The 10 Best Places to Eat in Trastevere

If you want to savour something more Roman than the Capitoline wolf in the Trastevere neighbourhood, but you're afraid that the fame of this bohemian and charming neighbourhood has gone to its head, take note of some gastronomic suggestions to make your culinary visit to this suburb a success.

Of course, if you'll allow me to give you some essential advice that applies to almost all my culinary suggestions : book a table! This golden rule should be taken into account by any traveller who wants to fill their belly in Trastevere, the most authentic neighbourhood in the Italian capital. Forewarned is forearmed. And if you don't want to make a mistake, book a gastronomic tour of Trastevere. You can't go wrong!

If you're someone who enjoys neighbourhood restaurants, typical bars like Paco's, or eateries serving homemade dishes, you'll love this Roman trattoria. Located in the heart of Trastevere, Trattoria Da Augusto will take you on a journey through the senses to the past. Technology hasn't reached here, but it's not needed because the dishes are quite good.

This is a small restaurant that you have to include in your gastronomic tour of Trastevere. It is usually crowded with Italians and serves homemade food at a very affordable price. As for the atmosphere, it is common to share a table with other diners, and you will probably be amazed because they will write the bill directly on the paper tablecloth. Now that's what I call making good use of raw materials!

Before travelling to Rome, it's worth knowing that "trattorias" are family-run establishments that serve a set menu at a very affordable price. Please note that this restaurant does not accept credit cards.

Practical information about Trattoria Da Augusto

• Where: Piazza de' Renzi, No. 15.
• Average price: approximately €8-10 per dish.
• Opening hours: 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. for dinner.
• Chef's suggestion: the meat at this restaurant is very famous and one of the house specialities.
• Recommended if... you want an inexpensive restaurant and don't have high expectations.

Did you know that pizza arrived in Rome after World War II through immigrants from the south of the country? So if you thought that Romans were born with a pizza under their arm, you are very much mistaken. However, in less than a century, it has become the star dish. Although it is difficult to choose the best pizza in Rome, in my case, I opt for the one at Pizzeria Ivo. It's finger-licking good!

This place, which you have to include in your gastronomic tour of Trastevere, has been delighting the inhabitants of Rome and tourists for over 60 years. It was in the early 1960s when its founder, Ivo Stefanelli, set up his own business in Trastevere. He first specialised in desserts and then moved on to pizzas, and thanks to word of mouth, it became the most fashionable place in the area.

Today, his son Ivano has taken over the pizzeria and has begun to improve the selection of ingredients, introducing Danish meats, top-brand cheeses and cold cuts, organic labels and craft beers. The best part? The average price of €20 has not changed. Good, beautiful and cheap.

Practical information about Pizzeria Ivo

• Where: Via di S. Francesco a Ripa, No. 158.
• Average price: €10 per pizza.
• Opening hours: mainly serves dinner, from 6pm to 12.30am, except on Sundays when it also opens from 12pm to 3pm.
• Chef's suggestion: try the fiori di zucca (courgette flowers stuffed with cheese and anchovy paste) and the tiramisu.
• Recommended if... you want to eat the best pizza and you're not in a hurry (the waiters can be a bit slow sometimes).

Despite the long queues (which are logical and normal, by the way), it's worth waiting to get into Da Enzo al 29 and include it in your gastronomic tour of Trastevere. You'll try some of the best pasta around.

All I can say is that the carbonara was spectacular, so much so that I went back for seconds the following days. It would be a sin to come to Rome and not dine here. Be warned, they don't take reservations!

But who is the owner? You'll have to look for him, as if he were Wally, on one of the walls of the dining room, where you'll find a photo of him hanging in the trattoria. He passed away in the late 1980s, but Enzo's presence is still very much felt: he lives on in the memories of the customers who frequented the restaurant when he ran it himself.

Practical information about the trattoria Da Enzo al 29

• Where: Via dei Vascellari, No. 29.
• Average price: €13 for a plate of pasta.
• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, from 12:15 p.m. to 3 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• Chef's suggestion: try any of their pasta dishes. They're all delicious!
• Recommended if... you want an authentic Roman meal in a place that captures the essence of Rome.

