Eating and drinking in Rome is an adventure on its own, but just like in the adventures, Rome has many scary places. Sure, you could do all your research on Yelp or Tripadvisor before every meal, and walk around with your phone glued to your hand and face, but come on, don’t be that guy. Just don’t. Some of the magic about cities like Rome is to discover that perfect little place, hidden away from the tourist tracks, but chances are that after a long day of walking and sightseeing, you’ll strike out sometimes and bumb into a tourist trap with photos of the food on the menu. But to really be able to appreciate the great places, you have to experience the bad ones too.

As with most Italian cities, you can’t walk far in Rome without finding a place to eat or drink. A huge part of the Italian culture (and a huge part of why we love it so much there) revolves around the food, and everything associated with it. The Roman kitchen is famous for it’s delicious food, and several of it’s dishes are internationally known, such as Spaghetti alla Carbonara, veal Saltimbocca alla Romana, bruschetta, pasta all’Amatriciana, and the oh so delicious Cacio e Pepe. Just to mention some. But be aware, that even though these dishes originated in Rome, not every restaurant serves a good version.
Romans usually eat dinner at around 8pm, so many restaurants close after lunch from 3pm, for then to open again at around 7pm. The restaurants closer to the bigger tourist attractions and piazzas are usually open all day, but keep in mind that these places cater to tourists, and the food suffers from this.

To start the day, Italians aren’t usually big on breakfast. They have an espresso or two, preferably standing in the bar at the coffee shop, maybe throw down a cornetto or biscotto, and then continue their day. This is also the only time of day you can drink a cappucino without coming off as a clueless tourist. Why? An Italian waiter once told me that Italian children get enough milk when they’re small, so they don’t drink it as adults. And if they drink cappuccino, it’s only early in the morning. Fact? I don’t know. But I do know that if you take your coffee (and breakfast, if you’re that type) sitting down at a table, you have to pay more than if you chug it all down at the bar.
A must for delicious espresso, just around the corner from Pantheon, is the beautiful coffee bar Tazza d’Oro, meaning the cup of gold. Established in 1944, they still live up to their name, and if you want an unforgettable cup of brown gold, this is the place. Patrons are adviced to drink their coffee standing at the bar, and since this place is always buzzing with coffee-thirsty people, there’s no need to sit around for long. 

Since Italians don’t have a big breakfast culture in general, don’t expect to find a huge continental breakfast at your hotel either, unless you stay at a big chain hotel. At a typical Italian hotel-breakfast, you’ll find coffee, fresh fruits, yoghurt, pastries and toast with cheese, ham or jam. If you find more than this at the breakfast buffet, you can bet that the hotel has received complaints from American or British tourists.

Whether you’re the kind that just has some pizza al taglio to go, or prefer to sit down at a ristorante and have a full meal, lunch in Italy is a big part of the day. Just remember to not eat your food on one of the major sights (such as the Fontana di Trevi or the Spanish steps), this is actually illegal, and you could end up with a hefty fine.

Before dinner, nothing is better than aperitivo time! Usually between 6pm to 9pm, bars up the prices on their drinks, and in return, you get to sample delicious pre-dinner snacks, sometimes from a buffet, and sometimes served as small nibbles. Whether you prefer to sit in a small, romantic alley or at a large piazza, you don’t need to look long or walk far until you find a suitable place.
At Baccano, just around the corner from the Trevi fountain, they have really yummy aperitivo snacks, and the interior itself is worth a visit alone, if you like classical, old style bars. For another place with old glamour, check out Harry’s Bar in Via Vittorio Veneto. Although it’s not own by Cipriani like the original Harry’s Bar in Venice, it sure lives up to its name. Get lost in their Bellinis and pretend to be in La Dolce Vita.
Although it’s a bit touristy, I also recommend to at least have a glass or two at one of the beautiful piazzas, like Piazza Navona or in front of the Pantheon. At night, the atmosphere there changes completely from the daily stress, and if you can ignore the street vendors and the other tourists, there’s nothing like sipping some Prosecco in front of pure history.

