My Rome: food writer Rachel Roddy
Rachel Roddy, food writer, Guardian columnist and long-term Rome resident shares her insider tips on visiting Rome with kids.
As a local, what are your tips on how to eat well in Rome?
“Step away from the centre. Neighbourhoods just outside the centre, like Trastevere, Monteverde, Testaccio, and Marconi are packed with good family-run trattorias and pizzerie. They are more accommodating, more welcoming and you will experience a slice of real Italian life.”
Take Testaccio for example, where Rachel has lived for the past 17 years.
“It’s a small quarter, wedge-shaped like a piece of cheese, and dense with places to eat. There are at least ten great trattorias and several pizzerie that I recommend. Not to mention the Testaccio food market which is wonderful.”
For this reason, Rachel often recommends families base themselves in Testaccio. It is close to the main sites and well served with public transport.
“I love going to the trattoria around the corner with my son, Luca. These local, family-run trattorias are very welcoming to kids - sometimes I think children are more welcome than adults!”
Testaccio trattorie:
Da Bucatino > www.dabucatino.com
Lo Scopettaro > loscopettaroroma.com
Perilli > www.perilliatestaccio.com
Pecorino > www.ristorantepecorino.it
Piatto Romano > piattoromano.superbexperience.com
Trova tips: for similar trattorie in the centre try Enoteca Corsi near the Pantheon or La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali, near the Colosseum.
Best place to eat in a hurry?
“For good food in a hurry, you can’t beat a pizzeria. Again, just a bit out of the centre in Testaccio or Trastevere you have local institutions like Da Remo, Nuovo Mondo, Ai Marmi and Ivo. These big pizzerie are equipped to handle large numbers: 2 or 22 people, the places are bustling and fast. And they open early for dinner at 6.30 or 7.00pm.
I went to our local pizzeria with my sister recently. We were three adults and eight children, three of them picky eaters. We got there at 7pm and we were out by 8pm. We had a litre of wine, delicious pizza, and the kids had fun drawing on the tablecloth.”
Testaccio and Trastevere pizzerie:
Da Remo > Piazza di S Maria Liberatrice 44
Nuovo Mondo > Via Amerigo Vespucci, 9/12
Ai Marmi > Viale di Trastevere, 53-59
Ivo a Trastevere > Via di S. Francesco a Ripa, 158
Trova tips: for similar pizzerie in the centre try Da Baffetto 2 or La Montecarlo, both near Piazza Navona.
“Another great option for a quick meal is a tavola calda. These canteen style restaurants are a dream situation for families. You want half a roast chicken and potatoes? One sausage and some pizza? Oven chips and two meatballs? All for under €20. It’s what I recommend friends and family do for lunch. They’re not easy to spot, but they’re worth searching out. They’re precious gems filled with Italian office workers getting a warm lunch. Look out for the word 'gastronomica' - lots of bar and pastry shops also have a hot food section. For example, Pasticceria Linari in Testaccio is famous for its freshly baked sweets and pastries but also serves warm lunches.”
Trova tips: right by the Circus Maximus is little eatery, Gustomassimo Bar, that has a great tavola calda every lunchtime. Forno Roscioli in the centre near Campo de’ Fiori, have reduced their tavola calda to a few pasta-based options but they also serve great pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice). Roscioli is on the tourist map so it gets crowded but there is a little park nearby, PIazza Cairoli, with benches to sit and eat.
Best place for a quick bite for less than €5?
“Head to the bakeries. Go to a local forno, you can always find delicious pizza bianca (similar to focaccia) and pizza rossa (pizza with tomato sauce), and they will often do sandwiches. You just need to find a forno and somewhere to sit and eat comfortably nearby.”
Trova tips: in the centre, Forno Campo de’ Fiori and Antico Forno Urbani in the Jewish ghetto both have delicious thin-crust pizza; Panificio Bonci near the Vatican has knock-out pizza by the slice.
What’s your favourite family adventure in Rome?
My son Luca loves biking up to Terme di Caracalla [the baths of Caracalla] and doing the virtual tour with the binoculars. He’s probably done it 11 times already. He loves the scale of the ancient baths and there’s plenty of room to run around. And for the adults, there’s a place to take a bottle of prosecco around the back.”
Baths of Caracalla, www.coopculture.it/en/poi/baths-of-caracalla/
Trova tips: the 3D visor – which is more 80’s View master than VR headset – can be shared. The 3D scenes recreating the splendor of the baths are well worth viewing and you can easily share one visor between two or three.
For a map of the bike paths to take your family safely from Testaccio to the baths, (passing the Protestant cemetery and Monte Testaccio on the way) check our upcoming blog post!
