Are you planning a trip to the Eternal City in 2024? Whether it’s your first time to magical Rome, or your tenth, food will undoubtedly be a key focus for your trip. From cream ladden maritozzi, crisp pizza covered in zucchini flowers, to a creamy (with no cream!) Carbonara, cheesy Cacio e Pepe or my personal favourite the Amatriciana, no one does food quite like the Romans. But where to eat like a local in Rome in a city full of great restaurants (and admittedly, plenty of tourist traps)?!
Keep reading to find out 10 of my favorite places to eat in Rome like a local in 2024.
Where do locals eat in Rome?
Why not join a food tour? If you’re short on time and don’t have a week to fit in all the amazing find from maritozzi and pizza bianca to suppli and fried artichokes to amatriciana and carbonara pasta, then the best thing is to join a food tour.
My pick? Devour Tours take you to the best of the best places as they’re designed by locals who know where to find all the good stuff. Join their tour in my neighborhood Testaccio (where you’ll get to tour the market too, it’s my local!) or their progressive food and wine walking tour in gorgeous Trastevere.
10 Best Places to Eat in Rome like a local in 2024
1. Da Corrado
Why visit?
For wine and cheese heaven in a fun local market setting! I happily found out about this hole-in-the-wall shop thanks to following Rachel Roddy frequently post about it on Instagram. When we moved to Rome and I began doing our weekly market shop in Testaccio, it was one of the first places I visited to pick up a bottle of natural wine (ie low intervention) to celebrate.
There is a fabulous of selection of bottles from all around Italy with a notable focus on Piemontese wines, as well as a counter full of delicious cheeses (again many are delivered from artisan producers in Piemonte like the amazing Robiola we got last week!) On Saturday mornings, the team run informal wine tastings which are worth joining in to try something new too.
What to order?
Why not ask for a cheese board filled with cheeses from everywhere from Liguria to Sicily?! Or try one of the lunch dishes like the pasta fritta (fried pasta – so tasty!) studded with pine nuts and rich tomato sugo.
Where is it?
It’s stall number 18 at the Testaccio Market in Rome. Pull up a stool and prepare for a delicious lunch as locals go about their shopping around you and tourists walk through the historical site.
Via Aldo Manuzio, 66b, 00153 Roma
Why visit?
When we first moved to San Saba, we tried to go to Marigold for lunch but the queue was out the door. We walked a few doors down and stumbled across this super local, cool-looking trattoria with a suite of awards plastered on their door and, luckily for us, a table for two was available! Since then, we’ve been back plenty of times and enjoyed wonderful Roman classics with a modern twist paired with a phenomenal wine list (again with a focus on natural wines).
What to order?
Not on the menu (but always available) are the four Roman classic pasta dishes (La gricia, Amatriciana, Carbonara and Cacio e Pepe). My favorites? In the summertime, they make incredible crispy fried cod fritters with a piquant romanesco dipping sauce. If you’ve never tried Pajata and don’t mind offal, this is the place to do it too. And we never pass on the dessert of chocolate mousse with extra virgin olive oil, rosemary and pane carasau.
Where is it?
In Ostiense right near Testaccio and a few doors down from Marigold.
Via Giovanni da Empoli, 5 – Roma
Why visit?
For a taste of a real bustling Roman pizzeria in a central yet local Roman neighbourhood. If you find yourself arriving on a late flight or train, head here and it’ll still be open and buzzing. We’ve often come for an 11pm pizza night when I’ve returned from one of our tours and with great delight have found the kitchen still open. The service is a little brash but it’s part of the charm in my opinion!
What to order?
We always say tonight will be the night we order something different….and then proceed to order a fried cod to share as a starter and a pizza with zucchini flowers and mozzarella each. It’s just too good! Pair it with a coke or a beer (note, Italians never ever drink wine with pizza).
Where is it?
In my favorite neighbourhood Testaccio!
Piazza di S Maria Liberatrice, 44, 00153 Roma RM
Why visit?
Perhaps my favorite trattoria in Rome – I love their seasonal vegetable dishes most of all! It’s a local cosy restaurant that spills out onto the street in Testaccio. This is real Roman food – the menu is written practically all in dialect, so you’ve likely never heard of half the items on there.
Thanks to this place, I learned what ‘grattaculi’ is (bum scratchers!) and my favorite salad ever (la misticanza). They get their vegetables and produce locally from the Testaccio market too which I love.
What to order?
If you visit in Fall/Autumn or Winter, then you absolutely must order the wild foraged greens known as the ‘misticanza’ and dressed in a lemony anchovy sauce with sumac dusting. The marinated anchovies for starters is another must-order dressed in olive oil, peperoncino and garlic, and when in season you need to try the Porcini Pasta!
