Authentic Roman Food

....Food has been good, but not what we expected..... Probably need a better explanation so we can understand what disappointed you. Or, maybe, what your expectations are? Especially for Rome food?

Ron--I hesitate to offer this restaurant as it is very authentic and undiscovered by tourists--but I will share. It is Perilli on Via Marmoratta which is near Aventine Hill and the Pyramid. The food is wonderful and the waiters are career Perilli. We have lunch there on every trip to Rome and they do not serve after 2 pm--reopens for dinner which we have not tried. You may also enjoy Giggettos which is in the old Jewish Quarter--a few blocks from the Tartuga Fountain. There we had cod, zucchini blossoms, and the deep fried artichoke which was a bit too prickly for me. Enjoy!

Ron - it would help to know what you were expecting, and what has been unexpected!

the pasta dishes we had were no better than the pasta in the USA with a mediocre meat sauce. We had expected much better in taste and quality here in Italy. For example last night we dined at Za-Za's in Florence. My wife had the Bolognese sauce and I had wild boar meat sauce. Good but not Wow! We're looking for the Wow and hope to find it in Rome.

Assuming you're staying someplace with front desk staff, ask them where they go with their friends to have some good local food.

Ron,

The cusine in Italy varies widely from region to region. The north is more known for creamy white wine sauces. You may find your more heavy meat / tomato sauces in Rome as they are more known in the south.

Try things other than pasta for a true Italian meal.

Also you need to remember there are Italian places in the US that are a match for places in Italy. It is the result of globlization of the world. For me it is the wines that I cannot match in the US. Pasta and meat sauce is pasta and meat sauce. Maybe the location and glass of local wine will make it more memorable but it is still pasta and meat sauce.

Hi Ron,

I think that the Trastevere region of the city has restaurants with authentic Roman cuisine. We've eaten at Trattoria da Lucia on two different trips and enjoyed the food and atmosphere both times.

For lunch or a lighter dinner we also like Cul de Sac near Campo de Fiori and Piazza Navona (in Rick's book.) Not sure if I'd call it "authentic" but it's good food!

Enjoy Rome!

You could always ride the metro out to Anagnina or the end of the line somewhere, at least there you would be GUARANTEED to eat like the locals :)

Are you in Rome yet? Hope the evil ash cloud hasn't rained on your parade!

The food in Italy is as diverse as the food here in the USA. The portion sizes also fall into this category. My personal favorite cuisine is from the Castelli Romani 1 hour south of Roma in the area of Castelgondolfo. Also, many restaurants in Roma reflect the areas where the owners came from. If you are eating Italian food in Italy you are eating authentic Italian food. A suggestion might be for you to ask the waiter to describe their specialities. This may help in your quest, but make sure you understand because Italians eat more parts of the animals than we do.

Buon viaggio,

RB

Another suggestion is Armando near the Pantheon. We loved it and it is very popular with the locals--not cheap but won't break the bank and a reservation is necessary. Hope you have a memorable meal in Rome!

We enjoyed many meals in the Trastevere area as well as in the Jewish quarter surrounding the Synagogue. Perhaps not gourmet, but tasty, home-style food and friendly service. We like the neighborhood "joints" and never had a bad meal.

Two great restaurants in Rome:

1. Osteria Romana near Piazza Barberini and Spanish Steps
2. La Scala which is just a short walkf from the Spanish Steps.

Enjoy!!!

My best suggestion is get off the main streets to find a place to eat. If you follow the crowds, you are eating with tourists, not locals.

When I visited Florence, we walked around the streets by our hotel (of the main drag) and found a wonderful family owned place run by mom, dad and grandma. It was so good we went back 2x. Also found the Chinese food to be the BEST I've ever had when we traveled in Italy - so don't limit yourself to "Italian" food!

As others have posted, pay attention to your region, each region has it's specialties, you shouldn't eat seafood in Florence, but you should in Genoa or the CT.

Bon Appetito!

A couple of years ago my husband and I had a fantastic meal in Rome at Il Gabriello. It's near the Spanish Steps and might be listed in the Rick Steves' guidebook.

In addition to our wonderfully tasty meal, we got to see many different dishes come out of the kitchen because the man and woman seated 2 tables down from us seemed to be ordering one of everything and the chef himself was bringing them out.

At first we thought they must be family of the owners, but upon closer inspection we realized... it was Rick Steves himself!

I would highly recommend Checchino dal 1887 Restaurant on Via Monte Testaccio. It is a charming restaurant built into the side of Mount Testaccio which specializes in traditional Roman cuisine.

I would also recommend a stop at Roscioli, which is a salumeria and vineria on Via dei Giubbonari. We had the best mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes there - take-out for lunch - and liked it so much we went back for dinner there our last night.

And be sure to follow RS's advice to lean toward ordering one of the specials, rather than the items that are printed in the menu. They decide the specials each day based on what's fresh and available. The items printed on the menu are more likely to be frozen and not as tasty.

We've rarely gone wrong ordering a special.

Thank you everyone. We just checked into our hotel in Rome. I will post later in the week and let you know our food experience!