I generally fall into the “eat to live, not live to eat” category, and food is rarely the focus of my travels – if anything, it’s a complication. But if I had to pick a favourite cuisine, it would probably be Italian, plus with my partner was joining me there was no risk of an awkward solo dining experience. So I made rather more of an effort for this visit to Rome, and here are some of the highlights.
Breakfast
This first pick, admittedly, is not purely about the food. The Hotel Forum offers enviable views across the historic heart of central Rome from its rooftop terrace. Non-guests can visit for breakfast, and although for €20 per person you can probably find a better spread elsewhere – I doubt you’ll find a better location to enjoy it in!
Lunch
We spent a lot of time in these gardens, and called in at Pic Nic on several occasions for light refreshments to take away. Whilst we can therefore vouch for their bruschetta and coffees, their chips definitely warranted a return visit! Pricing was very affordable too, so you wouldn’t even have to wait til lunch… You can find them at Piazzale delle Canestre towards the centre of the park.
Dinner
Dining options were surprisingly sparse near our hotels, but fortunately we found the Taverna Rossini early on and were able to fit in two meals there. On one night we opted for pizzas from their wood-burning ovens, and the range of those would already make for a respectable menu. But the second time round I picked from the extensive fish choices – there’s an associated pescheria, as well as a cafe, on the same site. I received an excellent portion of swordfish, which was so big (note that pricing is per 100g, not for just 100g!) that I couldn’t find room for dessert – but my partner could, and having at least sampled it, I can recommend that too.
Dessert
That said, however, we arrived in Italy with a goal in mind – Cannoli – and (given that Rome is not exactly near Sicily) were prepared to search for them. Placing our faith in Tripadvisor lead us across the city one evening to Ciuri Ciuri. They were worth the trek – no photos, as despite believing we’d purchased enough to save some for breakfast, they didn’t survive our appetites on the walk back!
