Rome in Food

One of the key ‘best bits’ of our recent Rome mini break, for my three good friends, Jemma, Stephanie and Jade was undoubtedly the food. We enjoyed fantastic morsels of food from the moment we arrived till the very last moment we left (cramming in last minute bruschetta en route to the airport).

Here’s a breakdown of some of our best bites during our four-day stay in Rome over the Easter break,

At Osteria Da Vita & Dina, a little trattoria close to the Vatican, was where we enjoyed our first meal and this opened our tastebuds up to the endless delights of Roman cooking. I shared a pizza so light and so crisp but with a rich, delicious topping of cheese, pig’s heat meat and mushrooms - a Bascaiola with a fresh, light and beautiful Caprese Salad of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil with Jade and we were literally groaning in delight at every mouthful. Jemma enjoyed a pizza and Steph some ravioli and we shared a carafe of wine – equivalent to a litre and the meal was less than £40 in Sterling. The pizzas were something we enjoyed all around Rome too.

Bascaiola Pizza and Caprese Salad in Osteria Da Vita & Dina

Raviolli at Osteria Da Vita & Dino

Seafood Linguini at by the Grand Caffe Maggiore by the Basillica Santa Maggiore washed down with delicious Birra Morretti. Such a simple 'sauce' or coating to the pasta made up of a little oil, a few sweet tomatoes, prawns, mussels and clams plus the tiniest pinch of basil - stunning to see and to taste. Lasagne here was also a treat - the meat was ground so finely, and it was rich and filling and made all lasagnes I've tried in the UK pale into insignificance. 

Lasagne at Grand Caffe Magiore

Seafood Linguini at Grand Caffe Maggiore

When visiting the Colosseum we enjoyed a hearty and delicious lunch at Messenzio Ai Fiori, a really great find. Jemma and I both had melt-in-the-mouth tagliata on a simple rocket salad and topped with sea salt and shavings of Peccorino. Beautiful. Jade had Saltimboca and Steph had Escalope de Millanese and both were equally fantastic. The calamari sharing appetiser we had here was mind-blowingly tasty, fresh and cooked to utter perfection. 

Saltimbocca at Messenzio Ai Fiori

Tagliata at Messenzio Ai Fiori

The best calamari at Messenzio Ai Fiori

Another great meal enjoyed was at a restaurant in the Piazza Navonna area after wondering around taking in the many foodie shops in the area. Here we had one of my favourite charcuterie Selections and the creamiest, most delicious burrata - stunning. I had the osso bucco - veal shin, slow cooked in a gorgeously rich tomato based sauce – beautiful. Other dishes here included a pork with truffles and cream that was so rich and delicious we were all jealous of Jade’s choice, a rabbit ragu with tagliatelle and a grilled seabass – all great.

Burrata

Osso Bucca

Rabbit Ragu

Pork with Truffles

Charcuterie all around Rome was good – whether in a nice restaurant or as a bar snack and the bruschetta was unlike anywhere I’ve enjoyed before – the flavour, although using a few very simple ingredients was just incredible. Also the olives, which all seemed to have been sourced locally, were sensational. I’ve long been a fan of Greek olives as my favourites, but these proved a fantastic contender.

Bruschetta

Charcuterie

Charcuterie

Sweet treats are not to be sniffed at it Rome either, whether a gelato, a pastry or a pudding such as the most beautiful looking (and tasting) tiramisu; you’re sure to find something to appeal to your sweet tooth.

Pastries at Grand Caffe Maggiore

Tirimisu - the best pick me up

Italians take food incredibly serious and it shows. Rome was one of the finest culinary trips I’ve ever been on and left me seriously hungry for more, not to mention a few pounds heavier. If you like Italian food, Rome is an absolute must-visit city for you.