My favourite truly Roman restaurants, the tables that I return to again and again, the ones I take friends and family to the moment they land in the city.
Like a true local living in Rome, my list is tight and continuously tested. These are restaurants and hosterias, a step up from the trattoria, where the food, the wine, the service and the general atmosphere are consistently at a high level. All family owned, they are the places I send friends and family to without hesitation the moment they land in the city. I try new spots constantly, but having eaten my way through Rome, these are the ones I keep coming back to.
Hosteria Costanza
It’s easy to walk right past this place. Down a cobbled alleyway in Centro Storico, en route to Campo de’ Fiori and passed by thousands of people daily, Hosteria Costanza sits quietly on top of a piece of Roman history, part of the ancient Teatro di Pompeo, one of Rome’s most famous theatres, built circa 61 BC. It makes for a genuinely special setting, the original forno and stable area still intact inside, hand carved stone throughout. It’s really something to see.
Now to the important part. Hosteria Costanza serves traditional Roman cuisine alongside beautifully fresh seafood. Start with the house antipasto, which includes one of my absolute addictions, chicken pate with mascarpone and focaccia. Their carciofi are always a great choice too, especially the carciofi alla romana when in season. From there it depends on the specials, though we’ll almost always land on the ravioli, often filled with slow braised beef or a carciofi cream, or the spaghetti alle vongole with bottarga. For the regulars in the know, come spring the off menu green risotto is a must.
For secondi, the fresh grilled fish of the day and the slow cooked suckling pig are both excellent, though we tend to gravitate toward the steak, cooked perfectly and served with an incredibly good mushroom sauce and slightly addictive charred green beans.
For dessert, the millefoglie is absolutely lovely, a lighter alternative to tiramisu that I wouldn’t normally go for but always do here. The zuppa inglese is equally good, a traditional flavour combination and an old Nonni favourite that I remain very fond of. No meal here ends without a digestivo, and at the close of every visit you’re offered a plate of their homemade ciambelline al vino, a must try which we often ask to take home.
For the wine lovers, the list is brilliant, full of special and often underrated bottles. Ask and the lovely team will happily point you in the right direction.
Piazza del Paradiso, 65, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Ristorante Roma Sparita
Sitting in a sun drenched piazza beside Basilica di Santa Cecilia, in a quieter corner of Trastevere, is this absolute gem, a favourite of the late great Anthony Bourdain for very good reason. It’s one of my favourite places for a long lazy Sunday lunch, always so warmly welcomed and surrounded by Italian families enjoying what feels like an almost religious ritual. You must book ahead if you want a table.
My order rarely changes. It always starts with the sformatino, when it’s on the menu, a savoury flan not unlike a quiche without the crust. When they have the cavolfiore version it’s even more special. They’re known for their cacio e pepe, perfectly prepared and served in a parmesan basket, but I can never pass on the gnocchi with clams, zucchini flowers, plump tomatoes and a touch of chilli. A dear friend introduced me to it and I’ve never looked back. The gnocchi are pillowy, coated in a light sauce built from ripened burst tomatoes, balanced by the saltiness of the clams and a hint of spice. Summer or winter, sitting outside with a glass of wine and that plate in front of you is close to heaven.
The menu shifts with the seasons. We’ll often order the homemade linguine with artichokes, or with fresh broad beans and pecorino, or the ear shaped orecchiette with summer tomatoes and Roman baccalà. Whatever the season, the flavours are always beautifully balanced to let the produce lead.
Dessert is as much a staple order as the gnocchi. Their apple pie, or more accurately their crumble, is a must, nothing like the typical British or American version, studded instead with pine nuts and sultanas and finished with a cake like crust. Truly delicious.
Piazza di Santa Cecilia, 24, 00153 Roma RM, Italy
Piatto Romano
Where to even start. Piatto Romano is hyper seasonal, hyper local and wildly good, truly Roman food with a twist, not some cliched modern take but elevated classics with a rustic yet refined feel. Nothing here is trying too hard and yet it hits every time.
The wine list reads like a small bible, packed with natural wines from across Italy and the staff will happily guide you through it. Seasonal fruits are conserved and served until the jar runs dry, at which point another takes its place. It’s considered without ever feeling forced.
The menu changes often and our order shifts with it, though a few favourites remain constant. We always start with the polpette di manzo, juicy little fried beef meatballs packed with flavour alongside wild locally foraged greens often simply sauteed or dressed fresh with EVOO and then their caprese, which isn’t the version you know. It’s fragrant with purple basil, fresh oregano and other local herbs and the real departure is the absence of mozzarella. In its place is barattiere, a local cucumber and melon hybrid, crisp, sweet and juicy, available in the warmer months.
One of the great Roman classics is done to perfection here. Their carbonara is exceptional, every time, creamy and salty and rich without tipping over, the kind of bowl that disappears faster than you intend. I’m equally fond of the homemade tagliolini with peperoni cruschi, dried crushed sweet peppers with a smoky, faintly sweet edge that turns the whole dish into a flavour bomb. Simple yet so special.
If I could only order one thing, it would be the baccalà. Salted cod, prepared here unlike anywhere else I’ve come across, oven baked in a light clear broth with a garland of onions, golden raisins, dried pears, prunes and pine nuts scattered throughout. It stays remarkably moist, the sweetness and saltiness playing off each other in a way that’s subtle yet unmistakable, a standout I could eat without limit. The other must order secondi is the coda alla vaccinara, a traditional Roman recipe of slow braised oxtail, the meat falling from the bone as it should, set in a deep tomato sauce that cuts through the richness. It’s my father’s absolute favourite on this menu, and it’s easy to see why.
