The 20 Best Restaurants in Rome

Tucked inside the luxurious Hotel de Russie just off the Piazza del Popolo, this restaurant has tables in the city’s most enchanting garden. Renowned chef Fulvio Pierangelini has devised a menu that eschews overly complicated preparations and proves that the simplest recipes are the most divine. If you don’t believe me, try the spaghetti al pomodoro (there’s someone in the kitchen dedicated to peeling kilos of fresh tomatoes for the sauce every day).

You can’t go wrong at Pierluigi for the freshest fish and seafood in Rome; you can’t go wrong at Pierluigi. With tables on one of the city’s most charming piazzas, this restaurant is elegant yet unfussy—the perfect place for a leisurely lunch or a romantic dinner. Start with the raw seafood platter or tuna tartare, then choose from dishes like tagliolini with lobster, whole sea bass, or fritto misto.

Roman-style pizza has a very thin, almost crunchy crust, and L’Elementare is one of the best places to try it. Originally opened in the Parco Appio post-lockdown, it debuted a second location in Trastevere soon after. You’ll find classics like a Margherita with mozzarella di bufala as well as special pizzas like the parmigiana di Noantri with fried eggplant, stracciatella, semi-dry tomatoes, basil, parmesan, and burned eggplant chips.

Shabby-chic décor with mismatched vintage chairs, a charming interior garden hung with string lights, helpful servers, and flawless food form a winning combination at this contemporary bistro. As a bonus, this place is run by an all-female team. Don’t sleep on chef Paola Colucci’s pillowy focaccia topped with figs and prosciutto or stracciatella and anchovies. The menu changes seasonally, so it’s worth visiting again and again.

The talented young chef Sarah Cicolini is behind this hip trattoria in the off-the-beaten-path neighborhood of San Giovanni. The interiors are inspired by vintage trattorias, and the menu hews to Roman classics, but the wine list focuses on natural wines. Her carbonara gives Rome’s more established restaurants a run for their money.

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Set within Villa Laetitia, an elegant boutique hotel owned by the Fendi family in Prati, this fine dining restaurant earned two Michelin stars for its gourmet cuisine, attentive service, and elegant atmosphere. It’s set in one of the city’s prettiest dining rooms, with high ceilings, Art Nouveau motifs, and a crystal chandelier. Young chef Domenico Stile’s creative dishes are paired with out-of-the-box wine pairings by the sommelier.

Scandinavian minimalism meets Italian ingenuity at this hip restaurant and micro-bakery in Ostiense with a very popular weekend brunch. Danish baker Sofie Wochner whips up fantastic cinnamon swirls and a rotating selection of pastries and cakes while her husband, Domenico Cortese, a Sicilian chef, handles the savory items on the menu.

Located right on the main drag in the Jewish Ghetto, this kosher restaurant is a great place to get a taste of Roman Jewish specialties like carciofi alla giudia. Because it’s kosher, you won’t find any dairy on the menu, but you will find Middle Eastern specialties like hummus, falafel, babaganoush, and couscous. When the weather is good, ask for a table outside.

This osteria is a solid choice if you’re looking for a place to eat near the Spanish Steps. The vibe is rustic-meets-glam, with velvet banquettes, wooden or marble tables, and dangling chandeliers. Some of the pastas are served in metal pans, and they also serve nice salads and mains like veal saltimbocca and octopus with zucchini puree.

Tucked inside the W Rome is this modern Sicilian restaurant by Ciccio Sultano, whose restaurant Il Duomo in Ragusa holds two Michelin stars. The vibe here is more trendy bistro than fine dining, and the dishes are less complicated but still delicious. Go here to try Sicilian specialties like paccheri alla norma (pasta with eggplant, tomato, and ricotta salata), couscous trapanese (served with fish soup), and caponata. Whatever you do, don’t skip the cannoli.

The opening of this fine dining restaurant inside Anantara Palazzo Naiadi, a neoclassical landmark on Piazza della Repubblica, represents a homecoming for chef Heros De Agostinis, who worked in some of the top hotels in London, Monte-Carlo, and St. Moritz before returning to Rome, where he was born. His inventive dishes are inspired by childhood memories as well as his international travels. Ingredients like scallops and shrimp might be dressed with passionfruit, calamansi, or turmeric.

Finding great food near the Roman Forum is difficult, but this charming little family-run restaurant offers weary travelers a respite. The cozy interiors are decorated with quirky artwork that the owners have collected over the years. They serve some delicious twists on the classics, like cacio e pepe with black truffle or la gricia with seasonal fruit.

The area immediately surrounding the Vatican isn’t exactly known as a gastronomic destination, but hidden above the Auditorium della Conciliazione is this glamorous restaurant/lounge. Sky-high ceilings, marble walls, and plush seating give it a cinematic vibe, like something from Paolo Sorrentino’s Oscar-winning film La Grande Bellezza. Start at the bar with a cocktail by lauded bartender Massimo d’Addezio, then move to a table for creative dishes by Arcangelo Dandini.

One of the hottest tables in town is the gourmet restaurant inside the new Bulgari Hotel. Helmed by the brand’s longtime collaborator Niko Romito, whose restaurant in Abruzzo holds three Michelin stars, the concept is contemporary Italian cuisine. Seemingly simple dishes are painstakingly researched and developed to deliver culinary excellence. Influences span Italy’s 20 regions, with the menu featuring specialties like vitello tonnato, cotoletta alla milanese, and tiramisu.