The last time I had been to Rome, I was very young. So, going this time around it was as if I was going for the first time. Rome is an incredible city filled with so much history everywhere you go. I was excited to explore and see all of the beautiful historic spots, but also incredibly excited to try the classic Roman dishes.
Coming from Sicily, which is what I am used to, mainland Italy felt different. That is one of the things I love most about Italy, every region has its own personality, its own flavors, and its own way of doing things that make it special. Neither one is better than the other, they are just their own beautiful thing, and getting to experience the contrast between them is part of what makes traveling through Italy so special.
Here is a complete guide to everywhere we ate in Rome, what we loved, and what I would skip next time (saved our best meal for last!).
Tonnarello: Our first meal in Rome was at a spot that is very popular and well-loved by tourists. Tonnarello has a few locations around the city, and we were lucky to have one just around the block from where we were staying. We had been warned about the typically long lines, but luck was on our side again and we walked right in. The service was great and the carbonara was good, but I have to be honest, this was probably our most underwhelming dinner of the trip. The whole experience felt a little touristy. I can understand why so many people love it, but for me personally, it wasn't a place I am rushing to get back to.
Casa Bleve: I think it's appropriate to call Casa Bleve a hidden gem. It's just a three minute walk from the Pantheon, and it came to us as a recommendation from a friend who used to live in Rome. It is off the main path but still in a wonderful area, the service was fantastic, and everything we ordered tasted fresh and delicious. There were lots of good seafood options. The sea bass carpaccio was thinly sliced and full of flavor, and the pasta dishes did not disappoint. Not pictured was one of their pasta specials, a black garlic spaghetti with a hint of truffle. It may sound heavy, but this dish was actually very light and had an incredible depth of flavor for how light it was. We really enjoyed our dinner at Casa Bleve.
Pimm's Good: Pimm's Good is a cafe and restaurant in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome. We found this spot just by wandering around in the morning, and it turned out to be a great place to sit and order coffee. It was very hot that day, so we started with some light bites and eventually worked our way to cocktails. The food is fairly simple, but I thought they did a great job with the sandwiches, and they were well priced too. They had a good variety of breakfast options, cold coffees, and fun cocktails. Definitely a good casual spot to start the day in Trastevere.
Ginger - Corte Laica: We had been shopping and were wanting a quick lunch to hold us over until dinner when we passed by Ginger, and it immediately grabbed our attention with its beautiful interior. It sits right next to all of the shops in central Rome. I was hesitant at first because I thought it would be just another touristy spot, but I was actually pleasantly surprised. The ambiance is gorgeous, with a ton of big open space, high ceilings, and lots of natural light. Ginger's menu had an option for whatever you were feeling. I was craving a smoothie, and they actually had them, so naturally I got a smoothie and an espresso martini to follow it up. The espresso martini was really good, and the pastas were excellent. I personally preferred the pasta over the pizza. The gamberi pasta we ordered was a highlight of the meal. Even though it had seemed touristy at first, it ended up being a great meal and place to grab lunch and relax after shopping or walking around central Rome. Ginger also has a few other locations, including New York City.
Mizio's: I fell in love with Mizio's. It is a very small sandwich shop with no seating inside, so you just walk up, order, and take your sandwich to go. The little side street it sits on is absolutely beautiful and quiet, and the sandwich options were honestly hard to pick from. I ended up trying the mortadella and pesto sandwhich, and it was delicious. The sandwich is huge, definitely a good one to split with another person if you are not too hungry. We got lucky and went at a time when there was no line, but when we passed by the next day, the line was down the block. It is clearly a popular spot, so I would go at an off time if you can. I would absolutely go back to Mizio's.
Giulia & Sisto: Our close friends who live in Rome suggested we meet them at Giulia & Sisto for dinner. The restaurant has a lovely rooftop patio, and it is within walking distance of the Colosseum. The menu had great seafood options and pasta, so we ordered a few different dishes to try and split. I really loved the tuna and steak tartare, but my favorite dish of the night was the seafood salad. The restaurant had a great ambiance and good food, I would happily go back to Giulia & Sisto.
Vincenzo M.
Taverna Varrone: This was definitely our most entertaining dinner while in Rome. We sat down on the patio at Taverna Varrone the night of the World Cup Final. The restaurant was packed, busy with people glued to the outdoor TVs watching the game. I have to say, we had quite the authentic Italian experience, with our waiters yelling at each other while somehow still giving us incredible service. The owner, Mihai, had us laughing all through dinner and took wonderful care of us. We ordered a variety of dishes, from an antipasti charcuterie board and mussels to pizza and pasta. We were a group of six and were not sure how much of each thing to order, so Mihai brought out separate portions of everything for all of us to try. The food was very good, and the pizza was my favorite. At the end of the night, Mihai was making us his favorite limoncello cocktail and handing them out around the table. Overall, the food was good, but we all agreed we would absolutely come back just to visit Mihai again.
Casa Monti: Dinner at Casa Monti hotel was my favorite of the trip. Casa Monti is a beautiful hotel just a few blocks from where we were staying. The ambiance is unique and stunning, and the service was incredible. Our waiter was so kind and did a wonderful job walking us through the menu. I loved just about every dish we ordered, but my favorite was the shrimp with raspberries. It sounds like a wild combination, but it was one I never expected to work so beautifully together. The Spaghetti con Vongole was excellent, and the Milanese di Vitello was a close second. Another highlight on the menu was the Risotto alla Norma, which was a risotto dish with eggplant and salted ricotta. This was the perfect meal to end our trip, and a restaurant I will absolutely be returning to the next time I am in Rome.
