Updated on:
Rome has some of the best food in Italy, the Trastevere neighborhood in particular. It’s one of my favorite areas of the city to explore and grab a late lunch or a long dinner. It’s impossible to put together a full list of the best restaurants, but I’ve visited Rome a bunch of times in the past few years and have tried a bunch of restaurants in the area.
I’ve compiled a list of my favorite in Trastevere, and added a few in of my other favorite spots in other neighborhoods of Rome. I’ve also included a map.
Jump To:
- Best Restaurants in Trastevere
- Best Restaurants Piazza Navona
- Best Restaurants Trevi Fountain
- Best Restaurants Piazza del Popolo
You can also find my full Rome Travel Guide here.
Best Restaurants in Rome Map
Best Restaurants in Trastevere
Tonarello
Best Pasta in Trastevere
Tonarello is my absolute favorite spot in Rome. I’m not alone in this thinking – this restaurant is huge, and is always full. There will be lines out the door from open until later in the night. They don’t take reservations, but it is worth the wait. If you get there right at open or wait until the dinner rush is over your wait shouldn’t be too bad.
The pasta is absolutely unreal, I’ve tried several of them and you can’t go wrong with any!
Osteria Nannarella
Best Meatballs in Rome
Nannarella is the sister restaurant to Tonarello, they have a similar menu & amazing food. The meatballs (or polpette) are unreal! It gets similarly crowded and also does not take reservations.
Ristorante La Canonica Roma
Best Patio in Trastevere
Ristorante La Canonica is a great spot in Trastevere. They have the cutest patio. The food is also good – pastas, seafood, lasagna & more!
Ristorante La Scala in Trastevere
Best Cacio e Pepe in Trastevere
Ristorante La Scala has some of the best cacio e pepe in Rome (see pic above!) I could have eaten here multiple times during my trip!
Borghiciana Pastificio Artigianale
This small, cozy spot is always crowded and tends to get a long line, but the food is worth the wait! Amazing homemade pastas
La Tavernetta 29 da Tony e Andrea
One of my favorite spots in Trastevere! La Tavernetta 29 da Tony e Andrea has a charming patio, and serves up classic Roman cuisine. This is one of my favorite places for a long dinner
Alice Pizza
Best pizza in Trastevere
The best takeaway pizza in Trastevere, Alice Pizza serves up slices of square pizza. You can take your pizza away or grab a table and enjoy a quick meal there.
Pizzeria dar Poeta
For a sit down pizza spot, head to Pizzeria dar Poeta for classic Napoletana style pizza. One of my favorite pizza places in Rome!
Pasta e Vino Osteria – Trastevere
A simple, delicious Osteria in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome. Pasta e Vino is a great place for dinner and a few glasses of wine at the end of a long day of exploring Rome.
Taverna Trilussa
For more of a high-end option in Trastevere, head to Taverna Trilussa. You’ll definitely want to try to make a reservation here to make sure you get a table.
Trapizzino
Best street food in Trastevere
For some of Rome’s best street food, head to Trapizzino. Their limited menu consists of mostly Trapizzini, Italian pizza pocket that gives the infamous spot its name. They offer a variety of different types, like chicken cacciatore, lingua in salsa verde, meatballs and sauce, and eggplant parm
Da Enzo al 29
One of the most beloved trattorias in Trastevere, Da Enzo al 29 is the kind of place that locals love and visitors discover and immediately add to their permanent Rome rotation. Classic Roman dishes done exactly right — the cacio e pepe, carbonara, and coda alla vaccinara are all excellent. No reservations accepted, so plan to queue at dinner (it moves quickly). Worth every minute of the wait.
Best Restaurants in Piazza Navona
The area around Piazza Navona is one of my favorite areas of Rome, particularly at night. Note: these spots are technically outside Trastevere — roughly a 10-15 minute walk away — but they’re some of the best restaurants in Rome and absolutely worth adding to your plans. It’s a great area to combine with a Trastevere evening.
Il Corallo
My favorite spot in this area is, Il Corallo. This quaint spot has some of the best cacio e pepe I’ve ever had in my life! They also serve it in a parmesan bowl that is incredible. This place doesn’t take reservations, but the wait isn’t usually too bad!
Osteria da Fortunata – Rinascimento
An unassuming spot tucked away in the streets nearby Piazza Navona, they have some of the best homemade pasta! They have great carbonara.
Cantina e Cucina
One of the most popular spots in the Piazza Navona area is Cantina e Cucina. You can’t miss this spot as there is usually a large line out the door and up the street. It moves very quickly! There were about 20+ people in front of me and I didn’t wait more than 20 minutes on a Saturday night. They serve classic Roman dishes, I loved the lasagna!
Terra di Siena
Terra di Siena is a another popular spot in Piazza Navona. They serve Tuscan specialties, like wild boar ragu, bistecca Fiorentina & more.
Pizzeria Da Baffetto
One of the most popular pizza spots in Rome, Pizzeria Da Baffetto serves traditional Roman thin crust pizza.
Mimì e Cocò
This popular spot is always overflowing with locals grabbing drinks and Antipasti. Mimì e Cocò is fun, lively and a good spot for appetizers or a small bite and a few drnks!
Da Tonino – Trattoria Bassetti
This popular spot serves traditional Roman classics. It’s small, but quaint and has some of the best pasta I’ve had!
Best Restaurants Trevi Fountain
A bit further from Trastevere, but worth the trip if you’re already spending time near the Trevi Fountain — which you probably should be.
Agrodolce Roma
The area around the Trevi Fountain has a lot of tourist-trap type places and it can be hard to find an authentic spot. But Agroldolce is a hidden gem in this area! This place has great, authentic Roman dishes. It gets super busy, so definitely make a reservation. It’s right around the corner from the fountain so you can head over to see it at night after dinner.
Best Restaurants Piazza del Popolo
On the north side of the city — further from Trastevere, but great if you’re spending a day up this way.
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele
This popular pizzeria also has locations in Bari and other major Italian cities. L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele is some of my favorite pizza in all of Italy. The pizzas are napoletana style and huge, definitely recommend sharing!
