Food, Drink & La Vita Romana
Roman Food — Cacio e Pepe, Carbonara & Supplì
Roman cuisine is one of the world's great cucine povere — poor kitchens that turned humble ingredients into dishes of extraordinary character. Unlike the butter-rich north or the fiery south, Rome cooks with pecorino romano (not parmesan), guanciale (cured pig's jowl, not pancetta), and a mastery of pasta technique that makes the simplest dishes the hardest to replicate.
The five Roman pasta canon — cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana, gricia, and cacio e pepe con tonnarelli — are among the most discussed dishes in Italian food culture, with fierce debate about authenticity at every trattoria table. Beyond pasta: supplì (fried rice balls with tomato and melted mozzarella) are Rome's supreme street food, eaten standing up outside a rosticceria. The neighbourhood of Testaccio — built around Rome's former slaughterhouse — remains the truest expression of Roman food culture, with markets, butchers, and restaurants serving the quinto quarto (fifth quarter) offal dishes that built the city's culinary identity.
Food Neighbourhood Guide: Trastevere for atmosphere and Roman classics (book ahead at Da Enzo al 29). Testaccio for the market (Mercato di Testaccio) and offal specialists. Prati, near the Vatican, for excellent mid-range restaurants without tourist markup. Campo de' Fiori has a morning produce market and decent wine bars. Avoid restaurants with laminated picture menus — walk one street further.
- Cacio e pepe — pecorino, black pepper, and tonnarelli pasta. Deceptively difficult to make well
- Carbonara — egg yolk, guanciale, pecorino, black pepper. No cream. Ever
- Supplì — fried rice balls, Rome's essential street food, from any rosticceria
- Artichokes alla giudea — deep-fried whole artichoke from the Jewish Ghetto, a Roman treasure
- Maritozzi — cream-filled sweet buns, the Roman breakfast in every bar (café)
Most Visited Landmark in Italy
