Where to eat in Trastevere

So, where to eat in Trastevere, Rome? I just spent a few days there and found some great new favorites for pizza, pasta, gelato and pastry. Best part, I was also able to avoid the mass crowds of tourists.

Pizza

I’ll start with where to eat pizza al taglio in Trastevere. La Renella Forno pizza was so tasty, we went back twice in the same day. 

La Renella Forno for pizza al taglio

It was a Sunday. On both occasions, we watched locals stroll in, say their ciaos and hurry out with a slice in one hand a bushel of freshly baked bread in the other. Ready for Sunday dinner. 

For the pizza, you pay by weight. You can choose the amount and types you like. The pizza flies off the counter very quickly. I promise you’ll never have a stale slice. They’ll also heat it for you so you can enjoy it at the long narrow bar or take it to go. 

I recommend the classic pizza rossa. A thin base topped with just tomato sauce. If they have it, don’t pass up the zucchini flower, mozzarella and anchovy pizza. It was incredible. I’d fly back to Rome just for a slice. 

La Renella Forno also has a small assortment of cookies in the case upfront if you’d like a sweet finish to your meal. 

I was also recommended Pizzeria La Boccaccia just around the corner. If you do a taste test, let me know how it goes. 

Roman-style pizza at Dar Poeta

We got lucky with a table outside on a Friday night at Dar Poeta. The restaurant is on a side street just off Piazza della Scala. If it looks busy, try anyways. The pizza is cooked so quickly that tables turn over fast. 

I’d advise you only order the pizza. We tried the bruschetta and were disappointed. The pizza is Roman-style. This means the base is thin and the crust is crispy. It’s not too filling or greasy. 

We split two pizzas – the Parmigiana with tomato, mozzarella and grilled eggplant and the one with spicy salami.

We also shared half a carafe of white wine and a bottle of water. The whole meal cost €30. 

Pasta

Trattoria da Teo might very well be my new favorite eatery in all of Rome. da Teo is set in the calm Piazza dei Ponziani.

Trattoria da Teo

They serve simple Italian classics like grandma would cook. While you eat, you’ll see the locals around you smoking cigarettes between courses and joking with the busy waitress.

The first few pasta dishes are all served with fat rigatoni. It’s the best shape to catch all the sauce and keep your dish warm until the last bite. 

After seeing some dishes pass by while we waited for our table, I knew exactly what to order. 

What to order at da Teo

We shared the carciofi alla Romana to start. These were the best Roman-style artichokes I’ve had. Served just with olive oil and a dash of salt.

For our main course, we shared two pasta dishes – Cacio e Pepe with rigatoni and Amatriciana with rigatoni. 

My favorite was the Amatriciana. The bacon was crispy and plentiful and the sweet tomato sauce balanced out the richness. The pasta was the perfect al dente and both dishes were sprinkled with pecorino romano. 

The portions were giant. I somehow ate every bite, knowing this was my last meal in Rome, but many plates around us were not clean. 

To drink, we shared a big Peroni, the only size they offer, for €5. For dessert, they have a special mascarpone mousse topped with local wild strawberries. I was too full to try but the strawberries were extra tiny and just adorable.

How to act at da Teo

If you plan to eat here, plan to act Roman. Upon arrival, there was a line. We waited patiently unlike some of the others and were seated at a lovely table outside while they were ushered into the dark dining room on a beautiful day. 

We also overheard a young French woman ask for balsamic vinegar for her mozzarella. The waitress was in disbelief and refused to serve the balsamic. She said, just olive oil and salt. You’re in Rome, you’ll eat like a Roman.

Pasta e Vino Osteria

At Pasta e Vino a woman in the window makes pasta by hand hour after hour. To her left is a pianist to add a bit of vibe. We sat in the front room as it’s more lively than the back room.

I’d rate this meal average compared with the others, so won’t go into too much detail. The menu is accommodating. You choose the pasta shape and sauce you like or from the menu of main courses, mostly meat. 

We shared Cacio e Pepe and Amatriciana. The sauces did not compare with those at Trattoria da Teo but the pasta was cooked a nice al’dente. 

We skipped dessert, but they serve complementary mini red and white wine biscuits alongside sambuca, or a similar liquor depending on the day. 

Other pasta recommendations

We were also recommended two more spots we didn’t get a chance to try. I’ve added them to my list for the next visit.

Trattoria da Enzo al 29

We were originally going here when we opted for Trattoria da Teo instead. Both are popular with locals, but Enzo is more well known with tourists and accepts reservations. If you want to eat here, book in advance.

Ai Bozzi

Our Roma Food Tour guide (definitely take the tour), Stefano, recommended this trattoria. Stefano said it’s where he’d eat in Trastevere. He has been going here with his dad since he was little. They serve classic pasta but are more well-known for fish. 

Dessert

Of course no meal is complete without dessert. We tried a few gelato and pastries, but these were our favorites.

Gelato at Otaleg

Though Joe was disappointed that the gelato was not in covered metal vats (he’d learned this was proper gelato etiquette), the gelato at Otaleg was very tasty.

They had both cream-based gelato and sorbets of traditional and more seasonal specials. 

I tried the ricotta with lemon and cinnamon and the dark chocolate sorbet in a cone. Each scoop is a measly $1. Let’s just say if I lived nearby this would be dangerous for my waistline. The ricotta gelato was not overly sweet and the sorbet was rich without being heavy.

Pastries at Biscottificio Artigiano Innocenti

If you’ve Google pastries in Rome, Biscottificio Artigiano Innocenti most likely is already on your list. This is a funny little bakery. It’s on the back streets just off Viale di Trastevere in a quieter area. Pastry after pastry is displayed in the windowsill.

On a warm day, the temperature inside is difficult to handle. Behind the counter is an older woman and man serving up their pastries fresh from the oven. Lots of biscotti and other cookies (or as the British would say, biscuits) as well as some pastries and pies.

These are classic Italian to the heart. You pay by the kilogram, €26 for one. Choose exactly what you like from the display or ask for a mix of their favorites. Then, grab a seat on the Tiber River and start taste testing. 

Looking for more recommendations on where to eat in Trastevere and the rest of Rome? Start here, I’ve got a few more articles about this delectable city. I even went on a food tour to find all the best spots at the Trionnfale market and by the Vatican.