Let’s start with our favorites places to eat and drink in Rome:

Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina

It is probably in almost all of the recommendation sites you will search, but I agree that it is a good place to relax and enjoy a good meal for lunch. It is warm and cozy and the decor is very cool. You need to book ahead of time if you want to secure a table. I would not recommend sitting at the bar, the stools were way too low and it was not comfortable. I would not go back to their next door caffe’s, it was overrated in my humble opinion. Of all the Roscioli spots, this one was our best.

Via dei Giubbonari, 21, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Enoteca Bortone wine bar 

The cutest little wine bar ever! We found it by pure chance when strolling on a quiet  street near Piazza Navona. Very private and unique experience. They serve amazing wines and bites with a lovely staff. A hidden gem.

Via di Monserrato, 4, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Mizio's Street Food

A tiny “hole in the wall” sandwich shop near the Coliseum where we had deliciously fresh, hand-made Italian sandwiches. You can choose your bread and your desired filling from a variety of Italian cured meat and cheeses. You can also enjoy a beer or a glass of wine. Perfect for a lunch break.

Via degli Zingari, 54 a, 00184 Roma RM, Italy

Il Sorpasso

Unfortunately, we were not able to secure a table at this very happening restaurant. We passed by at night when we were looking for a place to dine and it looked like a very cool happening spot packed with locals. I recommend going early in person or call ahead of time to reserve. It will definitely be on our list if we visit Rome again. 

Via Properzio, 31/33, 00193 Roma RM, Italy

Passaguai

Since we could not have a table at Il Sorpasso, we went to this local bistro nearby and were not disappointed at all. It was more intimate and the food was amazing with very low prices. The charcuteries were exceptional and the cannoli was one of the highlights of my trip. I will forever remember this sweet treat. Highly recommend it!

Via Pomponio Leto, 1, 00193 Roma RM, Italy

CasaManco – pizza alla pala at the mercato testaccio

Off-the-beaten track, but totally worth it, especially if like us you are staying in the Trastevere area. It was a fun authentic experience away from the crowds on a Saturday afternoon. I strongly recommend you to visit this local market. You can easily spend a few hours tasting all kinds of different amazing Italian food, wine bars and enjoying 5 euros cocktails. Pizzas at Casa Manco were so tasty and only 6 euros for a big plate. You can mix all the flavors and pay by weight. 

Via Aldo Manuzio, 66b, 00153 Roma RM, Italy

CasaManco – pizza alla pala at the mercato testaccio

We scored high when we randomly found this amazing spot near our hotel in Trastevere. It was the best experience we could have in Rome. I strongly recommend you to visit this local market. You can easily spend a few hours tasting all kinds of different amazing Italian food, wine bars and enjoying 5 euros cocktails. Pizzas at Casa Manco were so tasty and only 6 euros for a big plate. You can mix all the flavors and pay by the weight. 

Via Aldo Manuzio, 66b, 00153 Roma RM, Italy

da Corrado al banco 18 at the mercato testaccio

Several stalls sell beer and spritzes, but one of the liveliest vendors of the market specialized in natural wines (made without herbicides, pesticides, chemicals, etc.) I found the wine had very bold flavors,very earthy. I would say what I tried was not my favorite type of wine, maybe more for wine connoisseurs, but still a great place to taste different wines by the glass.

Via Aldo Manuzio, 66b, 00153 Roma RM, Italy

Pasticceria Linari

This is a perfect example of places me and my partner are looking for when going abroad. It is a 3 minutes walk from the Mercato Testaccio. An authentic Italian pastry shop. The perfect place to enjoy sweet italian treats, coffees, savory bakeries, cocktails and beers (we had some time to kill as there was a heavy storm) for a fraction of the price you would pay in a more central spot. It is a perfect place to feel like a true roman local. We were definitely the only tourists there which we absolutely loved.

Via Nicola Zabaglia, 9, 00153 Roma RM, Italy

Jerry Thomas Speakeasy

This hidden cocktail bar was a fun place to end the night. If you are a cocktail lover, fancy cocktails with hard to find ingredients or top-shelf spirits, this is a pretty cool place to go with friends or for a date night. You must have a password to enter. Go check on their website prior to go. I had one of my favorite cocktails, the aviation and it was done to perfection. It’s actually a private club so you can smoke inside if that’s your thing. We’ve been to a few speakeasy bars in other cities, so I feel that some live music was missing from the ambiance.

Vicolo Cellini, 30, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Our favorite must see monuments and attractions:

Trevi Fountain 

This was the most beautiful monument we’ve seen in Rome - it really does live up to the hype and pictures will never do it justice. I recommend going during the day, but also during the night to see the fountain lit up. It is very touristic though, so be prepared to be surrounded with people and annoying vendors. But, it is absolutely worth seeing. It is a masterpiece!

Pantheon

colosseum

roman forum

spanish steps

Sistine Chapel

I am very sad that we could not visit the famous Sistine Chapel where we could have seen the famous painting by Michelangelo, The Creation Of Adam. I strongly advise you to book a couple of days before. It is ultra popular and the tickets are limited, even more so on weekends But you can still visit the smallest country in the world for free - the Vatican and see the impressive St Peter’s Square.