Are you someone who takes advice or someone who just goes crazy to restaurants? In my case, I'm in the first group; I don't make up my mind until I've read a thousand positive reviews. A good example was my visit to Tonnarello restaurant, which had over 35,000 reviews, most of them outstanding. I thought: everyone can't be wrong, can they? So I took the plunge and my experience was amazing.

A fantastic terrace ideal for summer in Rome, a charming venue and the house speciality: delicious tonnarelli (a type of spaghetti), handmade like Italian grandmothers used to make.

Meat lovers can tuck into lamb, oxtail and meatballs. Every ingredient here is carefully selected, as is its presentation.

Practical information about the Tonnarello restaurant

• Where: Via della Paglia, 1-2-3
• Average price: €9 for a pasta dish and from €14 for main courses.
• Opening hours: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Chef's recommendation: the Cacio e Pepe tonarello, rated as the best in Rome.
• Recommended if... you want to go to a charming restaurant and be sure to eat well.

If you want to treat yourself to a culinary delight at a good price and feel like a local Roman, I suggest you visit Osteria Der Belli, a Sardinian restaurant that specialises in simple seafood dishes such as octopus with roasted potatoes, sea bass carpaccio and grilled squid. All at a very good price!

It's a very family-oriented restaurant. Everyone pitches in: the owner's sisters prepare delicious fresh pasta with seafood every day. They also have tasty options for vegetarians, such as pasta with mushroom sauce or ravioli with spinach and ricotta cheese. In summer, the best thing to do is to try their menu on their lively outdoor terrace.

Practical information about the restaurant Osteria Der Belli

• Where: Piazza di Sant'Apollonia, 11.
• Average price: between €10 and €16 per dish.
• Opening hours: 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. for dinner.
• Chef's recommendation: mussels, bruschetta al pomodoro and pasta with spigola (sea bass).
• Recommended if... you want to enjoy seafood in all its forms at a good price.

If you're tired of the typical Italian thin-crust pizza (although it's impossible to get bored of it) and want to try something different, I recommend you go to Seu Pizza Illuminati, a minimalist-style restaurant that breaks away from the clichés and folklore of traditional pizzerias.

Here, the pizzas are a cross between a calzone and a crepe, with thick but very juicy edges that will delight you. One of the restaurant's characteristics is that the menu varies according to the season and they also have wonderful sweet pizzas (which are worth a visit) and fried pizzas, which are sublime.

The prices are a tad higher than other places, but not excessive and in line with what is on offer.

Practical information about Seu pizza Illuminati

• Where: Via Angelo Bargoni, 10-18.
• Average price: between €10 and €15 per pizza.
• Opening hours: 7 p.m. to midnight every night (closed on Mondays).
• Chef's suggestion: the classic pizzas are a safe bet, such as the margherita, marinara and cosaco, among others.
• Recommended if... you want to try a minimalist pizza and its sweeter version.

To enjoy the full Roman experience, you must try the typical Roman aperitif, which has become something of a ritual. It's a kind of after-work get-together that usually takes place every day around 6 pm. You pay a fixed price for your drink, which includes a sophisticated aperitif.

Want to take a break from pasta and try this delicacy? I recommend you visit the Cantina dei Papi ham shop, which is renowned for its platters with an exquisite selection of local cold cuts and cheeses. They can be enjoyed with a good wine in a cosy and welcoming atmosphere. If you want to drink water, they serve it free of charge in a jug, which is much appreciated.

My suggestion is to order a mixed platter, a rustic wooden board with ham, pancetta, wild boar chorizo, pork loin, lard and other Italian gourmet products. You can also try various cheese specialities, such as those flavoured with truffles and pistachios with walnuts. There are also bruschettas with various sauces and pâtés such as olives, artichokes, truffles... They're to die for!

