I often get quite a few emails from travelers and abroad students inquiring about budget dining in Rome, and this category of eating out continues to evolve, so I thought now would be a good time to share some updated tips. My previous posts on the subject are way outdated, so here is a brand new list of places where you can eat very good food without breaking the bank (and don’t miss this post about sightseeing on the cheap):
Bakeries and Takeaway Joints
Mordi e Vai at Box 15 in the Testaccio Market has become an institution since it opened a dozen years ago. The Esposito family makes incredible brisket, pajata, tripe, and kidney sandwiches there! The braised artichoke, served with or without Pecorino Romano, is ace, too–all for €7 or less. Don’t sleep on the fried brisket meatball.
Forno Campo de’ Fiori: This legendary bakery serves some of the best pizza bianca in town, which they fill with thinly sliced mortadella. I also love mozzarella, anchovy, and zucchini flower slices. Whether you go the sandwich or pizza route, you can fill up here for €4 or less.
Antico Forno Roscioli: A hearty slice of some of Rome’s best pizza rossa costs a little more than €2, while the toppings-heavy slices costs quite a bit more. Still, if you’re conservative with your portion sizes, you can try a few types of pizza for under €6, or grab some prepared food like rice-stuffed tomatoes and roasted chicken for €8-10.
Pizzarium: Rome’s best pizza by the slice isn’t always cheap—I once spent €40 on lunch–but if you stick to pizzas with simple toppings like potato and mozzarella or plain tomato, you can eat here for €5 or less. Just let the person serving you know that you don’t want to spend a lot, give an amount, and they will work with you.
Panificio Bonci: When I lived in the neighborhood, I would visit Bonci daily for pastries, cookies, or pizza con la mortazza (a sandwich made of flatbread and bologna). The bakery also sells roasted chicken (one of my top bites in town!) to go. It’s magic.
Mercato Centrale: There are more than 20 stalls in this food hall in Termini Station, but for the best food focus on Marco Quintili’s pizza napoletana and Trapizzino at the southeastern end of the complex.
Janta Fast Food: This Indian cafeteria and takeaway spot (formerly Kabir Fast Food) has been serving tasty curries, stews, and many vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free dishes in a spartan dining room just off of Piazza Vittorio since 1996. Start with fried vegetable samosas or pakoras and finish with one of the tooth-achingly sweet desserts, such as ras gulla or gulab jamun.
C’e’ Pasta…e Pasta! is a cafeteria near the Trastevere train station serving kosher Roman Jewish classics, like concia (pan-fried zucchini marinated with vinegar, garlic, and herbs) and pezzetti fritti (vegetable fritters). As the name implies, there is also lots of pasta.
Trapizzino: This growing fast-casual food chain got its start in Testaccio and has now expanded to several locations including Ponte Milvio, Mercato Centrale, Trastevere, and Prati. The name trapizzino is a play on words, combining tramezzino (a triangular sandwich served in cafes) and pizza. Unlike the calzone or calzoncino, the bread for a trapizzino is baked by itself, then stuffed with the requested filling to order. The options are mainly rooted in the Roman classics, but the concept takes cues from other Italian cities where street food culture is strong. They are priced around €5.
Forno Pietro Roscioli: Not to be confused with Antico Forno Roscioli, Pietro Roscioli’s bakery just off of Piazza Vittorio in Rome’s Esquilino neighborhood sells sweet and savory baked goods, but it also serves as a tavola calda (cafeteria) with prepared dishes for dining in or taking away. Among the sweets, the brutti ma buoni (hazelnut cookies) and tozzetti cookies are highlights, while the pizza bianca (Roman flatbread) is best filled with thin slices of mortazza (mortadella). The vegetable dishes at the tavola calda are a good budget option and offer a break from all the carbs you’re eating elsewhere.
Wine Bars and Pubs
Be.Re.: For around €12, you can get a craft beer and a Trapizzino at this excellent pub in Prati. It’s a great place to stop for a snack en route to the Vatican Museums, a mere 5-minute walk away.
Open Baladin in central Rome is great for a beer and a plate of potato croquettes (€5 each). Get the cacio e pepe flavored croquettes, please.
Restaurants
Mrdga in Pigneto/Prenestino is one of the city’s best restaurants. Eat spectacular and authentic Ethiopian cuisine here for around €15 a head.
It’s tough to eat a whole meal (antipasto, primo, secondo, contorno, and dolce) for under €50 anywhere truly great in town these days. And frankly I would be very suspicious of what kind of ingredients are going into such a cheap restaurant meal. However, it’s unusual for Romans to go out for such blow-out feasts these days. Unless it’s a special occasion, locals pick 2 to 3 of the aforementioned courses and you can, too, which means you can eat awesome meals at Tavernaccia da Bruno, Cesare al Casaletto, and other places for €35 or less per person and still have an excellent, affordable meal. Just be respectful of the fact that ordering just an antipasto or just a pasta is rude, so if you really want to stay lean without insulting the proprietor, order a primo or secondo plus a vegetable side dish at the very least.
Pizzerias
I have a whole guide for Rome’s best pizza here. You can eat excellent pizza at most of the places listed for under €20 including beverages. It’s around €10 for a pizza and a beer at Ai Marmi.
Markets
You can save money shopping at markets (as opposed to supermarkets). Check out Trastevere’s market in Piazza San Cosimato, Mercato Esquilino, Mercato di Testaccio, Mercato Trionfale, and the other 60-ish markets in town.
Gelato
Rome has the world’s best gelato (though not in any of the places your guide books tell you about!). My favorites are Al Settimo Gelo, Gelateria dei Gracchi, Stefano Ferrara, Torce’, Otaleg, Fior di Luna, and Gelateria Gori and all serve two scoops of all-natural gelato for €3.50 or less.
