Rome’s dining scene blends timeless trattorias, historic pasta institutions, serious wine bars, and polished fine dining into one of the world’s great food cities. From cacio e pepe and carbonara to modern tasting menus and destination pizza, these restaurants capture both the classic and contemporary sides of eating in Rome.
#10 Felice a Testaccio
Cuisine: Classic Roman trattoria
Neighborhood: Testaccio
Price: $$
Best For: A deeply Roman pasta night
Must Order: Tonnarelli cacio e pepe
Why It Made the List:
Felice a Testaccio is one of Rome’s great comfort-food institutions, built around generous Roman cooking and a dining room that still feels rooted in Testaccio. The tableside cacio e pepe is the essential move, but the broader menu makes it a dependable choice for anyone who wants tradition without fuss.
Known For:
- Historic Testaccio setting
- Famous tableside cacio e pepe
- Classic Roman pastas and daily specials
- Lively, polished trattoria energy
#9 Trattoria Pennestri
Cuisine: Modern Roman trattoria
Neighborhood: Ostiense
Price: $$
Best For: A neighborhood dinner with modern polish
Must Order: Seasonal Roman pasta
Why It Made the List:
Trattoria Pennestri brings a younger, sharper point of view to the Roman trattoria format while keeping the cooking relaxed and ingredient-driven. It works especially well for diners who want the soul of Rome with a more contemporary dining-room feel.
Known For:
- Ostiense neighborhood favorite
- Modern trattoria format
- Thoughtful wine and amaro selection
- Seasonal takes on Roman classics
#8 Seu Pizza Illuminati
Cuisine: Contemporary pizza
Neighborhood: Trastevere / Porta Portese
Price: $$
Best For: Creative pizza in a sleek setting
Must Order: Seasonal tasting of creative pizzas
Why It Made the List:
Seu Pizza Illuminati gives Roman pizza a modern, design-forward stage, with dough, toppings, and fritti treated with real creative intent. It is a strong reminder that Rome’s dining scene is not only about old trattorias and white-tablecloth fine dining.
Known For:
- Award-winning contemporary pizza
- Creative toppings rooted in Italian flavors
- Modern dining room
- Strong fritti and pizza tasting experience
#7 Retrobottega
Cuisine: Contemporary Italian
Neighborhood: Centro Storico
Price: $$$
Best For: A creative dinner near the historic center
Must Order: Tasting menu or seasonal small plates
Why It Made the List:
Retrobottega is compact, energetic, and modern, with an open-kitchen sensibility that feels more like a culinary workshop than a formal Roman dining room. It is a smart pick for creative cooking in the center without losing the intimacy of a neighborhood restaurant.
Known For:
- Open-kitchen atmosphere
- Creative seasonal cooking
- Central location near Via d’Ascanio
- Relaxed contemporary service
#6 Da Cesare al Casaletto
Cuisine: Roman trattoria
Neighborhood: Monteverde / Casaletto
Price: $$
Best For: Classic Roman cooking away from the tourist core
Must Order: Rigatoni alla gricia
Why It Made the List:
Da Cesare al Casaletto rewards the trip outside the center with one of Rome’s most satisfying traditional trattoria meals. The pastas, fried starters, and unfussy hospitality make it a benchmark for Roman cooking that feels local rather than staged.
Known For:
- Destination neighborhood trattoria
- Roman pastas and fried starters
- Casaletto location near the tram terminus
- Strong local reputation
#5 SantoPalato
Cuisine: Modern Roman trattoria
Neighborhood: San Giovanni
Price: $$
Best For: Bold Roman flavors with personality
Must Order: Carbonara
Why It Made the List:
SantoPalato channels the spirit of the modern Roman trattoria: direct, soulful, and deeply connected to offal, pasta, and the city’s cucina povera traditions. Sarah Cicolini’s cooking gives familiar Roman ideas a fresh sense of energy without sanding down their character.
Known For:
- Chef Sarah Cicolini
- Modern trattoria movement
- Fifth-quarter and Roman-Jewish influences
- Confident, flavor-first cooking
#4 Armando al Pantheon
Cuisine: Classic Roman
Neighborhood: Pantheon / Centro Storico
Price: $$$
Best For: Traditional Roman lunch near the Pantheon
Must Order: Ajo, ojo e peperoncino or seasonal Roman specials
Why It Made the List:
Armando al Pantheon is the rare landmark-adjacent restaurant that still feels serious, personal, and proudly Roman. The kitchen’s restraint and consistency make it a top choice for classic cooking in one of the most tourist-heavy corners of the city.
Known For:
- Family-run Roman cooking since 1961
- Steps from the Pantheon
- Traditional pastas and seasonal dishes
- Highly sought-after reservations
#3 Il Pagliaccio
Cuisine: Contemporary fine dining
Neighborhood: Centro Storico / Via dei Banchi Vecchi
Price: $$$$
Best For: A refined tasting-menu occasion
Must Order: Chef Anthony Genovese’s tasting menu
Why It Made the List:
Il Pagliaccio gives Rome a polished, cosmopolitan fine-dining experience with a sense of theater and precision. Anthony Genovese’s kitchen is a strong fit for diners who want a special-occasion meal that moves beyond the city’s traditional trattoria vocabulary.
Known For:
- Chef Anthony Genovese
- Elegant tasting menus
- Fine-dining service
- Historic-center location
#2 Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina
Cuisine: Salumeria, wine bar, Roman-Italian
Neighborhood: Campo de’ Fiori / Centro Storico
Price: $$$
Best For: Wine, salumi, cheese, and iconic Roman pastas
Must Order: Carbonara or burrata with anchovies
Why It Made the List:
Roscioli is part deli, part wine destination, part Roman restaurant, and that hybrid identity is exactly why it remains so compelling. The room’s shelves, bottles, salumi, and polished ingredients create one of the city’s most distinctive dining experiences.
Known For:
- Roscioli family food-and-wine legacy
- Exceptional salumi, cheese, and wine
- Compact deli-restaurant atmosphere
- International reputation
#1 La Pergola
Cuisine: Fine dining / Italian-Mediterranean
Neighborhood: Monte Mario / Rome Cavalieri
Price: $$$$
Best For: A once-in-a-trip celebration dinner
Must Order: Fagotelli “La Pergola”
Why It Made the List:
La Pergola remains Rome’s grandest fine-dining address, combining Heinz Beck’s refined Italian-Mediterranean cooking with panoramic views over the city. It is the restaurant for a formal, high-touch experience when the meal itself is meant to be the centerpiece of the evening.
Known For:
- Chef Heinz Beck
- Rome Cavalieri setting
- Panoramic city views
- Luxury tasting-menu experience