Where is it?
Surprise surprise, another Testaccio favorite.
Via Giovanni Battista Bodoni, 62, 00153
5. Trecca – Roman classics with a modern touch
Why visit?
Another real Roman trattoria where surely few tourists venture (if purely because of the location). Fantastic natural wine list and a great sommelier pairing wines with real Roman local food. The restaurant fit out is really cool too with a retro vintage feel.
What to order?
Everything except for dessert (which we weren’t fans of). If you’re into offal and want to try some classic Roman food like coratella, or coda alla vaccinara (ox tail) then this is the place to try it. All of their pasta dishes are superb as is the classic secondo of ‘abbacchio a scottadito’.
Where is it?
On the borner of Garbatella and Ostiense. Best to taxi or get public transport here.
Via Alessandro Severo, 220, 00145 Roma
Why visit?
Our local bakery up the hill in pretty San Saba. My favorite time to go is during the Spring/Fall for aperitivo. They open up their secret outdoor courtyard and its lit up with fairy lights and super local and pretty.
What to order?
Undoubtedly apericena is the go here! If you love cocktails, then they do all kinds of spritzes fantastically too. My go-to is the Select!
Where is it?
Nestled in the tiny neighbourhood of San Saba. This is a real place where to eat in Rome like a local!
Piazza Gian Lorenzo Bernini, 2, 00153 Roma RM
Why visit?
Because it’s a trendy wine bar in Trastevere with focus on low-intervention wines and delicious seasonal small plates to share! This isn’t strictly where to eat in Rome like a local, but it is a convenient option for those staying in Trastevere who want to drink well.
What to order?
I probably wouldn’t do dinner again here because though the share plates are delicious, they’re also quite small. Rather treat this as an aperitivo before the main dinner event. Order a bottle with some friends and try a few tasty starters before wandering down to a delicious dinner somewhere in Trastevere.
Where is it?
Down a pretty cobblestoned street in always beautiful Trastevere.
Vicolo del Bologna, 19, 00153
8. Suppli’
Why visit?
This little hole in the wall in Trastevere is by no means off the beaten track, but it is a favorite amongst locals and tourists alike. It’s my preferred place for a quick street food lunch in all of Rome.
What to order?
All kinds of takeaway pizza slices and suppli filled with meat ragu and stringy mozzarella. Take it away and eat it at the pretty piazza around the corner.
Where is it?
In Trastevere and nearby to Piazza di San Cosimo where they hold a daily market. Great people watching as you munch on your suppli!
Via di S. Francesco a Ripa, 137, 00153
Why visit?
In case you ever get a little sick of Roman food or have a craving for incredible fresh fish, then this is for you! It’s an osteria near a very central Trastevere piazza, so at first glance you might think it’s a tourist trap. But low and behold it’s the real deal – in fact its run by Sardinians!
What to order?
Spaghetti with vongole (clams) and bottarga! I also love their raw carpaccio starters. Wash it down with crisp Sardinian white wine too of course.
Where is it?
Literally a minute walk from the beautiful Santa Maria Basilica in Trastevere.
Piazza di Sant’Apollonia, 11, 00153
Why visit?
It’s even harder to get in here than Roscioli, but boy is it worth it! Try your lunch in the Springtime by requesting a table overlooking the Pantheon for pinch yourself ‘am I really here’ Roman moments. Loved by both tourists and locals, this 20-seater restaurant turns out impeccable classics. Pop a calendar remind exactly one month in advance before you want to dine as they only take bookings a month out. Must book exactly one month in advance
What to order?
Start with delicious Cantabrian anchovies on toasted bread and EVO. Then try their pasta alla gricia – heaven.
Where is it?
Super central, around the corner from the Pantheon. If you sit outside, you’ll get a glimpse of it!
Salita de’ Crescenzi, 31, 00186
And there you have it. My top 10 places where to eat in Rome like a local in 2024. Be sure to check back regularly as I’ll keep this page updated. Looking for more Rome content? Take a look at my Rome Virtual Tour or these articles on how to visit the Vatican, Roman landmarks and interesting facts about Ancient Rome now.
Very interesting and absolutely useful liv thanks
Thank you for this wonderful information. I wonder how I can do Aperitivo and then dinner? I’ll be enormous when I finish our trip.
Hi Lyndall, my pleasure! Haha you will be doing so much walking it won’t be a problem. Aperitivo is a little drink and a light snack (maybe some crisps, or nuts or a bruschetta) designed to open the stomach and stimulate your appetite. Just don’t overdo it on the food at aperitivo hour and you’ll be perfectly ready for dinner! Do let me know how your trip goes.