Rustic offal dishes, historic Roman–Jewish recipes, and mountains of guanciale-studded pastas await.
Gastro Obscura’s 10 Essential Places to Eat and Drink in Rome

The south-central neighborhood of Testaccio is Rome’s nose-and-tail epicenter. Hankering for pajata (suckling calf’s intestines) or coratella (lamb innards) updated with cheffy flair? Book ahead at this convivial neo-trattoria, where the gifted young chef Umberto Mussato offers up dishes like nervetti (strips of chewy calf’s foot tendons) laced with grapefruit and apple, but also delicious side servings of wild foraged greens like mallow and poppy leaves.

Navigating Rome’s modern gelatoscape can be a fun challenge, but you’ll never go wrong with this classic parlor that helped spark the city’s artisanal ice cream revolution. Among cognoscenti, Gracchi is famous for its voluptuous treats based on pedigreed nuts—Bronte pistachios, Avila almonds—and for its chocolate gelato crafted from pure cacao fondant and spiked with orange or rum.

Decorated with pig memorabilia and yellowed newspaper clippings, this 1890 cubbyhole near Termini Station delivers perfect porchetta panini. Regulars have theirs inside a plain crusty white roll with a just-right ratio of tender pig flesh, unctuous fat, and crackling skin. It’s served on butcher paper with nary a condiment.

Suppli are Rome’s ultimate cucina di strada—oblong rice balls filled with mozzarella and deep-fried in an armor of breadcrumbs. Normally served these days at pizzerias, they get a starring role at this friggitoria (fry shop) for the Slow Food generation near palazzo-lined Via Giulia. A vaulted former antiques shop with charming living room vibes, here the ur-Roman fritter gets elevated with top-shelf ingredients such as aged Carnaroli rice and fior di latte cheese from special Campanian producers.

Unlike the round puffy-edged Neapolitan pies, the pizza native to Rome is pizza al taglio: lengthy rectangles or oblongs baked in an iron teglia (pan) in a gas oven and whacked into sections. Try it at this brilliant new wave pizzeria right by the Circo Massimo, where the scrocchiarella (crackly) crust comes with some two dozen toppings, from the  classic rosemary-scented potatoes to headcheese and artichokes.

The brilliant chef Leonardo Vignoli redefined the trattoria genre with his Cesare al Casaletto, opened back in 2009 in the residential Monteverde district. Recently he and his wife took over a centro storico space that once belonged to an iconic trattoria, Settimio. Come here for Vignoli’s pillowy gnocchi, and such old Roman classics as minestra d’arzila, a soupy first course of skate, romanesco broccoli, and broken spaghetti. Stay for the exciting natural wine list and a divine crostata of ricotta and cherries.

Come to this cozy spot deep in Trastevere for the offal-intensive menu by the feisty chef Alessandra Ruggeri. She will serve you exemplary trippa (aka tripe), whether crisp-fried or stewed alla romana, as well as lesser-known dishes from Lazio’s Viterbo region, like a menestra of curly chicory cooked until tender with bread and potatoes.

This sprawling osteria sits on the side of Monte Testaccio, an artificial hill composed of ancient Roman amphorae shards. Most locals agree that it serves the city’s definitive tonnarelli al cacio e pepe, as well as delicious abbacchio (roast baby lamb), and terrific polpette, those crisp breaded ping-pong balls of juicy meat leftover from yesterday’s bollito misto.

Craving a break from Rome’s nose-to-tail menus? Head to this swank wood-paneled restaurant, the first Roman outpost of the legendary Sicilian chef Ciccio Sultano. The menu at Gianno reads like a paean to Sicilian almonds, citrus, and seafood. And it includes Sultano’s signature hits like spaghetti with tuna bottarga, lemon, and pine nuts—as well as his luscious ricotta cannoli.

Follow Romans to this no-frills mini-cafeteria in the unglamorous part of Trastevere to sample Rome’s real Jewish cuisine. The counter of this tavola calda (deli with prepared food) is a brilliant display of such cucina ebraica classics as carciofi alla giudea (fried artichokes); fried marinated zucchini; and aliciotti con indivia, an iconic dish of fresh anchovies baked in a casserole under a cap of slightly bitter green curly escarole.