16 places to eat in Rome; and THE carbonara recipe!

Hi there gang, and welcome to another monthly bonus edition of The Food + Travel Edit. This is another one for paying subscribers only, a huge thank you to those who have been able to financially support this project. Today I’m looking at one of my favourite cities in the world to eat in, Rome, and the places I return to again and again. I hope you enjoy it, and thanks again for your support.

If there’s anything truly eternal about the Eternal City it is my deep and burning desire to go there as often as possible and stuff my face. Roman food is amazing – it’s affordable, it’s traditional, it’s based on only about four pasta dishes and a few other humble staples and yet eating in the Italian capital is just such a joy.

Though, you should beware: there is bad food in Rome. There’s a heap of bad food in Rome, in fact, churned out by tourist-focused restaurants in attractive locations that are over-charging horrendously for soggy pasta and bland meats.

These places abound. Fortunately, today’s bonus edition of the Food + Travel Edit is your solution. I have visited Rome more times than I can count, and eaten more food than my waistline would care to remember, and over the years I have collected a list of the restaurants that always shine, no matter when you visit or what you order.

Some of these are cheap and cheerful, some are a little more upmarket. Some you can book, others you will have to queue for. But the common thread here is good, authentic Roman cuisine, the sort that will spark an eternal desire from you, too.

Pizzeria Ai Marmi, Trastevere

Let’s start with a Roman institution, and one that’s a heap of fun: Pizzeria Ai Marmi, on busy Viale di Trastevere. Locals call this place “l’obitorio”, or “the morgue”, thanks to the marble slabs that serve as tables – though don’t let the nickname put you off, the vibe here is anything but deathly. This is Roman pizza the way it should be: thin, crisp, and just a little charred around the edges. Start with fried stuff – supplì (the Roman version of arancini), fiori di zucca (zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella and anchovy), and battered baccalà – then move on to a pizza or two with a cold beer. The room is loud, the service is brisk, you’ll probably have to wait for a table, and it’s all 100 per cent worth it. 

Pasticceria Barberini, Testaccio
Testaccio is my favourite neighbourhood in Rome for eating, and every morning here should start at Pasticceria Barberini, which has been doing its thing on Via Marmorata since 1925. Stand at the counter with the locals, knock back an espresso, and choose from the rows of cornetti, bombe and maritozzi – the classic Roman sweet bun, split open and stuffed with an outrageous amount of whipped cream. The bakers work behind a glass wall, turning out tiny mignon pastries that sit in the cabinets like jewellery, plus, if you’re lucky, a tiramisu served in an edible chocolate cup. It’s open from breakfast right through to aperitivo, so there’s really no excuse.