For four months I was blessed enough to live in Rome and try more restaurants than I can even count. Naturally, I found what are, in my opinion, the best restaurants around town. I had a lot of amazing meals so I can assure you that these restaurants are the best of the best. So here's my fabulous list, in no particular order, of 15 amazing restaurants in Rome.
1. Roscioli
Ok, the rest are in no particular order, but this is definitely the top of the top in my eyes. Roscioli is a little salumeria (aka a deli) that was transformed into a restaurant. This restaurant offers the freshest meats and cheeses and amazing homemade pasta that is to die for. Pictured above is the cacio e pepe gnocchi which was absolutely incredible.
2. L'antico Moro
L'antico Moro is another gem when it comes to pasta. This was the first restaurant where I tried pasta all'amatriciana and I never found another as good as this one. Pasta all'amatriciana is a pinkish-red sauce topped with guanciale (kinda like bacon) and some pecorino cheese, it's amazing. But if you aren't into meat, no worries, their eggplant pasta is also #1.
3. La Botticella
La Botticella is like something out of a movie. One of those tiny restaurants that seats about 15 people, with the picture perfect red and white checkered tablecloths and fantastic homemade pasta. Try the pesto and order a pitcher of wine and you'll be happy.
4. Impiccetta
Yet another restaurant with fantastic pasta. You can't go wrong with the carbonara, the amatriciana, or my personal favorite, the gricia (pictured above). They also offer different sizes so if you aren't too hungry, get the small, but if you're ready to eat all night or have some leftovers, go for the large.
5. Grazia & Graziella
A cute little restaurant with an extensive menu is Grazia & Graziella. The service is awesome (they gave us free hot wine and cookies), the atmosphere is great, and their food is 100%. Not to mention, their carbonara was one of the best that I had during my 4 months in Rome.
6. That's Amore
That's Amore is a pretty touristy restaurant so I was a little skeptical as to if it would actually be good or not. But wow was it amazing. Every little part was great, the bruschetta, the pasta, the dessert, and although I didn't try it myself, I hear that their heart-shaped pizza is also fabulous. I personally ordered the pasta with seabass, capers, olives, and tomatoes, and it was so rich and creamy.
7. Babette
Another amazing restaurant near the Spanish Steps is Babette. It's a little bit pricier than some of the other places, but well worth it. The red pepper gnocchi was one of the most unique pasta dishes i've ever tried and every bite was heavenly.
8. Maccheroni
If you haven't figured it out yet, I really like gnocchi. So here's another restaurant that had an amazing gnocchi in a pear sauce that was the perfect creamy combination of sweet and savory. Gotta say though, shoutout to Anacapri for their Fiocchi which stacks up to this great dish.
9. Dar Poeta
If you want some fabulous pizza, look no further than Dar Poeta. With an extensive menu offering a bunch of different toppings, it has something for everyone. My advice: don't skimp out with normal mozzarella, but instead order buffalo mozzarella (bufala) and you won't be disappointed.
10. Bonci Pizzarium
Another star for pizza is Bonci Pizzarium, a little place right near the Vatican. It isn't a full sit down restaurant, but rather a grab and go pizza place that offers a variety of different slices for meat-lovers and vegetarians alike. I also highly recommend their supplis whether you get the plain, zucchini flower, or spaghetti one (you'll thank me later). If you've seen the Facebook videos where they cut a giant square pizza with a pair of scissors, that's Bonci Pizzarium.
11. Pizzeria Nerone
Here's some more fantastic pizza that you should try in Trastevere (home to a majority of these restaurants). This pizza was so yummy and cheesy with some mozzarella melted in and some fresh ricotta to top it off. I ate the whole thing and you will too.
12. Santi Brothers (Fratelli Santi)
Best. paninis. ever. Go visit the Santi brothers (some of the nicest people ever) on Monteverde for some of the best sandwiches you'll ever have in your life. Pro tip: Ask them for a surprise and they'll concoct a beautiful sandwich for you with the freshest meats and cheeses. I never had the same thing and I went about 3 times a week.
13. Giolitti
My favorite gelato out there is Giolitti. Located right by the Pantheon since 1900, this cafe and gelateria offers at least 50 different flavors that will never disappoint. My personal favorites are oreo and white chocolate. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
14. Gelateria La Romana
La Romana is another A+ gelateria that offers some real tasty flavors like biscotti, coffee, and mascarpone. They also pour white or milk chocolate inside the cone before they scoop in your gelato, which makes for a great bite at the end when you still have cone left, but no ice cream.
15. Frigidarium
And last, but definitely not least, is Frigidarium. Amazing because of its unique flavors like its own Frigidarium flavor, which to this day I still don't know whats in it, but trust me it's delicious. But to top it all off, they'll dip your gelato in a milk or white chocolate shell which just makes it all that much more delicious.