17 places I recommend•3 in the Michelin guide
These are the 17 restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops and ice cream shops in Rome I have eaten at myself and would recommend.
Where a section has more than one place, they are numbered from my favourite downwards. 
marks the ones not to be missed.
Don't forget you can take the map with you
An Italian and seafood restaurant at Largo Febo, a few steps behind Piazza Navona. My favourite restaurant in Rome. Delicious traditional dishes with beautiful outside seating.
Address: Largo Febo, 12, 00186 Roma, RM, Italy
The Roscioli family's deli with a kitchen on Via dei Giubbonari, opened in 1992 and turned into this in 2002, where you eat among the hanging hams and the cheese counter, with a cellar of a few thousand labels below. The carbonara is what most people come for. Make sure you book in advance it's challenging to get a table at short notice. The food is delicious and they also have a great wine list.
Address: Via dei Giubbonari, 21, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
A Piazza Nicosia institution going back to the early 1900s, run by the Di Maria family since the late 1980s, serving Roman classics alongside fish. Really delicious traditional Italian food in a classic setting.
Address: Piazza Nicosia, 24, 00186 Roma, RM, Italy
The Emilian restaurant on Piazza del Popolo, opened in the 1960s by Ettore Tomaselli and a fixture of Roman life ever since, with tagliatelle al ragù and bollito misto on a menu that has barely moved. The first time I tried Dal Bolognese was 27 years ago, but I still go there because they are consistently excellent.
Address: Piazza del Popolo, 1, 00187 Roma RM, Italy
A Cialfi family trattoria on Via dell'Arancio, just off Via del Corso, opened by Settimio Cialfi in 1973 and now in its third generation. Lovely family owned restaurant with traditional Roman dishes.
Address: Via dell'Arancio, 50, 00186 Roma, RM, Italy
A family-run taverna on Via del Politeama in Trastevere, hung with hams and lined with bottles, where the pasta arrives at the table in the steel pan it was finished in. A beautiful place for a meal, especially when the weather is good and you can sit outside.
Address: Via del Politeama, 23/25, 00153 Roma RM, Italy
A small family trattoria off Piazza Barberini serving the food of Emilia rather than Rome. It opened in 1931 and has been run by the Latini family since 1967, with the pasta rolled by hand where you can watch, and tortellini in brodo among the dishes it is known for. They are famous for their pumpkin ravioli. While it was not the best one I have ever had, it's still very good.
Address: Via degli Avignonesi, 22, 00187 Roma RM, Italy
Great restaurant that came highly recommended to me by locals. The only issue is it was a bit far from the centre of town and when I'm in Rome I like to stay on foot most of the time. But it's worth the cab ride as the setting is lovely and food is great.
Address: Via di Monte Testaccio, 97, 00153 Roma, RM, Italy
The Prati branch of Flavio De Maio's Roman trattoria, opened on Piazza dei Quiriti in 2012, three years after he took over the Testaccio original, and cooking the same carbonara, cacio e pepe and bollito meatballs. They are most famous for their cacio e pepe which was really good here.
Address: Piazza dei Quiriti, 4, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
A Roman restaurant on Via del Viminale by the opera house, trading since 1870 and named for the bucatini all'amatriciana it is known for.
Address: Via del Viminale, 44, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Fantastic Roman style pizza and a nice selection of starters and sides. The place isn't the most glamorous but you go there for the food not the ambiance.
Address: Via del Monte della Farina, 28, 00186 Roma, RM, Italy
A pizzeria on Via Benedetta in Trastevere, in the old Bir & Fud room, making Roman pizza of the thin, crisp scrocchiarella kind.
Address: Via Benedetta, 23, 00153 Roma RM, Italy
A fish restaurant on Piazza de' Ricci, in the shadow of the frescoed Palazzo Ricci, open since 1938, bought by the Lisi family in 1980 and turned to seafood in the 1990s. Tables spill onto the square in summer. Really simple but delicious dishes.
Address: Piazza de' Ricci, 144, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
The Roscioli family bakery on Via dei Chiavari, in a building that has held a bakery since 1824, selling bread and thin, crisp Roman pizza al taglio by weight. Great place for a quick bite on the go.
Address: Via dei Chiavari, 34, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
A daytime café on Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina with tables out on the square, good for an espresso, a toasted sandwich, or a gelato between sights. I love their gelato and sandwiches, which they call pizza e mortazza.
Address: Piazza di S. Lorenzo in Lucina, 29, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
The first time we tried Gelateria La Romana was in Verona and it was one of the best tasting gelatos we've ever had. You can imagine our excitement when we found it in Rome as well and realised it's not only a local chain but a global one as well. They only have a few options but that's always a good sign as they focus on making them absolutely delicious. They also have the exact right degree of creaminess and a good deal of flavour. They also serve cakes.
Address: Via Cola di Rienzo, 2, 00193 Roma, RM, Italy
When I was younger San Crispino used to have the best gelato in Rome but over the years they've not been able to maintain the quality of their ice cream.
Address: Via della Panetteria, 42, 00187 Roma, RM, Italy
