Rome
I love Rome. So much that I lived there for 5 months in 2018 after I got laid off from my first corporate NYC job… Rome>Corporate Life
While in Rome, I worked as a tour guide/trip leader for the study-abroad-focused company “Smart Trip”. I was based in Trastevere, cooked daily for my 5 roommates (ciao Michelle, Nicole, Caroline, Gabby, and Matt), took study abroad students around Italy and Europe, volunteered at Alice Waters’s Sustainable Food Program at the American Academy, got in with the local skateboard community, played bass every Thursday at an open jam, and ate a lot of food. It was a transformative 5 months. I learned a lot about the great Eternal City, made lifelong friends, and now when I go back, I find myself greeted by many of the beautiful faces of the establishments I frequented… take a step into Londrel’s Rome.
Lonny’s All-Star List
Tavernaccia da Bruno - Dinner only!
Hidden gem of a restaurant near the river. Very close to the Trastevere train stazione
The Roast Suckling Pig (Romans love their suckling pig aka Porchetta) is the #1 thing you must get here. The insanity of the dish can only be experienced while in their ancient tavern space. Textures like you’ve never experienced…
Don’t sleep on the pizzas, pastas, and basically anything else there that speaks to you. The owner is an Albanian woman and couldn’t be more kind, especially to tourists. This isn’t a place where non-locals get scuffed off. You will be treated like a local and most definitely eat like a local.
Suppli Roma - Roman Street Food, opens around 10:00am
My all-time favorite food emporium in the world
Must-Have’s: Pizza Rossa, the Suppli, Potato Pizza, any of the pasts and anything else that looks good. They will sometimes have Cotoletta (chicken cutlets!!) and they can be eaten with your hands right on the street. A little squeeze of lemon and you’re all good.
Suppli is a “CAN’T MISS STOP”
Super old-school sandwich stall in the Mercato Testaccio. Not only are you getting some of Rome’s best sandwiches but you can then explore, and walk it off, in the open air-ish mercato and eat more of the unique things that will catch your eye and stomach.
Don’t go if you’re vegetarian. It’s a meat lovers haven. Any of the Bollitos or Trippas or Meatballs are phenomenal. If the old guy is still there, Baruch Hashem.
I had such an amazing dinner here in October 2022. We had a plethora of antipasti, pastas, and tripe. Everything was phenomenal. I think Bourdain ate there a lot.
When I lived in Rome, I ate something from Trapizzino 5-6 days a week.
Trapizzini (plural) are pizza pockets filled with to-die-for fillings like Chicken Cacciatore, Meatballs in tomato sauce, Eggplant Parmigiana, Roman Braised Beef, Straciatella with anchovy (my favorite), and so on.
They also make Suppli and will have rotating specials. But stick to classic Suppli. Some people will try and do a Cacio e Pepe one and it just doesn’t work. Get the Trapizzino here. A perfect lunch. Great wine selection too.
Another place I discovered during my most recent trip and boy did it bring a tear to my eye.
I had the Fettucine “Tortellino” en Brodo - Chef Stefano’s take on Tortellini en Brodo but Fettucine instead of Tortellini and a thicker sauce instead of brodo. But the sauce perfectly captured the umami greatness of traditional Bolognan Brodo… it truly was a revolutionary pasta dish.
Bonus points for Chef Stefano because he’s the genius who also started Trapizzino… the man knows how to cook.
This restaurant is around the corner from Bonci so if you play your cards right, you can pregame Romane with Bonci. A legendary “bang bang”.
One of my favorites from when I lived there, in the Testaccio neighborhood but a very short walk from Trastevere.
This restaurant CRUSHES the Roman pasta game… definitely dedicate most of your appetite to the classic Roman pastas: Carbonara, Amatricana, Cacio e Pepe, alla Gricia, etc.
I get an only-in-Italy pasta there. It’s called “Rigatoni alla Pajata”... I’m not going to tell you what it is. Ok fine, it’s milk-fed veal intestine. It’s wonderful, it’s tender, and it’s so typical of Rome. Order it if you’re feeling adventerous. On the fence about it? Get the Amatriciana… you’ll be just as happy.
The Tiramisu and Panna Cotta are to die for.
There is no place on Earth like Pasticceria Boccione in the Jewish Ghetto
100% Jewish Women run - older than you and I combined
The lines on Sunday are no joke.
They are best-known (at least in my heart) for their Ricotta and Cherry Torta. Generous servings of sweet Ricotta and Cherry Compote sandwiched between delicate yet dense pastry dough that was clearly baked in an oven with history and character. This is a “CAN’T MISS STOP”.
** AN IMPORTANT NOTE ON PIZZA IN ROME **
Pizza in Rome is traditionally served one of two ways:
Al Taglio: by the cut. This means you choose what size piece of pizza you want and they will cut it accordingly. They then weigh it and charge you depending on what flavor you got. Suppli is all Pizza al Taglio. Most of the street food pizza in Rome is Al Taglio. This is great if you’re indecisive (like me, so you can a lot of small pieces of different toppings) or if you’re not looking to spend a lot of money but want a taste of something while out and about. It’s a perfect thing to eat on a long day on your feet to keep the energy and spirit up. There is nowhere else on Earth that does Pizza like this. Here are some of Rome’s best Pizzeria al Taglio institutions:
Antico Forno Roscioli - A Roman classic…
Pizzarium Bonci - Very innovative place. Pair it with going to Romane.
Pizza Trilussa - They do a delicious Amatriciana and Carbonara Pizza. Popular for the younger crowd.
Al Tonda: round, personal pizzas. Think Neapolitan but cracker thin. This is your sit-down (usually dinner, as pasta is more for lunch) pizza that is personal, cut into slices, and is thinner than New Haven. It’s pretty excellent. Mushroom and Salami are some of the best toppings. Some classic spots:
