The Best Food I Ate in Rome

When in Rome… no one likes pineapple on their pizza! This is actually true—Italians do get mad when people try to put pineapple on pizza, and I don’t blame them. In America, Italian food is my favorite cuisine, and I was told that in Rome, it would be even better. My peers were right! I had actually planned to eat a lot in Rome and spend more money on food here. Before coming, I had made a list of all the popular Italian dishes I wanted to try and I felt like I ate pretty much all I wanted to! Let’s take a look at that list, in no particular order.

Gelato

I’m going to start with an obvious Italian delight: gelato, which is cheaper in Italy than in America! While there are gelato shops all over Rome, there is one I recommend above all others. It is called Frigidarium, and it is located in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood. The reason I recommend this above all others is because you can get your gelato dipped in chocolate for free! Frigidarium also has their own flavor that is a mix of caramel, gianduia chocolate, and a pan di stelle cookie on top. Hands-down the best gelato I have ever had!

Pizza

Pizza from Dar Poeta

Another obvious one with a specific recommendation: pizza! Obviously, the pizza here is more authentic and not greasy at all. The toppings are also thicker than the crust, which means you can really taste the richness of whatever is on top. For example, I had a cheese and Italian sausage pizza and I could really taste the cheese. It was so delicious I finished it quickly and wanted more! I had pizza at Dar Poeta, a restaurant also in the Trastevere neighborhood, and it was in a great location because this neighborhood is chill overall. There are many other pizza places in Rome, but if you want the real experience without having to wait awhile, go to Dar Poeta!

Nutella calzone

Nutella calzone from Dar Poeta

This was not originally on my Rome must-eat list, but after eating it, it should have been! I also had this at Dar Poeta, and it was so big and delicious. On the outside, it looked like just a regular calzone with cocoa and sugar powder, but the moment I cut it open, all the Nutella started oozing out. The inside was also filled with ricotta cheese that was also embedded in the Nutella, which was also very tasty. In Europe, the Nutella hits different, and that was definitely the case with this dessert. The Nutella in Europe is much less oily than it is in the US and so much richer! Unfortunately, it only exacerbated my sweet tooth problem, but it was all worth it!

Suppli al telefono

Last item from Dar Poeta, I promise! But this is an appetizer dish (or in Italian, antipasti), and a well-known one. It is a little croquette filled with rice, tomato sauce, and stringy mozzarella cheese. It is called a suppli al telefono because when breaking it apart, the cheese is supposed to form a telephone shape. Sadly, my appetizer did not form the shape, but it was still delicious! Such a shame it only took a few bites to finish—I wanted more!

Tiramisu

I actually had tiramisu for the first time when I was 14. An exchange student from Italy had baked it for my Bible study group, and even then, it was fire! Obviously, I wanted to try it while actually in Italy. It actually wasn’t too much different from the tiramisu I had in America, but that means it was still delicious! Like gelato, this dessert can be found pretty much anywhere in Rome.

Cannoli

I can’t recall having had a cannoli in America, but was told I definitely needed to try it in Italy. I wasn’t sure whether to have it for breakfast or dessert, so I chose breakfast, knowing I was likely going to have something else for dessert later. There are many different flavors of cannolis, and these were not actually invented in Rome. Cannolis are from Sicily! I had a chocolate-flavored cannoli and it was so rich and mouthwatering. I would have had a second one right away if it wasn’t eight euros!

Panini

I have had paninis several times in the United States, but I wanted to try one that was fresh and without processed meat. After visiting the Vatican, I got one for lunch at a panini stand nearby. It wasn’t just the meat and cheese that tasted better than the American ones—it was the bread, too! As it was fresh and authentically Italian, I am glad I tried the panini in its home country. The only thing I didn’t like about it was that it wasn’t hot enough, but panini makers could very well be different in Italy.

Pasta

Carbonara

Saved the best for last—the best pasta around! While there is pasta nearly everywhere in Rome, the carbonara is the one I recommend the most. Yes, pesto and marinara are authentically Italian, but you can find those anywhere in or outside of Italy. I could never find carbonara in the United States. Funnily enough, I actually didn’t plan on getting carbonara when I sat down to eat at a pasta restaurant. I looked through the menu for something I liked, and carbonara fit the bill—a pasta dish made from spaghetti noodles, hard cheese, eggs, bacon, salt, and black pepper. I typically don’t like black pepper seasoning in my food, but the taste in the carbonara was so strong it was good! Pasta is my favorite meal back home, but the carbonara I had was better than any pasta I have ever had in my life. When I finished, I was literally licking the plate just trying to get the last bits into my mouth. Sounds gross, but that is how addicting it was! Carbonara is also found in many Roman restaurants, but the place I had it at is called Ristorante Julie’s, just a couple minutes away from the Roma Termini train station.

Coming to Rome, I was obligated to spend more money on food, and I encourage anyone else to do so as well! The main things you’ll want to spend a lot of money on are the popular attractions (like the Colosseum and the Vatican) and food. If you were to ask me what my favorite thing I had to eat in Rome was, I would have to split it into a meal and a dessert category. But for dessert, it was definitely the chocolate cannoli. For a meal, the carbonara by far! I want to make carbonara at home but genuinely do not think it will be anywhere near as tasty as it was in Rome.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Rome page.