Where to Eat in Rome When There's No Avoiding the Tourist, Rome, Italy

I once wrote down a quote (I can’t remember who it was by) that went something along the lines of: “Sex is like Shakespeare: even when it’s bad, it’s still a damn sight better than the alternative.” The same is probably true of food in Rome: even if you’re in an over-priced pizza joint that’s equidistant from the Vatican, Colosseum and Spanish Steps, it’s still not going to be that bad. And yet, like everything, there are degrees: there are thinner, crispier pizzas and fatter, flabbier pizzas; there is better value for money and worse; and not all carbonaras are created equal.

And while it may be easy to sort the guanciale from the bog-standard bacon outside the tourist centre (the Romans will undoubtedly see to that), in the tourist traps it’s not so simple… Hence why, on my most recent trip to Rome (my third this year), I devised my guide to where to eat near the top tourist attractions. As always, thanks to Maria from HeartRome and all the bloggers at Eating Italy for their wonderful tips and insights into being a foodie in the Eternal City!

I stayed in Celio (the district just south of the Colosseum) for the duration of this trip, so needless to say I found the most hidden gems in this area. For ultra-thin Roman-style pizza, head to Li Rioni - as we discovered on our first night after a delayed flight and an apartment check-in process that took an hour (I kid you not!), their oven is fired up till nearly midnight. Phew. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).