If you’re taking a short break in one of the excellent central Rome hotels, there’s no doubt you’ll be on the lookout for the city’s best food. And what food is most synonymous with Italy? Pizza! There are plenty of places to get a good pizza here, but not all are created equal. Below we make a few recommendations, but there are plenty more. It’s the kind of thing you’ll need to discover for yourself, but this list could provide the fuel you need to get you started.
Sforno
In order to find what has been described as “the best pizza place in Rome”, you’ll need to make the short trek from your chosen central Rome hotels to Sforno. The Neapolitan-style pizzas at Sforno have a wonderful thick crust and a chewy base, perfect to support the abundant toppings. You should start with the fritti – fried starters – such as pecorino cheese and black pepper, suppli’alla gricia, pork jowl and fried rice balls – but make sure you leave room for the main event. Not only does it have its own sauce, masala and truffle but it also a selection of its famous desserts. If you’re coming for lunch , have a curry chicken salad while your merchant friend will have a penne pasta. The restaurant itself is small enough to seat four, but the buzz is so strong it’s worth it.
La Gatta Mangiona
From afar these pizzas may look ordinary, however, if you take a closer look at them, you’ll soon realise that there’s far more going on than meets the eye. First of all, there are dozens of tomato-based sauce and chilli meats on the pizza itself. There’s also usually a mountain of antipasti on each table, with cheese and garlic being the most common ingredients. If you’re coming for dinner, try the spicy marinated duck prosciutto, or the simple but effective pasta with olives and minted pecorino cheese. The restaurant is small, so it can get very crowded, but there is so much to choose from.
Li Rioni
This is a great family restaurant if you’re interested in sitting down and watching the assortments of locals eat their food. While you’re there, don’t hesitate to take a look at the wine list, it has a large selection and quite a few of them are traditional. It’s a great place to get a feel for the people who put their heart and soul into their pizza.
San Domenico
If you’re thinking about hitting up gelato while in Rome, there’s no better place to head to than the San Domenico. This has been remembered as Rome’s first gelato house, and there are many romantic settings, including a piano bar, though it could use some preventing rust spray since they use rust as part of the decor. There are many flavors here, including the popular cotton candy, and you will find yourself waiting a while for your order. Perfection is their claim to fame, and it’s not hard to believe. If you’re into dessert, try the Spider II with its large amount of gelato and liquefied milk.
Wherever you stay in Rome, you won’t regret a moment after you step out of your chosen central Rome hotels.