To Rome and Where to Roam.
Restaurant and Neighborhood Guide to Rome, Italy
Rome is arguably one of the most loved and traveled to cities in the world. After you have seen the Coliseum and climbed the 551 steps to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica it’s time to find the best places to rest your feet and guzzle some vino. Rome is tricky, since it is so incredibly full of tourists 99.9% of the time, you have to be able to get off the path and find some truly authentic good Roman food without getting sucked into one of the million of tourist traps.
Here are my picks for your wonderful Roman Holiday.
Neighborhoods
Monti – The hippest, chicest, most beautiful hood that makes you want to quit your job, get a studio apt and learn Italian. It’s the Soho of Rome and is home to some of the best vintage shops and cafes and restaurants I have found outside of NYC.
Pigneto – The Brooklyn of Rome. Where you will find hip, young, urban, cool local people, street art and awesome great bars and restaurants with no tourists in sight.
Trastevere – When you just want to realize that your dreams came true and you made it to Rome, Italy. Packed with young students and 8 billion tourists but ridiculously adorable and just as you pictured your Italian holiday to be.
Restaurants
Tre Scalini – My absolute favorite spot in Rome. I have been here every single time I step foot in the city. The lunch crowd is cool, Italian and good-looking. Very New York attitude, good food, fast service and ever so hip and delish.
Nana – Wonderful seafood restaurant for lunch or dinner close to the Trevi Fountain. Perfectly Italian classic dishes with a crisp, new, modern decor. The menu changes according to season (always a good sign).
Antica Pesa – This is not a secret, it is one of the oldest most famous restaurants in the city but there is a reason it is still there. It’s a great people scene, has a beautiful elegant outdoor garden and definitely the best Cacio Pepe I have ever had in my life (and my boyfriend specializes in Cacio Pepe 😉
Bonci – A simple to-go, best Focaccia you will ever eat. Close to the Vatican. I learned about this one from my idol, the late, great, Anthony Bourdain and wow, honestly the best thing I ever found. So many different types and trust me you will want to try all of them.
Necci – When you dare to venture out of the center of Rome and find yourself in Pigneto, Necci is one of the coolest spots around. Beautiful garden dining with the eclectic locals of the neighborhood. Come for a pasta, wine drenched long lazy lunch. If there was a posh, cool, Italian hangout in Brooklyn, it would look like Necci.
Things You Must Eat in Rome
Cacio e Pepe – The best thing in Rome is this dish. Simple spaghetti with pecorino cheese and pepper. No oil, no cream, and no butter. 3 ingredients mixed together at a rapid speed and served on your plate. You won’t believe it till you try it.
Zucchini Flowers – Zucchini flowers fried and stuffed with mozzarella cheese with an anchovy in the middle.
Carbonara – Spaghetti with guanciale (pig cheek), raw eggs, pepper, and pecorino cheese. Basically the gourmet Italian bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. I am personally a Pescatarian but my Italian boyfriend will not leave Rome without having this pasta. Total classic.
Focaccia – NOT A PIZZA, this is a thicker light dough covered in toppings and served by the square slice. Different than pizza, check yourself. Pizza is from Naples. Focaccia is from Rome.
Artichokes – Coming from the old Jewish ancestry in Rome, they are a typical great classic side. Without spines and fried in oil. Served only in season in Spring and Fall.