Now, the most important meal of the day in Italy is the dinner! Antipasto, primo, secondo and dolce, the four dishes that make up the perfect dinner, although you might not have room for all of them. Antipasto is naturally the appetizer, the starter of the meal, and can consist of anything from delicious tomato bruschetta, cheeses, hams, olives, or just a big plate of all the above together. 
Primo piatto, the first course is usually where you find your pasta, risotto and soups. Secondo piatto is the bigger meat and fish dishes, and dolce is of course dessert. Just let me say that there is no shame in ordering for instance only antipasti and dessert, or going straight to the second course without a starter. There’s no law that says that you have to order all four dishes, and we have never encountered any waiter who has frowned upon this. They might frown if you ask for ketchup though.
Aw, my stomach is rumbling just from writing about the Italian cuisine, it’s just that good. It’s not a bad idea to do some research in advance of your dinners, as most good restaurants are packed during the peak hours from around 6pm to 11pm, and making a reservation is always a good thing, but the satisfaction from finding an amazing place just by chance is priceless.

And hey, when in Rome, don’t forget to have some gelato too  🙂

There aren’t many cities I can think of that are as romantic as Rome. Although I have heard from some disappointed travelers that it didn’t meet their expectations, that it’s too touristy or too expensive, I can’t help but think that it’s not Rome, it’s you.

Sure, Rome, as any big city, has its flaws
and tourist traps. If you are close to any major tourist attraction, don’t expect the nearby restaurants to be amazing. If you, like us, stand at the Spanish steps, and stick out like a Skittle in a chocolate bowl, you will be scammed. Or at least attempted scammed. We got scammed. But only once. And it was “only” 20 euros, so it was a sour but cheap lesson in not trusting anyone. So, if someone seems too nice and interested in you, they are most likely trying to scam you. If someone asks you without any good reason “heeey, where you from”, and “put out your finger and hold this thread while I make you a bracelet that you don’t want, but you have to buy it because I already tied it securely to your wrist, and oh, you don’t have any less change than 20 euros, well, how fortunate that the bracelet ‘only’ costs 20 euros then, byee”, then for the love of god don’t put out that damn finger!!

But still, despite Rome’s flaws and faults, I can’t help but love this beautiful city. To be able to stand inside the Colosseum, to wander about in the ruins of Forum Romanum and to gaze up at the sky through the dome of Pantheon, are things that will stay with you forever. Not to talk about the delicious food you can have here! Just do a little research, and don’t fall in the tourist traps, you’ll be good. You could also end up being lucky, and stumble into that perfect, rustic little trattoria, where you get to sit by yourselves and be surrounded by the beautiful Italian language and music, and enjoy the yummy Roman kitchen together. If you want some recommendations of restaurants and bars, click here.

Whether you want to fill your days with sightseeing, history and culture, shopping or eating your way through the city, Rome has it all. As Rome’s history is present everywhere in the entire city, you can’t avoid seeing some of the major sights and tourist attractions just by walking through the streets. With thousands of years of history, Rome has preserved this brilliantly by including the historic buildings and sights in the cityscape, building a modern city around the ancient parts of Rome. Walking from the originally pagan temple Pantheon to the Capitol Hill, you might just walk by the spot where Julius Caesar was (presumably) killed. If you look closely when you’re in the Colosseum, the large bronze cross marks the spot where the Roman Emperor would sit during the arena fights. Things like these make Rome such a magical place to visit, especially with your significant other.


When it comes to food, we have both had some of our best and worst food experiences in Rome. Sometimes you’re lucky, and you stumble upon a perfect little trattoria in a small back alley where the food is amazing and the atmosphere is romantic, and sometimes you have to find the first and (not) best place to sit down because the rain just showers down. There have been times where we have been sitting for hours at the perfect little back street cafe/bar, maybe with some beautiful live music, drinking aperitifs until we’re too drunk for dinner, and there have been times where we have been so fed up with all the rude tourists and street vendors, that we just go back to the hotel bar. Rome is such a city, where you don’t always win. But when you do, it makes you fall in love all over again.