In addition to good old restaurants, Rome also preserves the oldest ice cream parlor in the world. And most of these places work in the Historic Center, close to tourist attractions and hotels.
So, take advantage of your days in Rome to try dishes that have served a generation of Romans and tourists alike. All are highly rated by visitors.
Ancient restaurants in Rome – 5 centuries-old places to eat well
What do you prefer, a trendy restaurant that may not exist next year, or a restaurant with decades or centuries of tradition? On a trip, I always stick with the second option. It’s a way to learn a little more about the city’s history.
Even more so in Rome, with its more than 2,700 years old and its dozens of ancient restaurants. That’s why, when people ask me where to eat in Rome, I prefer to recommend old restaurants than places that are not yet part of the city’s tradition.
This is irrefutable proof that food is also culture. Check out which are the oldest restaurants in Rome:
1. La Campana
The business that started as a wine cellar and later became an inn, has the year 1518 in its first records. At that time, Pedro Álvares Cabral was still alive and it was more than 200 years before Napoleon Bonaparte was born.
Trattoria La Campana, in addition to being historic, is also known for its typically Roman dishes. Try classics such as fried fish, artichokes and typical Roman pecorino cheese dishes.
And the best: prices don’t scare. Don’t expect pomp, the place is simple and the service is usually harsh, as unfortunately happens in most of Italy .
It is close to important tourist attractions, being a good stop, for example, on the walk between Piazza Navona and Castel Sant’Angelo.
2. Ristorante Piperno
The second oldest restaurant in Rome opened its doors in 1860. Among pasta and seafood, its most outstanding dish is the typically Roman Carciofi alla giudia.
“Jewish artichokes”. Basically, it’s fried artichokes. The restaurant’s drink menu is also typically Roman, with many wine and grappa options.
Great place to go on sunny days, have lunch at the tables outside the restaurant.
3. Checchino dal 1887
The name conveys the age. Founded in 1887 and still in the hands of the same family, the restaurant is known for its dishes based on meat offal and for inventing “ coda alla vaccinara”, an oxtail stew.
But there is also no shortage of pastas, which make the atmosphere of an “Italian cantina” even more cozy.
To travel even further back in time, you can try the historic menu, which serves a sequence of old dishes on the menu, such as lamb intestines, desserts and pairings of cheeses and liqueurs.
4. Due Ladroni
The translation is exactly what you’re thinking: Two Thieves. The unusual name of the restaurant, born at the beginning of the last century, is due to a neighborhood joke.
Previously known as a simpler place, the restaurant changed management in the 1950s and began selling refined and somewhat more expensive dishes. Spooked by the prices, locals nicknamed the owners “the two thieves”.
On the menu, some of the main dishes typical of Italy, such as spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with shells) and Riso al Salto (grilled rice, usually made with leftover risotto).
5. Palazzo del Freddo di Giovanni Fassi
To close the list of oldest restaurants in Rome, nothing better than a good dessert. The oldest ice cream parlor in the world is located in the Termini area , the main transport hub in central Rome.
The place was founded in 1880 by Giovanni Fassi, who was until then the ice cream man of the Italian royal family. And even today it is a mandatory stop for lovers of the most traditional of Italian desserts.
At the same address since forever, the ice cream parlor has changed little over its more than 140 years. The salon holds news in yellowed newspaper pages, old advertisements and equipment that goes back to the old way of making ice cream.
So, in addition to trying the most traditional ice cream in Rome, take advantage of your visit to travel back in time and include one more interesting place in your travel itinerary.