Where Locals Eat In Rome - By Neighborhood

Last updated on February 24th, 2025

If you are a tourist who likes to get off the beaten path and chow down in chill spots that aren’t overflowing with tourists then you are in the right place. I believe that one of the best ways to experience a culture is through its food and what better way to do so than with people who actually live in Rome?

Finding a restaurant in Rome that isn’t packed with tourists can be frustrating but I am here to help you navigate where locals eat in Rome. I’ve been living in Italy and visiting Rome since 2012, and some of our best friends live in Rome.

Keep in mind that some of these spots are not only virtually off the beaten track but literally as well. If you’re prepared to do some walking, grab a cab or utilize public transportation in Rome – I promise, you will eat some of the best food of your life!

Map of Where Locals Eat in Rome

Eating in Italy Basics: If you are curious to know more about navigating dining in Italy, you may be interested in
How To Order Food In Italian
Tipping In Italy – When & How Much From A Local
What Is A Coperto? All About Italy’s Cover Charge
A Visitor’s Guide To Eating In Italy
How To Order Food In Italian
Italian Meal Structure

Where Locals Eat in Monti

Monti is a residential neighborhood between Termini station and the Colosseum. The streets are pretty quiet and the restaurants are relatively authentic and reliable. Below are my two favorites.

Carbonara

Via Panisperna, 214

La Carbonara is a great spot in Rome if you are hoping to eat some Roman pasta dishes. Although it has made a name for itself among tourists, this is still a place that Romans will go to eat. They also have a second location in Campo de’ Fiori but I think this one is much better.

Alle Carrette

Via della Madonna dei Monti, 95

One of Rome’s famous pizza types is called pizza tonda or scrocchiarella, a thin round pizza made from a cracker thin crust. Pizzeria Alle Carette, just 10 minutes from the Colosseum in Rome, is where you want to go to try this type of pizza and dine with the locals. Alle Carrette has both indoor and outdoor seating.

Pizza Basics: To learn more about pizza in Italy, check out
Ordering Pizza in Italy
Authentic Italian Pizza Toppings
How Do Italians Eat Pizza?
Do Italians Eat Pizza With a Fork?
Where to Eat Pizza in Florence – Venice – Rome
What is Pinsa? and Where to Eat Pinsa in Rome

Where Locals Eat in the Historic District

Although the Historic District is definitely the most crowded and touristy area of Rome, I do have a couple of suggestions for where to eat with the locals downtown.

Cesare al Pellegrino

Entrance to closed da Cesare restaurant in Rome.

Via del Pellegrino, 117

Cesare Al Pellegrino is a classic Roman restaurant known for its intimate atmosphere and rustic Roman cooking, mostly undiscovered by tourists. Most of whom you will find dining at Cesare al Pellegrino are locals, except for the few tourists who happen to notice this quiet restaurant on a side street in the Historic District in Rome.

Il Goccetto

Via dei Banchi Vecchi, 14

Il Goccetto, adorn with a large sign “Vino e Olio” above the door is one of the best wine bars in Rome centrally located but still crawling with locals in Rome. This is the best place to go for an aperitivo if you are a wine lover with tons of wine by the glass to choose from as well as endless bottles. Come and enjoy small plates, cheese and charcuterie boards, which are filling enough to stand in for a meal. Seating is indoors although there are a few benches to sit on outside.

Wine Lovers: Be sure to read up on
Where To Drink Wine In Italy
Where To Buy Wine In Italy

Where Locals Eat in Trastevere

Trastevere is considered the “coolest” neighborhood in Rome and while it does get a lot of tourism, there is still a very authentic local dining scene with plenty of Romans to mingle with.

Tonnarello

Three locations in Trastevere

Tonnarello is a small restaurant chain with three locations in Trastevere with extensive indoor and heated outdoor seating. Tonnarello is a very casual yet fun and up-beat restaurant to try if you are traveling with a group, with people who can’t agree on what to eat or ideal for families with smaller children.

They have become well known for their pasta served in pans (as pictured above) but also, have a pizza list and meatball list, particularly appreciated by kids. While you will find plenty of tourists here on the earlier side (between 7-8:30), it’s mostly full of locals from 8:00 pm onwards as they tend to eat dinner on the later side.

Trattoria Da Augusto

P.za de’ Renzi, 15

Trattoria da Augusto is a very unassuming and casual trattoria in Trastevere that is still filled with locals despite its hipe. Here, you can expect a no-frills experience with very ‘Roman’ etiquette. This is one of those restaurants that is quick and dirty, with a rowdy atmosphere and sometimes, poor service but that is what they pride themselves on (this is actually a very Roman way of running things).

Order from daily specials or classic Roman fare and in no time, your food is out. You are expected to eat and pay, no lingering welcome as there is usually a line to dine.

