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There are cities that need to be visited calmly, plan the days well and enjoy all the corners that hide its streets. And Rome, of course, is one of them. But we do not always have enough time to stay so long, and most of the time we settle for a weekend getaway. However, with a well-organized planning, you can get a great plan and make the most of it.
You know that a good thing is twice as good if it’s short. So we have compiled some of the must-try restaurants for an express visit to Rome. In 48 hours can be enough to taste the best of Italian cuisine and with options for all budgets, from starred restaurants to more affordable pizzerias. Take note!
Pizza per tutti
To arrive and fully enter into the most traditional Rome, it is best to whet your appetite by trying some of its incredible pizzas. In a city like Rome you have plenty of options. Here are two of the essential pizzerias.
Seu Pizza Illuminati
It is considered the best pizza in Rome (ranked eighth in the 50 Top Pizza World 2022; sixth in Italy and first in the Roman capital). Prepared in a wood-fired oven that is in sight, they are creative pizzas with top quality ingredients and in a fresh and casual atmosphere. Behind its success are chef Pier Daniele Seu and his partner – and wife – Valeria Zuppardo, who opened the place in 2018 in the Porta Portese neighborhood, just steps from Trastevere.
The pizzas are halfway between the fluffy and soft Neapolitan pizza and a crunchy touch, typical of the Roman style. And their prices range from 8 €, the Marinara, with San Marzano tomato sauce, garlic and oregano, the cheapest; to the most expensive and its crown jewel: the pizza ‘The Pascucci’, from 21 €, which has artichokes simmered, provola cheese, cream of potato cream with coffee, mixed leaves, mullet roe, tuna roe, grated pecorino cheese. It was created together with chef Gianfranco Pascucci of the Michelin-starred Pascucci al Porticciolo restaurant in Fiumicino, on the coast of the province of Rome.
Where? At Via Angelo Bargoni, 10 – 18 (close to Trastevere).
Da Baffetto
Another classic pizzeria in Rome, located in the historic center for over 50 years and run by Idolo Volpetti, nicknamed the ‘Baffetto’ (mustache). If you are looking to enjoy the authentic taste of Roman pizza, this is the place for you. Its success is also thanks to Gilberto, the local pizzaiolo who prepares thin, crispy pizzas full of ingredients. Da Baffetto is frequented by Roman customers, tourists and even celebrities like Jude Law. Prices are between 8 and 15 euros.
Where: Via del Governo Vecchio, 114 (near Piazza Navona and the Pantheon).
Alta cucina
For the second day, you can indulge in haute cucina at one of the city’s most prestigious restaurants. In addition to historical monuments, Rome has a handful of restaurants for fine dining.
La Pergola
It is still the only Italian restaurant with three stars and undoubtedly the most renowned. Located on the top floor of the prestigious Rome Cavalieri Hotel, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, the kitchen is directed by chef Heinz Beck, whose proposal is a combination of genius and creativity, from quality ingredients with which gives endless emotions to the diner through authentic flavors of Italian and Mediterranean tradition. They serve a tasting menu for 270 € (7 courses) or 320 (10 courses), in addition to having a menu with delicacies such as duck fatty liver with peas and lemon, breaded squash blossom on a seafood and saffron base with caviar, risotto with sweetbreads, artichokes and marjoram or turbot with white asparagus and wild garlic sauce. The wine cellar also plays an important role, thanks to the prestigious sommelier Marco Reitano, who has created two wine lists.
Where? In Via Alberto Cadlolo, 101 (in the Balduina area).
Pierluigi
In this restaurant you can dine in a historic setting dating back to the Renaissance. Founded by Umberto Pierluigi in 1938, it is an intimate and elegant place, which also has a cocktail bar. Its cuisine is based on the respectful interpretation of raw materials combined with traditional culinary techniques as well as innovative ones. It also has an excellent wine cellar with more than 1,500 labels and numerous awards. You can taste delicacies such as tagliolini with white truffle, Sakura Dry Aged sirloin steak with spinach puree, baby potatoes, Béarnaise sauce and white truffle or 65° egg ‘cacio e pepe’ with Jerusalem artichoke cream sauce and white truffle. Celebrities such as Anne Hathaway, Jessica Alba or Ralph Fiennes have visited this restaurant.
Where? At Piazza de Ricci, 144.
Aroma
If you are looking to enjoy an excellent meal with incredible views of the city, Aroma should be your stop. Located right in front of the Colosseum, from its terrace you can also see St. Peter’s dome. Its name, in addition to making a play on words with the city, pays homage to those unmistakable aromas of Mediterranean cuisine. The culinary proposal is by chef Giuseppe Di Iorio, who rediscovers ancient flavors with a contemporary twist. Among the dishes you should order are the marinated octopus with red cabbage paired with a three-potato pie and the tagliolini with pumpkin and gorgonzola with pearls of caviar. They also serve a tasting menu for 240 €, which includes ravioli stuffed with Genovese octopus, buffalo yogurt and lemongrass, or duck breast with parmesan, friarielli, onion and hazelnuts.
Where? At Via Labicana 125
No shortage of pasta
You can’t end your express visit without trying a good pasta dish. As in any Italian city, here you will find excellent options for all tastes and budgets. Here are two restaurants to take into account.
Osteria Da Fortunata
If you are looking for authentic Roman cuisine, this traditional Osteria will meet all your expectations. Its history began more than 100 years ago with its founder, Fortunata, a woman from the Lazio countryside who owned land and cooked for local day laborers. Today, the family owns seven restaurants in Rome, Milan and Bologna. The ingredients they use are all organic and from Italy, and each dish is dressed with organic extra virgin olive oil from their olive mill in Umbria. Of course, they also make their own pasta, and you can’t miss dishes like tagliolini al pesto, gnocchi sorrentina, fettuccine with oxtail sauce or tagliolini Cacio e Pepe. Pasta dishes cost between 17 and 19 €.
Where? In Via del Pellegrino, 11-12 (Rome), among other locations.
Da Enzo al 29
Located in Trastevere, this Trattoria is an authentic temple of pasta. Here they advocate simple, healthy, nutritious and tasty cuisine. The name of the iconic tavern is in honor of its founder, Enzo, who passed away in the 80s. The family that bought the place kept its essence. In fact, if you visit the restaurant you can see a photo of Enzo presiding over the room. One of the dishes you should order is the carbonara pasta, considered by many as one of the best in Rome, although you can also opt for other varieties, or even for its artichoke lasagna and desserts such as tiramisu. The meal will cost you 20-30 € per person.