You’d have to be on a hunger strike not to eat well in Italy. But in Rome? It’s notorious for a restaurant trade that offers inconsistent quality, especially in the ancient centre.
Perhaps it’s the millions of tourists with thick wallets that sweep through every year, never to return again. Or maybe it’s the mysterious Carbonari – the old uncles rumoured to be part of the mafia, who can make getting a new restaurant license so difficult it means that places that already have them don’t have to worry about the new competition down the block.
Whatever the reason – you can pay a pretty penny to dine out in Rome, and choosing the right restaurant can be overwhelming, let alone knowing what to order. But what if you could eat and drink like a local?
Here are three unique gourmet experiences that will take you on a culinary tour to some of Rome’s most interesting neighborhoods, while introducing you to some of its lesser known and most delicious food and wine, along with a dash of culture and a sprinkling of history for good measure.
Eating Italy Food Tour – A Taste of Testaccio
Based in the charming neighbourhood of Testaccio, just a 20-minute walk from the Colosseum but far from tour buses and crowds, this tour is all about eating. It’s not for the faint-hearted or the small of stomach, and please, don’t show up if you’re not hungry or opposed to food induced-nirvana.
Beautiful and bubbly, guide Luna Muna is a Malta-born, Australian-Italian expert on all things delicious. Standing inside Barberini, the neighborhood’s best pastry shop – lined with decadence and oozing with the smell of a dark, rich brew – Luna talks us through the intricacies of ordering a coffee like an Italian: in a bar, ask for “un cafe”, no milk after noon (apparently, cappuccinos are banned after breakfast – rule breakers will receive dagger eyes for ordering one). We put our best Italian faces on and swig back our cafe like a shot of tequila – the Roman way – and get eagerly to the eating part.
First up, a decadent breakfast of Teramisu in a chocolate cup, followed by an Italian pastry, the famed cornetto. Luna asks us, sugar-induced glimmer in her eye, “Do you know the difference between an Italian cornetto and a French croissant?” Silence. She answers, “Cornettos are better.” We all laugh while devouring a day’s worth of calories before waddling off to our next stop, the famed deli “Volpetti.”
Perfectly mature cheese wheels line the shelves; bowls of all forms of marinating wonders line the display case; cured meats of all sorts hang from the ceiling like a carnivore’s mistletoe. A family business for more than 40 years, the father still behind the counter along with his sons, this place is as authentic as it is famous. Here we taste truffle infused parmesan, Prosciutto, and Barolo wine-infused Salami before moving on to the 5-, 10- and 15-year old Balsamic vinegar.
Over the next four hours we eat, eat, eat. We taste pizza by the slice, visit the famous Testaccio food market where we sample fresh cannoli and buffalo mozzarella before learning to make our own bruschetta. Later we walk by the tiny 00100 Pizza shop to try their famous Genovese’ supplì (a risotto ball infused with a rich meaty flavour and encrusted in a crispy, golden fried shell). Along the way we wander past Rome’s only Pyramid, John Keats mysterious tomb, past castle-like city walls and the Testaccio “hill” – which is actually a giant pile of stacked clay vessels, discarded after breaking in the River Tiber’s trading days. We even eat a greedy lunch at Flavio al Velavevodetto (uniquely positioned under the Testaccio Hill) where we are treated to three Roman dishes – pasta à la tomato, pasta pepe e cacio (pasta with pepper and cheese), and carbonara pasta before ending the tour over real gelato at Giolitti.
Tip: Dress comfortably for walking, go on an empty stomach, and bring a bag to carry any tasty treasures that you might pick up along the way.
Vino Roma – Regional Italian Wine Tastings
Visit this unique wine studio just minutes away from the Colosseum – in the hip Monti district, part of an ancient enclave known for it’s hills and artsy, bohemian appeal – and you’ll leave with a new understanding of Italian wines. Whether you know a lot or a little about wine, this tutored tasting is hosted by a trained sommelier who will introduce you to regional wines and new varietals without any of the snobbery typically associated with formal tastings. The “My Italians” tasting is the most popular, where you can taste six unique wines and learn something new about Italy’s most famous vino like Chianti and Super Tuscans, as well as lesser known wines from across Italy’s more than 20 wine regions. I participated in the “Sparkling Saturdays” tasting where American-Italian sommelier Maurizio taught me all about Italian bubbly, from Prosecco and Asti to little known Franciacorta, Italy’s own version of Champagne. We even tasted a rustic, unfiltered bubbly which I could probably never have tried otherwise.
Tip: Vino Roma also offer a Wine & Cheese lunch option, as well as walking food tours which visit some of Rome’s best shops and markets. Ask to see the 1000-year old cellar downstairs, where the wines are stored.
Cooking Classes in Rome – with Chef Andrea Consoli
This is a not-to-be-missed cooking class where an authentic Roman chef will teach you how to cook authentic Roman dishes. The kitchen is located in the historic heart of Trastevere, literally “across the Tiber.” This is the quaint end of Rome – something like a movie set – where the piazza is mobbed by young-pretty-somethings and everyone seems to have a vespa, where the streets are narrow and cobblestoned, and seem to spiral among ivy-covered medieval buildings.
Classes are hands-on – aprons donned and hair tied back – with up to 12 participants setting into action on a 5-hour step-by-step lesson on how to prepare a 4-course Roman menu. “I have a 0-kilometer philosophy,” says Chef Consoli as he introduces the class. Every single organic ingredient laid out on the gleaming silver table is sourced locally, mostly by Chef himself, at the local markets. This means the menu of the day will change with the seasons and the natural availability of the ingredients required. In my class we prepared:
- Fiori di Zucca (Pumpkin Flowers with Prosciutto and Mozzarella with Southern Style Pesto)
- Fresh Homemade Tagliolini all’Amatriciana (Homemade Pasta with Bacon Sauce)
- Scaloppine di Vitellone con Funghi (Beef Scaloppine with Mushrooms)
- Eggplant Parmigiana
- Torta della Nonna (Grandma’s Custard Cake)
Chef Consoli dished out tasks to each of us as we moved through the dishes, demonstrating what to do first. In between he taught us how to select produce, what to look for / what to avoid, the ins and outs of Roman food and preparation, and why Trestavere is so important on the Roman culinary map. We laughed and we talked, we taste-tested and we chopped. A real highlight was learning to make fresh Tagliatelle from scratch and as I rolled out long perfect lines of pasta my heart swelled with pride along with my appetite. At the end we sat down together around the table and enjoyed every bite of our hard work, along with a flight of delicious and well paired wines. The best part? About a week later, I received an email with the recipes we cooked together – so now I can satisfy my new taste for Rome until I return again.
Read more: Touring the Vatican and Sistine Chapel in Rome. Alternatively, if your appetite is whetted and you’re ready for a couple of weeks in Italy, check out this 15-day Best of Italy holiday package.
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