Dessert changes with the seasons too, a mix of traditional preparations, seasonal fruit done several ways and more modern touches. When it’s available, the white chocolate cream, closer to a custard, with chilli, cacao nibs and berries, is a standout. An interesting combination of flavours that works far better than it has any right to.
Piatto Romano has picked up plenty of attention over the past year couple of years, so it does book out. Reserve a couple of weeks ahead, you’ll be glad you did.
Via Giovanni Battista Bodoni, 62, 00153 Roma RM, Italy
Ristorante Virginiae
I often find myself strolling past Virginiae and somehow ending up seated, people watching with a glass of wine and a plate of the best amatriciana in Rome in front of me. What a terrible problem to have. Set in the heart of the city, it serves classic cucina romana from an incredibly friendly staff and is loved by locals, including one of the owners from a restaurant already on this list, which tells you everything you need to know.
I’m always drawn to their carciofi alla romana, so juicy and beautifully marinated that I tend to ask for extra sauce just to work my scarpetta properly, the socially acceptable and in fact expected art of wiping your plate clean with bread. It’s especially good in the winter months.
If you haven’t gathered by now, I have a slight obsession with their amatriciana. The sauce runs deep with flavour, the guanciale stays crisp and it’s topped with just the right amount of pecorino and freshly cracked black pepper. It’s perfection here, every single time. I’ll occasionally add a touch of chilli for a bit of a kick, something the kitchen handles without a second thought, a request that would start a small war in plenty of other Roman kitchens.
Beyond the amatriciana, the beef meatballs are a genuine crowd pleaser, giant, juicy and full of flavour, ideal for the table to share. I’m equally taken with the veal osso buco with porcini mushrooms, the sauce carrying real depth from the porcini, cut through with a subtle hit of orange zest that lifts what could easily be a heavy dish into something bright and well balanced. For something lighter, the veal saltimbocca is a staple done well, tender, almost silky veal balanced against salty prosciutto and aromatic sage.
To finish, the tiramisu is close to perfect and well worth the order. As with the others, book ahead, especially on weekends, this one fills up fast too, mostly with locals settling in for a long lunch.
Via di Parione, 41, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Hosteria Da Cesare
Moments from Castel Sant’Angelo is this beautiful wood panelled restaurant, run by the same family since 1921, with the kind of warmth and charm that only comes from decades behind the same tables. The family’s heritage is Sicilian and it shows throughout the menu, with a naturally large seafood offering to match.
I always start with the fresh gamberi rossi from Sicily, dressed simply with exceptional olive oil and a gentle squeeze of lemon. Perfection. For primi, if there’s a seafood pasta special I’ll take it, we’ve had homemade linguine with mussels, tomato and chilli that was superb, otherwise it’s the spaghettoni with clams and bottarga, always incredibly fresh and perfectly prepared.
The seafood theme carries through to the main, where the decision usually comes down to the catch of the day. We tend to opt for the whole baked wild white fish to share, beautifully cooked and served with the most moreish crunchy potatoes.
Now for the real business. An absolute must, one you’ll need to call ahead for the day before to guarantee, is the traditional cassata. A classic Sicilian dessert of soaked white sponge layered with sweet ricotta, chocolate chips and candied fruit, finished with a marzipan coating, it’s one of my favourite desserts in general, and having tasted more than my fair share over the years, I can say the version here sits on another level entirely. The sponge is light, the ricotta filling not overly sweet, the marzipan sweet, soft and almost runny decorated with candied fruit on the outside adding a little more sweetness for good measure. It’s a genuine thing of wonder and one I’d happily detour for even as a small piece “porta via”, or takeaway, whenever it was available.
Naturally, you can’t end there. A digestivo is in order, and not just any digestivo but a sgroppino, a whisked lemon sorbetto with vodka and prosecco, almost creamy yet remarkably refreshing, doing double duty as dessert and digestivo in one. Who doesn’t love that.
Between the food, the history and staff who treat you like you’ve been coming for years even on your first visit, it’s easy to see why this family has been doing it for over a century.
Via Crescenzio, 13, 00193 Roma RM, Italy
The Finer Details
A few practical notes. Book ahead for all of these, they have limited space and fill up fast, especially on weekends. Most will accommodate gluten free and coeliac guests and generally keep gluten free pasta on hand, though it’s worth confirming when you book. All offer vegetarian options, but for vegetarians and vegans I’d point you specifically to Piatto Romano, which has the widest range on offer and is an exceptional choice either way. You may occasionally find a dish I’ve mentioned isn’t available, these menus shift with the seasons, so don’t be shy about asking what’s on that day instead.
A note on tipping, since it’s one of the questions I get asked most. My rule of thumb: at a restaurant, hosteria or trattoria, if I’ve genuinely enjoyed the experience, I’ll leave 10 percent. At a bar or caffè, somewhere more casual, it’s a few coins. This is what my Italian friends do too, and it’s by no means expected or mandated, simply a nice thing to do that’s genuinely appreciated.
These are my musings of good food, wine and slow travel through Italy and beyond, with new recommendations to come every week.
