Where to eat and drink in the Centro Storico in Rome

In a nutshell: eating and drinking in the centro storico means timeless trattorias around the Pantheon, market-fresh plates by Campo de' Fiori, kosher cooking in the Ghetto and a thriving gelato culture - then wine bars, speakeasies and rooftop cocktails after dark. The district overview covers the sights, and Campo de' Fiori is the best square for an outdoor table.

Where to eat

From time-honoured trattorias to two-Michelin-star dining rooms, the historic centre spans the whole range of Roman cooking. The selections below follow the district's strengths: timeless dishes around the Pantheon, market-fresh plates near Campo de' Fiori, kosher cooking in the Ghetto and a thriving gelato culture.

Best Roman cuisine

• ✦Matricianella: neighbourhood favourite serving a menu of dependable Roman crowd-pleasers. 12.30-3pm & 7.30-11pm Mon-Sat. €€€
• ✦Giulio Passami L'Olio: snug spot down a cobbled alley, faultless Roman standards and a serious wine list. 12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-11.30pm. €€
• ✦Grappolo d'Oro: brisk and welcoming, it towers above the forgettable restaurants around Campo de' Fiori. 12.30-3pm Thu-Tue, 7-11pm daily. €€
• ✦Da Cesare al Pellegrino: the classic trattoria template, cooking traditional Roman dishes from produce bought that morning. 12.45-3pm & 7.45-11pm Thu-Tue. €€

Roman & regional

• ✦Renato e Luisa: in-the-know diners pack this acclaimed backstreet trattoria for modern takes on Roman classics. 7.30-11pm Tue-Sat, 1-3pm Sun. €€€
• ✦Luciano Cucina Italiana: trendy trattoria by Campo de' Fiori famed for carbonara and imaginative mains. 12.15-3pm & 7.15-11pm. €€€
• ✦Est Artigiani del Gusto: a find among the tourist-trap eateries near Via del Governo Vecchio, serving refined Italian dishes. 6.30am-10.15pm Mon-Sat. €€
• ✦Ditirambo: central, informal, cooking seasonal organic food from Roman pastas to vegetarian plates. 12.30-3pm & 6.30-11pm. €€

Old school

• ✦Da Gino al Parlamento: well-liked trattoria close to Italy's parliament buildings, turning out solid Roman standards. 1-3pm & 8-11pm Mon-Sat. €€
• ✦Alfredo e Ada: no-frills trattoria where the food is honest, the clutter cheerful and the welcome genuine. noon-3.30pm & 7-10pm Tue-Sat. €€
• ✦La Campana: Rome's oldest restaurant (1518), polished, old-fashioned and prized for dependable Roman dishes. 12.30-3pm & 7.30-11pm Tue-Sun. €€
• ✦Osteria del Sostegno: a haunt of business people and politicians serving seasonal cucina romana. 12.30-3pm Tue-Sun, 7.30-11.30pm Tue-Sat. €€€

Best gelato & pastries

• ✦I Dolci di Nonna Vincenza: Sicilian cafe and pastry shop luring customers with pastries stuffed with ricotta. 7.30am-7pm Tue-Fri, 8am-7pm Sat-Sun. €
• ✦Neve di Latte: natural ice cream from seasonal fruit and local produce, a local favourite. 11am-10pm Tue-Thu, noon-11pm Fri-Sun. €
• ✦Gelateria del Teatro: cracking flavours such as pistachio and hazelnut, plus inventive seasonal creations. 10.30am-11pm. €
• ✦Fatamorgana: dependable artisanal gelato spanning classics and experimental seasonal inventions. noon-11pm. €

Beer & pizza

• ✦Open Baladin: modern pub by Campo de' Fiori pouring 40 craft beers from the tap and nearly 100 bottled. noon-1am, to 2am Fri & Sat.
• ✦Emma: lively pizzeria with a terrace and plenty of thin-crust pies, their toppings drawn from the regions. 12.30-3.30pm & 6.30-11.30pm. €€
• ✦Antica Friggitoria Masardona: Neapolitan pizza fritta, that is, fried pizza, to take away, or a wood-fired margherita eaten in. 12.30-3.30pm & 7.30-11pm Tue-Sun. €
• ✦Forno Monteforte: bakery celebrated for fine pizza al taglio, that is, pizza cut to order, crowned with cured meats plus whatever produce is in season. 7.30am-9pm. €

Street food & snacks

• ✦Supplizio: fried supplì take the lead at this gourmet street-food joint, served classic or with tempting twists. noon-3.30pm & 5-9.30pm Mon-Sat. €
• ✦Forno Campo de' Fiori: lively bakery shifting panini and just-baked pizza, cut to order, at a fast clip. 8am-2.30pm & 4.30-7.30pm Mon-Sat. €
• ✦Antico Forno Roscioli: the crowds come for lavish pizza cut to order, pastries and hearty supplì (rice balls). 7.30am-8pm. €
• ✦Antico Forno Urbani: kosher bakery in the Jewish Ghetto with excellent sliced pizza. 7.30am-2.30pm Mon-Fri, 4.30-7pm Mon-Thu, 9am-1.30pm Sun. €

