I will be arriving in Rome on the 14th of December and departing on the 24th. I will be spending most of my time in and around the most historic sites and am wondering what I can do to enjoy the food but also stay on a budget.
Any ideas would be great.
Bill,
It's a bit difficult to offer suggestions without having some idea on the amount you're budgeting for daily meals?
Hotels will typically provide breakfast, so that won't be a concern. You can dine cheaply at lunch by picking up a Panini or other "fast food" at local shops. Supper will be the biggest cost. If you only order the Primi (Pasta) dish and perhaps one glass of wine, the cost shouldn't be too high. I believe it's illegal to charge a coperto in Rome (Lazio), but there may still be some restaurants that try to sneak that in. I'd have to check my records, but you'll probably end up paying about €20 for suppers (I typically pay more than that, as I like to eat well whilst on holiday).
Buon Viaggio!
As Ken says, budgets vary. My "expensive" might be your "cheap." That said, I have a few recommendations.
I created this list for my friends and colleagues who visit. Consider yourself included. Some are pricey, some are bargains.
A great way to eat cheap is taking advantage of aperativos (Happy Hours). Fluid on Via Governo Vecchio near Piazza Navona has a huge buffet available and all you need to take advantage of it is buy a drink!
Try restaurants away from the major tourists sites. A few blocks will make a huge difference in price but maintain quality. I usually stay in hotels near termini and there are a lot of good retaurants in the residential area north of there. Or stop at some of the street markets, pick up some fruit/bread/olives and make a picnic. Have a gelato for dessert!
Basically, as others have said, anything you can eat standing up or take away is relatively cheap. You can find pizza and panini of course, but also all sorts of fried items, fruits and vegetables from the markets, prepared foods in some supermarkets, and of course going to the supermarkets for soft drinks, water, even beer and wine. Even in the tourist areas, you can head off a side street and find small shops selling food and drink much cheaper, and usually better, than the beaten.
As for your main meal (it could be the traditional late lunch or a dinner) I long ago decided that spending well (not just expensive) is well worth it in Italy. The pastas are cheap, you can add side dishes (contorni) of vegetables and anti pasti to round out a meal. Fish and Meat can get expensive, but there is so much more. Again, finding a smaller out of the way place will be half that as a restaurant on the Piazza. My wife and I usually get one or two antipasti dishes, each a Primi or Secondi plate, then a contorni and maybe a carafe of house wine...more food than we want or maybe need.
hi- I seem to remember a self-serve restaurant called 'Autogrill' and it was cheap and better Italian food than you get at a restaurant at home...there is one in Milan and am pretty sure Rome too?
Another tip is to make lunch your big meal for the day. A little research in advance can lead you to some really nice restaurants that do a prix fixe lunch that's a great value. One example is Open Colonna. Their website showing their location Another is L'Asino d'Oro.
Another option is to find a rosticceria, which does delicious cooked food that you take home to eat. Do a Google search for "rosticceria near rome, italy" to see the scores of options.
Yes, lunches can be a good deal. The offers are often chalked on sandwich boards outside the front door. But in my experience the menu the waiter gives you may not list those daily deals. Ask. If he looks begrudging, you will have beaten Rome's version of bait-and-switch.
We often research restaurants in the cities we're visiting, but seldom do we end up eating where intended.
As many travelers do, we eat heavy at the breakfasts included in our rooms. We will then eat light lunch or snack around 2:00 p.m. We'll often picnic.
My wife has stomach problems, therefore our dinners are usually around 6:00 p.m. Many Italians eat later.
Don't worry about getting your fill in Italy. You'll find plenty of places to eat in all price ranges.
Good luck filling up on a traditional Italian breakfast. It's pretty much a pastry and a coffee. :-)
