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Dining and Drinking in Rome
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There
is a wide, varied selection as far as gastronomy is
concerned in Rome; choices range from an exclusive high
level cuisine, developed by some of the most famous chefs on
the international scene, to traditional, hearty Romanesca
fayre in all its manifold variations, from Jewish cuisine to
testaccina recipes, from the specialities of Lazio to
superb fish dishes, and ethnic dishes, which can be sampled
in the plethora of restaurants that offer delights from the
five continents.
The only way to really understand the heart and soul of Rome
is by tasting its culinary splendours in a popular
restaurant, this allows you to steep yourself in Roman
culture while you discover the tastes and flavours of
traditional cooking through the ages.
The delicious Roman cuisine stems from a time when people
were unable to afford a meal made with a meat, and therefore
had to use offal, which at that time was considered less
'prestigious' but definitely more affordable. Over the
centuries, traditional dishes like coda alla vaccinara
(oxtail cooked with wine, tomatoes and peppers), la
pajata, (veal's offal cooked in a tomato sauce), l'abbacchio
alla scottadito and la trippa alla romana
(tripe), have come to be considered as delicacies and are
eaten by even the most refined palates.
Testaccio is one of the areas in which to find traditional
restaurants serving the Romanesche specialities,
especially in the area surrounding the disused abattoir,
places such as Checchino dal 1887. The district of
Trastevere is also a great place to find good restaurants
(take a trip to Checco il Carrettiere), and inside the
Ghetto you'll find Giggetto and Il Portico amongst others,
which offer Judeo-Roman cuisine as well as unique variations
on traditional themes.
For the gourmets amongst you, in search of high-class food,
Rome offers a great choice of quality restaurants. There are
elegant restaurants in the more exclusive hotels, such as La
Pergola dell'Hotel Hilton, the Terrazza dell'Hotel Eden or
La Veranda dell'Hotel Majestic. You can also try the
delights of creative haute cuisine in restaurants such as
Quinzi e Gabrielli, Alberto Ciarla, and Le Sans Souci and
many others besides.
Pizzerias are definitely the most popular places to dine in
Rome: informal, economical and with speedy service, they are
home to pizza alla romana, pizzas with a thin crust
and a crispy edge, as opposed to the soft raised crusts of
the Neapolitan pizza. Don't miss the delicious suppl?al
telefono, fried rice balls filled with mozzarella,
potato croquettes, fried cod fillets, fried pumpkin flowers,
and bruschette, (slices of toasted bread with tomato
or oil and garlic). You'll find pizzerias in every corner of
the city, but Trastevere offers a wider choice of pizza
restaurants with wood fuelled ovens (these give the pizza a
more intense flavour). Panattoni, Ivo, Dar Poeta, Roma
Sparita, San Calisto, are just some of the names from a wide
selection of high quality pizza parlours.
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