In Rome, the best meals are rarely the fanciest. They’re simple dishes made with a few good ingredients, in small neighborhood places.

The four classic Roman pastas

• Carbonara: eggs, cured pork cheek, pecorino and black pepper. There’s no cream in the real thing.
• Cacio e pepe: pecorino and black pepper, a lesson in how good simple can be.
• Amatriciana: tomato, cured pork cheek and pecorino.
• Gricia: like amatriciana without the tomato.

Street food and snacks

• Supplì: fried rice balls with melted mozzarella in the middle.
• Pizza al taglio: Roman pizza sold by the slice, by weight.
• Gelato: skip the neon-colored mountains in the tourist areas, and look for natural colors and small tubs.

Where to eat

• Trastevere: lively streets and traditional trattorias.
• Testaccio: the old working-class neighborhood and food market.
• The Jewish Ghetto: try the fried artichokes, a local specialty.

Eat like a local

• Have your coffee standing at the bar. Locals rarely order a cappuccino after a meal.
• Avoid restaurants with photo menus placed outside near big monuments.
• Book popular dinner places ahead.

[If your Rome tour includes a food experience such as a pasta class, a tasting or a market visit, mention it here.]

Ready to taste it for yourself? Ask us about our Rome tour.