Practical information about the Prosciutteria Cantina dei Papi

• Where: Via della Scala, No. 71.
• Average price: €5-€10.
• Opening hours: every day from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
• Chef's suggestion: try the platters and sandwiches, made with high-quality artisanal hams and cheeses.
• Recommended if... you want a light dinner in a casual, youthful atmosphere with very friendly and helpful staff.

Why did Audrey Hepburn fall in love with Rome? Was it the scenery, the pizza, the Italians? We don't know, but what is clear is that one of the reasons was its exquisite artisan ice cream, considered the best in the world. Personally, I prefer Fiordiluna because of the care they take with their products. They only use fresh fruit!

For more than 25 years, this shop has been making ice cream with top-quality ingredients purchased from small producers: from hazelnuts to cocoa. And you can tell when you taste it. If you're on a diet, don't worry, because they've also developed ice creams with no added sugar, with incredible flavour and creaminess. What are you waiting for? Try them now!

If you have a sweet tooth and are curious to know where to find the most spectacular ice cream in the Eternal City, here is a guide to the best ice cream in Rome. You'll become an expert!

Practical information about Fiordiluna

• Where: Via della Lungaretta, 96.
• Chef's suggestion: the pistachio ice cream is delicious.
• Recommended if... you want to try the most authentic ice cream in Trastevere.

The most fashionable and streetwise visitors to the Trastevere neighbourhood can enjoy great street food at Trapizzino Trilussa, which has created a kind of tapas, halfway between a sandwich and a pizza, that you can order to take away and eat in the square.

Specifically, it is a triangular piece of pizza, rolled up and opened in the middle, filled with typical and delicious Roman dishes. The idea has been so well received that several franchises have already opened in Italy and even in... New York!

Its founder, Stefano Calligari, has a notebook where he writes down the traditional recipes of his mother and aunts, such as cuttlefish with peas and chicken with peppers, which he then adds to his closed pizzas. The chef has put a new spin on things with this fun way of trying them: without dirtying your cutlery and with the possibility of enjoying trapizzinos on the street, anywhere in Italy.

Practical information about Trapizzino Trilussa

• Where: Piazza Trilussa, 46.
• Average price: €4 for a trapizzino.
• Opening hours: every day from 12 noon to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays until 2 a.m.
• Chef's suggestion: polpetta al sugo, zighini, pollo alla cacciatora...
• Recommended if... you want to try signature cuisine at a good price and don't want to spend too much time on it.

In summer, the best way to beat the heat in Rome is to have a nice grattachecca (a Roman invention similar to slushies to cool off).

I suggest you visit Sora Mirella, a charming little outdoor kiosk next to the Tiber River, and order one of these slushies. The views are spectacular!

What's more, it's one of the few places where grattachecca is prepared in the traditional way: that is, by scraping a block of ice with a tool, rather than using a modern machine. Delicious fresh fruit is placed on top of your slushie, and you can even order it with alcohol. Watching the sunset with this drink sounds good, doesn't it?

Practical information about Sora Mirella

• Where: Lungotevere Degli Anguillara.
• Average price: very cheap.
• Opening hours: every day from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
• Recommended if... you want to enjoy a delicious dessert outdoors with a great view of the river and the bridge.

One of our biggest concerns when travelling is probably calculating how much money we need. However, as you have seen, this neighbourhood of Rome has options for all budgets, some of which will barely make a dent in your pocket.

A good example of this are the tapas you can order to take away at the Trapizzino Trilussa restaurant, each costing around €4. If you want to eat cheaply but sit down, I also recommend trying the family-run trattorias that offer a dish of the day at a good price.

On the other hand, if you're looking for something more sophisticated and modern, this neighbourhood is at the forefront of the sector, so you'll find plenty of options to please your palate without breaking the bank.

The million-dollar question: should you leave a tip? You can breathe easy... In Italy, tipping is not mandatory, nor is it very common. You don't have to leave a percentage of the bill as you would in other European countries.

Of course, you can leave some money voluntarily as a token of appreciation if you liked the service and the food. Which you will probably love! In restaurants, you usually pay for service, a fixed amount per person that can vary from €1 to €4 depending on the restaurant. And now, bon appétit!