Rome is as vibrant as it is special, but let’s be clear: you can spend a lot of money if you don’t know how to get around or where to go. I last traveled to Rome in June, and while I didn’t find the prices exorbitant, it’s true that, like any capital city, there are plenty of tourist traps.
My two-day itinerary in Rome was focused on seeing the most while spending the least, and I’d like to share with you some of the places I ate at and many others that I wrote down but didn’t have time to go to.
If you want to eat cheaply in Rome, but you’re past the point where you’ll settle for a slice of pizza from a roadside stand, and you like to eat at a set table without paying more than you should, then you’ve come to the right place.
Content index
Colosseum and Forum Area
As this is one of the busiest areas in Rome, the options multiply, and although this is always welcome, you should be careful not to fall for the first option in sight, which, as disappointing as it may sound, is probably not the best or cheapest.
La Nuova Piazzetta
This place is on the corner of a street called Via del Buon Consiglio, just a few steps from Via del Colosseo. I went there because I saw that it had excellent reviews. The comments I found warned that it was common to have to wait in line, so it was no surprise, although it is true that I was about to leave on a couple of occasions.
In a city as large, touristic, and gastronomically rich as Rome, it is not difficult to find good food. However, with a looming cloud over my head and a few pressing plans, I decided to give it a try and wait patiently.
The wait took about 20 minutes, although the waiters were careful to offer water, share the QR of the menu, and inform me of the wait time. The pace, slow at first, picked up, and soon I was sitting down to order my food.
A gnocchi and a carbonara plate were more than enough for two people, as the portions are generous, which makes eating cheap in Rome no problem.
- Description: Located next to the Colosseum, with indoor seating and a large covered terrace.
- Dishes: Options of pasta, pizza, and other dishes such as meat and fish. Tasty and hearty.
- Price: 10€-20€
- Rating: Recommended for a first visit to Rome. Good value for money, but I would not necessarily come back.
- Location: Via del Buon Consiglio, 23/a
- Reservations: They don’t take reservations; you have to wait in line.
Other good, nice, and cheap places in the area
La Prezzemolina
- Description: A small place with seating that offers a variety of pizzas by weight.
- Dishes: Pizzas, salads, and sandwiches. Vegan options.
- Prices: 1€-10€
- Location: Via del Colosseo, 1 E/F
- Reservations: No reservations accepted.
Ce stamo a pensá
- Description: A hidden gem where you can taste typical dishes with an original touch.
- Dishes: Southern Italian cuisine, with fried pizza and pasta.
- Price: 10€-20€
- Location: Via Leonina, 81
- Reservations: No reservations accepted.
What to see before or after filling your stomach
Needless to say, there are two monuments that get all the attention in this area. The Colosseum, with its grandeur and integrity despite the years, offers both a most interesting tour of its exterior and an almost mandatory visit to its interior.
On this trip, I didn’t go inside because I had just enough time and I already knew it from the previous time, but a visit to the Colosseum is one of the essential plans of any trip to Rome to see an architectural work that has stood for 20 centuries.
Beyond the Eternal City’s star monument, the adjacent Roman Forum shows what was at the heart of life in ancient Rome. A combined tour of the Colosseum and Forum allows you to see both monuments in depth, if you have enough time.
At the end of the Via del Foro Romano, where it meets the Via del Corso, you will find Piazza Venezia with the statue of Victor Emmanuel II in the center. Turning off from Via del Foro Romano, at the top of a slope, is Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo and located on the Capitoline Hill. If you climb up, you will find a small replica of Romulus and Remus.
Trastevere area
This is the neighborhood I stayed in and would recommend blindly, as it is close to many of Rome’s attractions and has a vibrant and energetic atmosphere where tourists and locals mix in a great synergy.
In Trastevere, you can visit a flea market in the purest London style, see groups of friends singing in the piazzas, or end the day on a terrace with a local drink, and any plan will be able to add a plus to your trip.
La Tavernetta 29 by Tony e Andrea
There were several restaurants that I had saved in my Google Maps, either because of recommendations or because I had read about them in other blogs and magazines, but when I saw the pictures and the menu of this one, I decided to go.
Their website offered the option of making a reservation by phone, but since it was just a few steps from where I was staying, I decided to get there around 5 pm and reserve a table for that evening. Tony, the owner, a gentleman with a very Italian sense of humour, assured me, without taking a note or anything, that we would have a table at 8 pm on the terrace -they close early, so it is advisable not to leave it too late. And so it was!
When I arrived, the terrace was full except for our table, which was waiting for us, so the only thing left to do was to try the different options on their menu. When you enter a restaurant, you are greeted by a refrigerator with steaks and entrecôte; however, we opted for a melanzane alla parmigiana, some ravioli al tartufo, and oxtail.
- Description: a family-run restaurant with a small terrace and an extensive menu.
- Dishes: a little bit of everything, with the grilled meats standing out. The ravioli are a delight and will make you want to stay in Rome forever.