Best location

• ✦Armando al Pantheon: popular trattoria nearly as thronged as its namesake next door. 12.30-3pm & 7-11pm Mon-Fri. €€
• ✦Salotto 42: glamorous lounge bar at Piazza di Pietra for aperitivo or late cocktails amid the beautiful crowd. 10.30am-2am.
• ✦Caffetteria Chiostro del Bramante: espresso or a snack with a view over Bramante's Renaissance cloisters. 10am-8pm Mon-Fri, to 9pm Sat-Sun. €
• ✦Osteria la Quercia: polished restaurant on a lovely square near Piazza Farnese, strong on Lazio classics. noon-3.30pm & 7-11.30pm. €€

Best in the Ghetto

• ✦Piperno: Ghetto institution known for crispy fritters and timeless Roman pasta dishes. 7.45-10.30pm Tue-Sat, 12.45-2.30pm Sat & Sun. €€€
• ✦Yotvata: retro atmosphere and a big name in kosher cooking. noon-3.30pm & 6.30-11pm Mon-Thu & Sun, noon-3pm Fri, 6.30pm-midnight Sat. €€
• ✦Ba'Ghetto: storied restaurant doing Roman-Jewish cooking, grilled meats and North African dishes. 11.45am-11pm Sun-Thu, to 3pm Fri, 6-11pm Sat. €€
• ✦Marlene's Gelateria: a reliable scoop of kosher gelato on the Ghetto's main strip. 11am-11pm Sun-Thu, 10am-4pm Fri, 8pm-midnight Sat. €

Delis & bistros

• ✦Ginger: brasserie-style spot open all day, serving coffee and juice through burgers, salads, upmarket panini and pasta. 8am-11pm. €€
• ✦Beppe e i Suoi Formaggi: deli-restaurant devoted to cheese and salumi. 11am-10.30pm Mon-Thu, to 11.30pm Sat-Sun. €€
• ✦53 Untitled: intimate bistro-restaurant doing clever tapas and pasta with French and Italian wine lists. 6.30-10.30pm Wed-Sun. €€
• ✦Salumeria Roscioli: the city's best-known deli-restaurant, serving superb Roman food in cramped quarters. 12.30-3.30pm & 7-11.30pm. €€€

Splurge

• ✦Achilli al Parlamento: traditional Italian refreshed with a modern touch in a historic enoteca. 12.30-3pm & 7.30-10.30pm Tue-Sat. €€€
• ✦Casa Coppelle: glamorous, Paris-inspired setting for Mediterranean cuisine on a square close to the Pantheon. 6.30pm-midnight Tue-Sun. €€€
• ✦Il Pagliaccio: two Michelin stars and Asian-inflected cooking on Via dei Banchi Vecchi. 7.30-10pm Tue-Sat, 12.30-2pm Sat. €€€
• ✦Casa Bleve: palatial venue with a dining hall lined with columns, stunning wines and classic Italian food. 12.30-3pm & 7-10.30pm Mon-Sat. €€€

Best modern creative

• ✦Campocori: the restaurant at Chapter Roma, glamorous and contemporary, its cooking creative and cosmopolitan. 7-10.30pm Wed-Sun. €€€
• ✦La Ciambella: top pick near the Pantheon, bright inside and imaginative on the plate. noon-3.30pm & 6.30-11pm Thu-Mon. €€€
• ✦Retrobottega: fine dining loosened up, around shared tables, with experimental menus. 8.30am-midnight Tue-Sun. €€€
• ✦Osteria dell'Ingegno: airy wine-bar-restaurant getting it right with creative main courses and light lunch salads. 11.30am-11.30pm. €€

Drinking & nightlife

Coffee & breakfast

• ✦Barnum: retro-cool cafe for breakfast, brunch, spot-on coffee and croissants baked in-house. 8am-3.30pm.
• ✦La Casa del Caffè Tazza d'Oro: touristy yet old-fashioned, steaming top coffee beside the Pantheon. 7am-8pm Mon-Sat, 10am-7pm Sun.
• ✦Caffè Sant'Eustachio: celebrated cafe by the Pantheon brewing some of Rome's best coffee. 7.30am-1am Sun-Thu, to 1.30am Fri, to 2am Sat.
• ✦Roscioli Caffè: popular hangout for indulgent coffee, pastries and weekend brunches. 7.30am-6pm Mon-Sat, 8am-6pm Sun.

Wine bars

• ✦Il Vinaietto: once a gathering spot for left-wing radicals, this bare-bones enoteca keeps a mighty wine list. 10am-3pm & 5-11pm Mon-Sat.
• ✦Rimessa Roscioli: wine-bar-restaurant beloved by connoisseurs for paired-wine dinners, tastings, cellar tours and classes; reserve ahead. 5-11pm.
• ✦Il Goccetto: traditional wine-and-oil merchant, the vino e olio of old, woody and lined with bottles, with marvellous wines. noon-midnight Tue-Sat, from 5pm Mon.
• ✦L'Angolo Divino: cosy wine bar beside Campo de' Fiori pouring interesting Italian wines with tasty bites. 11am-3pm Tue-Sat, 5pm-1am daily.

Speakeasies & rooftops

• ✦Argot: a cosy speakeasy furnished with aged leather sofas, artisanal cocktails, weekend live sets and an underground atmosphere. 10pm-4am Tue-Sun.
• ✦Hey Güey: the rooftop bar of Chapter Roma hotel brings a Mexican mood to the rooftop panorama, cacti, tacos and icy margaritas included. 6pm-1am.
• ✦Terrazza Borromini: intimate rooftop bar on a 17th-century palazzo with sunset views over Piazza Navona; book ahead. noon-midnight.
• ✦Jerry Thomas Speakeasy: Prohibition-style bar where a password opens the door (thejerrythomasproject.it); opening times vary.