Ciao Roma!

Street / bar food in Rome, oh how amazing you are! Getting an apartment while here is the best as it means you can take advantage of the gorgeous produce found at the many markets in the main squares such as Campo dei Fiori. My go to was fresh stone fruit to take on long walks, tangy blood orange juice and crusty bread topped with ripe tomatoes, oil and balsamic. Tomatoes in Italy are just spectacular!!!

Upon arriving in Rome on my last trip, I joined a walking tour of Trastevere. This area is filled with uni students, ally ways of hidden bars and restaurants. The first stop was at a local bakery called Il Fornaio Pizza alla Pala, soon to become my regular morning stop! Here I discovered sweet biscuits made from nuts you dip in your wine, the biggest mortadella I’ve ever seen in my life, thinly sliced in focaccia [FYI the Americans I met had never had mortadella before! SHOOK!]

Another favourite spot in Trasevere is Trapizzino. An Italian chain that started in Milan. A man with a history of making pizza combined with a love of slow cooked food created these pockets filled with dishes such as melanzane, scaloppine or burrata cheese topped with pickled zucchini. They also serve the most delicious suppli with a different flavour on the menu daily! I sat at the bar here for hours, full and happy!!!

Più cibo…

Ristorante Il Ciak: My cousin Rosa introduced this restaurant to me on NYD and what a way to start the year! This steakhouse in Trastevere has been owned by the same family since 1907 and is known for a good helping of truffle shaved at the table over your steak, drool! This was also the place I first discovered cacio e pepe, a traditional Roman pasta accompanied by a lemony artichoke all for me! Believe it or not, the guys who are running the show lived in Sydney for a short time! Be sure to finish your meal with a shot and a goodie bag of biscotti from Andrea for the trip home.

Osteria da Fortunata: you always know it’s going to be good pasta when there is a Nonna in the window freshly making it! Cool down with an Aperol spritz and caprese salad, how Italian of you! This is the place I recommend ordering something you wouldn’t get back home. My pick, a zucchini flower and pancetta carbonara, no cream people!

Non c’e trippa pe gatti: eat where the locals eat! The best mozzarella bruschetta, home made house red wine and the first time ever I’ve seen cheese served on a seafood pasta! Penne in an olive oil, cherry tomato and mussel sauce, damn delicious and the first non mega al dente pasta I’ve had in Rome.

Otella, Trastevere: If every restaurant served a glass of free wine while you wait for your table there would be much busier restaurants! Triple bruschetta to start; original with diced tomatoes and parsley, cheese and prosciutto, cheese and verdure with a kick of chilli. Traditional carbonara that was so super rich of cheese and a good helping of fine cracked pepper. Food coma is an understatement.

Pizzarius: My local pizza shop near my apartment. Smelt it every afternoon and boy, this is probably my favourite pizza in Rome. Cut to the size you want and weighed, this is how you are charged! The more toppings, the heavier it is as well as the size of the slice.

Flower Burger Roma: Not your traditional Italian in any way but this is the most delicious vegan burger I have ever indulged in in my lifetime!!! Pink bun topped with poppy seeds, creamy vegan cheese and a spicy lentil burger patty all topped off with a side of potati [think wedges without the spiced seasoning] Thank you Alicia for the tip, very worth the trip.

Dolce

Bar Gelateria Fontana di Trevi: My sisters one request while in Rome was to get a ricotta cannoli from here and eat it in front of the fountain. The smoothest ricotta imaginable and not overly sweetened dipped in my favourite pistachios & a facetime call!

Sant Eustachio il Cafe: 30 degree day calls for gelato! Tiny little shop near the Pantheon. My pick amarena cherry and a very strong zabaglione.

Giolitti: 100%, hands down the BEST gelato in Rome! Purchase a ticket, select your ice cream and get your €1 espresso at the bar, simple pleasures. My picks; gianduja chocolate and heavenly limoncello. Many others had their gelato topped with fresh whipped cream. Giolitti also make range of traditional pastries and biscotti. Thank you to Gabby and Luana for the best recommendation.

Blue Ice Tuscolana: Late night stop for coffee granita, layered up with fresh whipped cream! They also stock a huge range of gelato flavours

Trapizzino: Yes, this place again! They don’t advertise it but they make their own rich chocolate and vanilla gelato served with home made almond biscotti.

Il Fornaio Pizza alla Pala: told you it was a favourite! Many mornings I would pick up a sweet treat to keep in my bag while walking many km’s around Rome. My top 2; pistachio bocconcini, a soft biscuit made from nuts, the other a pastry with a shortbread base filled with ricotta and raspberries that was still warm as I was there early. This, like the slices of pizza is sold by weight! The older men that baked & served would only speak to me in Italian, always with a smile and even gifted me a case covered in mortadella pictures!

Mariotti: Jumping off at Spagna station to see the Spanish steps we ran into this pizza shop for a gelato cool down as it was too hot for roasted chestnuts. We soon discovered this shop was quite famous for a particular ice cream flavour you would never expect to see… viagra! FYI you’re no longer permitted to enjoy your gelato on the Spanish Steps. Take a seat and you could be looking at a couple of hundred euro fine!

Salute ragazzi

Un caffe per favore… Have said that a few times! Espresso at the bar, usually around 1 euro is the ultimate quick stop on your adventures. I’ve never had a bad coffee in Italy, let alone Rome so duck into the nearest bar ASAP!

Bar Up: An unexpected bar on top of a high end fashion complex? Why not! The cocktail menu is wonderful and always served with a gorgeous box filled with nibbles such as salty plain chips. This is also one of the best spots in Rome to watch the sunset on another glorious day.

Vendita Libri, Cioccolata e Vino: A bookshop that turns into a bar a night, only in Rome! Here you are presented with a menu of questionable titles that are a range of different shots all served in chocolate cups and topped with cream! Super delicious but the trick is to consume all in one mouthful. Bottoms up! Visited this bar numerous times, super fun.

While in Rome, don’t order the limoncello as tempting as it is but ask if they stock a range of Sarandrea liquors. Flavours range from almond to my find fennel! Must drink it ice cold. Trapazzino do stock these!