Rome Restaurants

Rome continues to hold its own as one of the great culinary centres of Europe. Although many of the traditional trattorie havent changed their menus in decades, the number of ethnic restaurants and chic fusion cafs continue to grow each year, meaning you dont have to settle for pasta or pizza every night. The best thing about dining out in Rome is that you get a lot for your money, and dont need to spend much to eat well.

Local cuisine

Roman meals typically include a minimum of three separate courses: pasta, a main meat-based course and a dessert. The pasta dishes are definitely the centrepiece of any Roman meal and are quite filling. Italian wine is both excellent and affordable, which may explain why the locals drink it at both lunch and dinner.

Roman cuisine isnt exactly subtle, but its restaurants create some of the most delicious food in the country. The chefs here tend to borrow from other Italian regions, which means you can find most great Italian dishes in the trattories of Rome. Some of the tastier dishes include riso col gamberi (rice with shrimp, mushrooms and peas cooked in white wine); scampi alla griglia (grilled prawns); and gnocchi alla romana (flour dumplings in a meat sauce, topped with grated cheese). The list of amazing Italian dishes can go on forever, making it unlikely youll run out of new things to enjoy. Surprisingly, spaghetti and meatballs is not an Italian dish, even though many places serve it for the homesick tourists.

Where to eat

For a quick bite to eat, try a bar. They have great caf-style food and offer two prices: al banco (standing at the bar) and a tavola (sitting at a table). Youll pay up to four times as much if you sit at a table. Pizzerie are casual restaurants that specialise in large, thin, wood-fired pizzas. Fully-fledged restaurants are called osteria, trattoria or ristorante. You will usually have to pay a small pane e coperto (bread and cover charge) just for the honour of sitting at a table. A 15 per cent tip is typically included in the bill.

Roman restaurants serve lunch between 13:00 and 15:00, and dinner between 20:00 and 23:00. At all other times of the day, most restaurants are closed. Romans eat dinner late, since they tend to eat the heartiest meal of the day at lunchtime. Meals are leisurely affairs, so give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the atmosphere and the amazing food. During the summer months, many cafs and restaurants stay open much later, allowing their guests to linger at the sidewalk tables and savour the evening breeze.