, or sautéed with olive oil.
Zucchine alla scapece are thinly sliced zucchini that are first fried, then marinated in vinegar, garlic, and fresh mint.
Peperoni arrosto, roasted bell peppers skinned and served in strips, often marinated in olive oil, garlic, and parsley.
Patate al forno, roasted potatoes seasoned with olive oil, rosemary, and garlic.
Dolce
Rome doesn’t have a vast variety of local desserts, but it certainly has its sweet treasures.
Here are a few must-try pastries and desserts to enjoy throughout the day.
Crostata di ricotta e visciole, a Roman-Jewish tart filled with sweetened ricotta cheese and local sour cherries called visciole.
Maritozzo con la panna, a soft sweet bun sliced open and filled with a generous amount of whipped cream. It’s traditionally a breakfast pastry.
Ciambelline al vino, Roman wine cookies, are made with flour, sugar, extra virgin olive oil, and wine. Enjoy them dipped into a glass of red wine.
Gelato is perfect as a refreshing snack or a after a meal (Italians like to believe gelato helps with digestion! 😉). Just make sure you’re indulging in artisanal gelato made from scratch with high-quality ingredients.
Granita or cremolato are a great alternative for gelato, made with crushed ice, sugar, and fruit. It’s mainly prepared during the summer and is often served with whipped cream (con panna).
Imagine the fun of learning to cook a full Italian meal in Rome, right in the home of a local chef. Check out our Olive Oil Tasting and Full Roman Meal Cooking Class with our chef!
Pizza
You can’t talk about Roman cuisine without mentioning its pizza!
Rome offers a variety of pizzas, each perfect for different moments of the day. For a quick and affordable bite, try pizza alla teglia (pizza by the slice) or pizza bianca, a focaccia-like pizza without toppings. These are some of Rome’s most iconic street foods.
Then there’s the round, thin-crust pizza, known as pizza romana, which you’ll find at local pizzerias. Crispy and delicious, it’s a must-try for any pizza lover!
If you’re traveling to Rome and love pizza, here are five experiences you can join: Pizza and Gelato Tasting Tour, Roman Street Food Tour, Pizza and Gelato Cooking Class, Craft Beer and Pizza Tasting, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Pizza Tasting.
And, again, we ate and filmed! 😂 This time we wanted to show you Rome’s street food, from supplì all the way to gelato.
Now you’ve got plenty of reasons to plan your trip to Rome, right?! 😜
Before you go, don’t forget to book a FREE 20-minute consultation call with us for some insider tips and local advice!
Ciao,
Valeria & Benedetta