Eating (and Drinking) Out

Pubs

If you are looking for a bar in the American / Irish / British sense of the word, look for an American Bar or an Irish pub.
This company is Irish-owned, so we know a thing or two about where to find a good pint of Guinness
and where to catch the All-Ireland final!
Some so-called Irish-pubs are actually run by English people, who give priority to English football
and even cricket over Irish sports. You only need to sell Guinness to call yourself an Irish pub,
but anybody who appreciates a real Irish pub will know that there is a lot more to it than that!

The best Irish pub in the city centre is the Druid’s Rock
in Piazza Esquilino, which is known as the “rugby pub” in Rome.
They have happy hour until 8pm, when all pints are €1 cheaper, and the Guinness is as good as it gets in Italy!

Trattoria

A trattoria, sometimes also called a “Tavola Calda” (Hot Counter), is a fast-food place, Italian style!
Most Italians who work in the city eat here during their lunch break,
because they can be served quickly but the food is still good quality – no comparison to McDonalds or Burger King (which are also available).

In a trattoria, you can choose between pizza, pasta, chicken, pork, salads, potatoes, fries, paninos and sandwiches.
The food is almost always hot, because these places are very popular so the food does not stay
on display for very long after it is removed from the oven, but they will re-heat your pizza or panino if you wish. Many of these places will also have gelato (ice-cream), which is indescribably good practically everywhere in Italy.

Restaurants

Generally speaking, it is difficult to find a bad meal in Rome!
The food here is world-famous for its quality, so the difference is mainly in the service.
The restaurants in the busiest tourist areas – near the Trevi Fountain and near the Vatican
are prime examples – will grossly overcharge for their meals, and very often you will feel yourself being rushed out the door as eagerly as you were ushered into the restaurant,
as they try to get everyone in and out as quickly as possible.

This is why most people in the know go to Trastevere for a great Italian meal, with excellent service,
and at reasonable prices. Trastevere is known as the locals’ area in Rome, which is why you get such great service, and many of these restaurants are family enterprises, and you will often see the Italian mamma cooking in the kitchen with her secret recipes!

For the real Italian dining experience, it is worth the taxi fare going to Trastevere,
even if you are staying on the opposite side of the city. Although you could just go to the general area and walk into any restaurant and be guaranteed a good meal, there are a few restaurants we can recommend in particular:
La Fraschetta, Via di San Francesco a Ripa, 134, 00153 Roma, Italia‎ - 06 581 6012‎.
Popi Popi, Via delle Fratte di Trastevere, 45, 00153 Rome, Italy‎ - 06 5895167‎.