- Price: 10€-20€
- Rating: I thought it was ideal, both for the food, the selection, and the service. Very attentive, with delicious dishes and a quiet atmosphere.
- Location: Via della Pelliccia, 29a
- Reservations: By phone or at the restaurant.
Other restaurants in the area
L’Osteria della Trippa
- Description: Roman restaurant recommended in the MICHELIN Guide.
- Dishes: Pasta, meat – their fried tripe stands out – and desserts. With vegan options.
- Price: 10€-20€
- Location: Via Goffredo Mameli 15/16
- Reservations: Necessary, can be made online.
Otello
- Description: Authentic Italian tavern with great public, where you can feel the Roman essence in the atmosphere and on the palate.
- Dishes: Wide selection of antipasti, starters, main courses, and pizzas.
- Prices: 15€-25€
- Location: Via della Pelliccia, 47/53
- Reservations: Through The Fork.
Nannarella
- Description: Run by a couple, this restaurant focuses on quality ingredients and Roman tradition.
- Dishes: There are up to five kinds of meatballs, and the highlight is the pinsa, not pizza.
- Price: 10€-20€
- Location: Piazza di S. Calisto, 7/a
- Reservations: Reservations are impossible; you have to try your luck.
What to do before or after in the surroundings
The Trastevere is one of the most famous and visited areas of Rome, so don’t hesitate to take a stroll through its cobbled streets, among the bougainvillea adorning the walls of ancient buildings, and even along the banks of the Tiber River – if you’re going in the summer, there’s the Lungo il Tevere… Rome event that I recommend you visit. A few steps from Trastevere, you will also find the Isola Tiberina, the Circo Massimo, or the Baths of Caracalla.
To discover the treasures of the area, there are tours of Trastevere to reveal its secrets, focusing only on this area of the capital, as well as several monuments worth visiting without leaving its streets: the Cestius, Fabricio, Palatino and Aemilius bridges, the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere, with the homonymous fountain next to it, making the square the main of the area.
In Piazza Trilusa, especially at sunset, you can enjoy live music from various street performers, with tourists and locals drinking beer and singing at the top of their lungs.
Via del Corso area
Although I don’t know all the areas of Rome, I can assure you that this is one of the least cheap options in the center, as the shopping streets take center stage. It is normal to find a lot of fast food stalls or tourist restaurants where the prices go up considerably, so unless you feel like indulging yourself and seating in an elegant or haute cuisine restaurant – you will find some like Angie’s, Giano or Unik – you will have to walk with a good eye on the streets of this area of Rome.
Al Vantaggio
Recommended by a friend, I chose this restaurant to eat at on my first day in Rome, and I was walking around Villa Borghese when I got hungry. I accessed Google Maps to see how far it was and saw that you could book directly and that there were plenty of seats available (keep in mind that foreign visitors tend not to book but to improvise, so if you book, you will have no problem anywhere).
The restaurant is located on a perpendicular of Via del Corso and with a spacious restaurant inside and a terrace area used to the maximum, it is an ideal choice for eating in Rome on a budget.
With different starters, pasta dishes, pizza ,and other Italian delicacies, you can eat a menu that is more than enough for the same price or less than what you would pay in Spain, for example.
- Description: A 1920s establishment with an indoor restaurant and terrace. Highlights include the selection of wines on the menu.
- Dishes: A variety of appetizers, pizzas, pinsas, pasta, fish, and more.
- Price: 10€-20€
- Rating: The menu adapts to any pocket, which makes it an ally. Good tastes, varied options, and frequented by locals and tourists.
- Location: Via del Vantaggio, 33-35
- Reservations: Reservations can be made online with Google.
Another cheap place to eat in the area
Trattoria Al Gran Sasso – dal 1965
- Description: A hidden gem among the tourist restaurants, preserving the essence of Roman tradition, with a good quality-price ratio.
- Dishes: A wide variety of meat and fish dishes, but the cacio e pepe pasta stands out.
- Price: 10€-20€
- Location: Via di Ripetta, 32
- Reservations: They are possible through two mobile apps.
What to do in the area before or after lunch
This area offers the chance to stroll along Via del Corso, browse the shops – there are many local boutiques and international chains – have your photo taken in Piazza di Spagna, or walk up the Scalinata di Trinita dei Monti to the Basilica.
I went to Piazza del Popolo; from there, I walked up to the Pincio Terrace and took a quick stroll through Villa Borghese. I recommend spending a little time here, as the leisurely pace of the park and the people who visited it encouraged lingering in its avenues and squares with fountains.
I saw many people taking a guided tour in a golf cart or a pedal car, but also groups taking a guided bike tour of the park. You can also go outside the walls from the square and tour the less touristy Rome from here.
I hope these recommendations will help you to eat cheaply in Rome and enjoy all the goodness of Italian cuisine.
If on your way through the city you discover another interesting place, please do not hesitate to leave a comment or send me an email, and I will be happy to add it to this article. Buon appetito a tutti!