Good To Know: Both Tonnarello and Trattoria da Augusto do not take reservations.

Where Locals Eat in Prati

Prati is East of the Vatican between the Tiber River and while it gets a lot of tourist foot traffic, there are still some excellent eateries that most tourists just glaze over as they set forth to Vatican City.

Pratolina

Via degli Scipioni 248

La Pratolina specializes in pizza pinsa, a Roman-style flatbread with a light, bubbly crust with a long fermentation (very trendy these days). Order it with whatever toppings you like or choose from their own pizza specialties. If you don’t feel like pizza, they have great fried appetizers such as supplì and even pasta dishes.

Tip: La Pratolina doesn’t open until 6:00 pm on the weekends but unlike typical Italian restaurants, they don’t close in the afternoon, making the best spot for a meal anytime of the day near the Vatican.

Il Sorpasso

Plate of vegetables on a table with a red wine glass at Sorpasso wine bar in Rome, Italy.

Via Properzio, 31-33

Sorpasso is a casual wine bar near the Vatican that has a great outdoor seating area (sun and shade) with a large dining room indoors. This is my favorite wine bar close to Vatican city with excellent food including vegetarian options, unconventional pasta dishes and unique mains. For those of you who need a break from carbonara, this is your best bet.

Good To Know: Il Sorpasso is open all day, making it another favorite should you want to sit down for something to eat outside of typical Italian dining hours.

Where Locals Eat Around Vatican City

Within Vatican city, you will not eat but just around the walls are plenty of touristy spots yet also, some hidden gems where locals eat in Rome.

Romane

Via Cipro, 106

Romanè is one of the best Roman trattorie around Vatican City serving up excellent meat courses, some of the best seasonal vegetarian sides (making it an option for vegans and vegetarians near the Vatican) and delicious desserts with both indoor and outdoor seating. Romane is typically filled with locals who are on business lunches or out to dinner with friends so be sure to book your table by calling ahead.

Bonci Pizzarium

Hand holds up small pice of pizza from Bonci pizza in Rome.

Via della Meloria 43

Bonci’s Pizzarium is a very touristy pizza spot because it’s considered the best pizza in Rome. I can personally attest to this. I will go even further as to say it’s the best pizza in Italy! But because it’s so good, it’s also filled with locals and is a must-try for any pizza lover in Rome.

Be prepared to wait. Take a number, listen for it to be called and choose from any number of toppings including favorites with guanciale or another with scrambled eggs. Strange, I know, but trust me, once you have Bonci pizza, you will never go back. There is no seating so eat standing on the street.

Where Locals Eat in Old Rome (Ripa, Celio, Testaccio & Ostiense)

This neighborhood is definitely the one furthest off the beaten path and takes a bit of walking to get to. If you eat at any of these three restaurants in Rome, you are likely to be the only tourist.

Checchino dal 1887

Front entrance of Checchino restaurant in Rome. Red building with green awning and wooded doors. Brick arch above door. Cobblestone street in front.

Via di Monte Testaccio, 30

Checchino dal 1887 is one of the most famous restaurants in Rome to eat carbonara while getting off the beaten path. Located not far from the Testaccio market, this authentic trattoria is perfect for an authentic Roman meal side by side with the locals for lunch. And if you don’t feel like pasta, fret not. The menu is large and covers the Roman basics, making it one of my favorite spots to try traditional Roman food.

Flavio al Velavodetto

Front entrance to Flavio al Velavevodetto in Rome. Red awnings over dining area and a lot of bushes between the dining area and the street.

Via di Monte Testaccio, 97

Flavio al Velavodetto is a beautiful hidden gem in Rome, easy to miss by its outdoor seating area covered in greenery. Come here to enjoy some good old cooking, nonna-style with ancient Roman recipes in a refined trattoria atmosphere. Choose from both indoor and outdoor seating but be sure to pre-book your table.

Ruver Pizza Frazionata

Slice of pizza on black stone at Ruver Pizza in Rome.

Viale Aventino, 46

Ruver Teglia Frazionata is some of the best pizza EVER in Rome. Run by the young pizzaiolo, Alessandro Ruver, this hole in the wall spot serves up any number of pizze by the slice from 10:00 am onward. The light and airy crust is sturdy enough to hold countless toppings, making it some of the most interesting and fun pizza in Rome.

There is no seating here but rather, just a couple of stools and plenty of sidewalk space to eat your pizza in piedi (standing). To read my full review of Ruver, check out Ruver Teglia Frazionata – Rome’s Newest Pizza God.

Lookin’ for Locals? Check out where locals eat in Florence – Rome.

Where Locals Eat In Rome – By Neighborhood

Map of Where Locals Eat in Rome