Notable Rome Restaurants

Despite the proliferation of fast food and an increasing number of supermarkets supplied by agribusiness, Rome still boasts innumerable trattorias and restaurants, many family-owned, serving excellent traditional cooking. The Lazio countryside has rich soil and a benign climate. As a result, the fruits and vegetables are among the best in the world. Certainly a morning visit to the Campo de’ Fiori market, with its kaleidoscopic displays, provides ample confirmation. Rome is also close to the sea, so the fish is excellent.

Food experts and writers wrangle over which Italian dishes are authentically Roman, but the city’s partisan inhabitants make claims on fettuccine Alfredo, penne all’arrabbiata, spaghetti alla carbonara, bucatini all’Amatriciana, stracciatella (egg drop soup), saltimbocca alla Romana (veal topped with prosciutto and sage), abbacchio alla Romana (grilled suckling lamb) and roasted stuffed porchetta. Here are three restaurants that I enjoyed on my recent trip.

Per Me - Giulio Terrinoni

This elegant and intimate establishment showcases the exceptional cooking of Michelin one-star chef Giulio Terrinoni. Since it opened in 2015, Per Me has acquired a reputation for serving some of the best seafood in Rome (though the meat dishes are equally outstanding). My roasted cuttlefish with zucchini flowers, mint oil and saffron was delicious, as was the spaghettone with clams, and the cod with basil pil-pil, marinated fruits and eggplant sorbet. A fascinating 200-label wine list assembled by sommelier Giulio Bruni features bottles from around the world, as well as selections from all the principal Italian wine regions.

Per Me - Giulio Terrinoni
Vicolo del Malpasso 9. Tel. (39) 06-687-7365

Costanza Hostaria

At the end of an escorted tour of Rome’s markets and specialty-food shops, I asked our guide to recommend a favorite restaurant for authentic Roman cooking. Costanza Hostaria was his suggestion. Located in what was once the Theatre of Pompey, close to the Campo de’ Fiori, it is a friendly and relaxing place, serving classics such as puntarelle alla Romana (chicory with anchovy sauce), rigatoni con la pajata (pasta with veal intestines in a tomato sauce) and coda alla vaccinara (oxtail stew). There is an extensive list of wines from Lazio — the region of which Rome is the capital — about which the staff are extremely knowledgeable.

Costanza Hostaria
Piazza del Paradiso 65. Tel. (39) 06-686-1717

Roscioli

This is my favorite place for casual dining, with a snug restaurant tucked away behind a gourmet food store. On my recent visit, I enjoyed superb cacio e pepe (tonnarelli with Pecorino Romano and pepper), and grilled lamb (served very rare) with braised endive. I can also recommend meatballs with smoked ricotta and chestnut polenta. There is a fine assortment of cheeses and one of the city’s best wine lists.

Roscioli
Via dei Giubbonari 21. Tel. (39) 06-687-5287