And now, as promised: my favourite places to eat in Rome…!
In no particular order:
- Insalata Ricca: a restaurant chain, but don’t let that deter you. It is famous for their (very very big) salads (€7-10), but also do incredible croquette di patate (fried potato dumplings) and fritte miste (mixed fried platter- best of all fried olives!!)
- Pizza Re’: a pizzeria next to Insalata Ricca behind the Campo de’ Fiori, had the best marinara pizza (€7) I tried in Rome… Big call I know!
- Mercato in the Campo de’ Fiori had consistently good food all round, but late one night I particularly enjoyed the salad with pear, rocket, walnuts and mozzarella drizzled with honey..
- La Buffetta (dangerously close to the front door of my hotel, Albergo di Sole): This little gem is also recommended in the Lonely Planet guide to Italy. Don’t leave without trying the four cheese and zucchini flower calzone (€8). Baked fresh in their woodfire oven and the paper thin crust lightly burnt around the edges, despite the size you are sure to eat the entire serving. And the (cute) waiters are sure to flirt with you so make sure you wear something nice!
- Bar Farnese was also just 3 steps away from my hotel door, and luckily too as for almost every day of the three weeks I was in Rome I began my morning here with their renowned cappuccino and a cornetto con marmellata or crema (€1.60 for caffe’ e cornetto). Family owned, and to top it off the nonno in this bar remembered my order after just my first visit!
- Ok, now for just two quick tips: the 90c carton wine from Despar supermercato goes down a treat!! (Unlike if you bought wine this cheap in Australia… You wouldn’t use it to clean your coins), and I have not had bad gelato anywhere – so if you see one you like at any store or cornershop then go for it!! (€2-2.50 for a piccolo coppa)
Saving the best for last: the two dessert diamonds of Rome in my opinion, and not publicly known to tourists so keep this just for yourselves:
- Pompi: THE place in Rome for tiranisu’. Recommended to me by locals on many separate occasions, I decided I had to go (tough life I know!). The flavours are classico (caffe’), cioccolato, fragole (strawberry) or pistacchio you have to try them all – so several visits are necessary as you will not want to readily share your serving!
- Alba Dolce pasticceria cornetteria: a few streets away from Pompi, once upon a time it only served cornetti (croissants) to restaurants and bars around Rome, but now makes a side business selling their cornetti throughout the night to locals, fresh as their pastry chefs are making them for the next morning. So as my new friend Mauro (an oboe player in Rome) drove myself and my other new friend Angela (another oboe player from America) to Alba Dolce at 1am one night we were understandably excited to try these cornetti. With incredible self restraint I bought just one cornetto con crema (vanilla and lemon cream) and kept it until morning. I was rewarded for my patience with the most sublime beginning to a day I have ever had in my life. Heaven and hell in a cornetto (it’s cruel to let the experience end). I don’t need to say any more – just go to Alba Dolce if you are ever in Rome.
You can thank me later…
