Where to eat in Rome on a budget

When we were planning our trip to Rome our "where to eat" list was huge! But we ended up not going on many of the places on that list. The reason? 1) the list was so long we would have to stay a whole month in Rome to go on all of them and 2) we found out about many nice places once we were there.

So today I'll share our list of where to eat in Rome on a budget!

We believe that there isn't bad food in Italy! You will always eat good food, even in touristic places! So if you don't follow this list, you will probably eat well anyway 🙂

We didn't go to fancy restaurants. We prefered simpler places. We hardly ever ordered meat, which is usually more expensive (at least for our budget) so we ate a lot of pasta (perfect if you are in Italy, right?), a lot of them with seafood. We didn't pay more than 12 euros for a dish and when we wanted pizza, we chose the ones by the slice. They are on windows, so you just order and they warm them up for you. And they taste great!

Here you'll find tips not only about restaurants, but coffee shops, markets and grocery stores. Ready?

Where to eat in Rome

Super Pizza Il Capriccio - Via Giustiniani, 18

This place was not on our list, but when we passed by this restaurant on our way to the Pantheon we saw 4 Italian gentleman talking and having fun while they were being served. They looked so happy that we thought, if these locals are eating there the food must be good 🙂

They have pizza by the slice but we had pasta. And it was good! So was the price!

Pizzeria Tavola Calda - Via Milano, 33

We ended up at this pizza place because we didn't like the restaurant that was on our original plan. Pizzeria Tavola Calda is a very simple restaurant where they serve pizza by the slice (you pay according the weight). We grabbed a few slices and sat by the window!

Pizzeria San Marco - Via Tacito, 29

This is another pizzeria, but we ordered pasta. Isabella actually had pizza but I had the carbonara and Luciano had the Penne Salsiccia Burro e Salvia, which is a Sausage, Butter and Sage Pasta. This one was so good that we make it at home from time to time - check the recipe here!

Angelino "ai Fori" dal 1947 - Largo Corrado Ricci, 40 42 43 43a 25, Via dei Fori Imperiali

This restaurant is located right in front of the Roman Forum and, as expected, a place for tourists. But we were so hungry that we decided to take a chance, especially because the prices were very reasonable. And what a surprise! The food was delicious! We had pizza, Spaguetti a La Matriciana and Eggplant Parmegiana.

La Renella Forno Antico Trastevere - Via del Moro, 15

Another pizza by the slice. But this time we bought it to eat in our apartment. The pizza was very good, even though we had to reheat it.

Mercato Centrale Roma - Roma Termini, Via Giovanni Giolitti, 36

Mercato Centrale is located at Roma Termini, the train station, and there is a great variety of restaurants, coffee shops and places to have a snack. We had coffee and something sweet and bought croissants to take back to the apartment.

Alle Fratte di Trastevere - Via delle Fratte di Trastevere, 49/50

The first time we went to this restaurant was in 2005 and we remembered having the best lasagna of our lives. At that time we didn't write down the name of the restaurant or the address. When we were planning this trip we even tried to find it on google maps but we had no luck. We had our picture taken at the restaurant but it was not enough to know where it was.

But as we were walking in Trastevere we passed in front of a restaurant and we thought: isn't it the one we went the other time were here? We checked our pictures (by accessing google photos) and yes, that was the place!

We had already had lunch so we sat and ordered coffee and a serving of tiramisu to share. We started talking to a gentleman that later we found out was the owner, so we told him about our first visit there and soon he came with another slice of tiramisu for Isabella and it was on the house, as a thank you for returning after all those years!

Don Nino - Via dei Pastini, 134

Another stop for coffee and tiramisu. We walked so much in Rome that we had to stop from time to time for a rest.

Mercato Trionfale - Via la Goletta, 1

We went crazy at Mercato Trionfale. We wanted to take everything home!

This public market is amazing! Everything looked so fresh and delicious! We bought bread, fresh mozzarella, and lasagna.

Eataly Roma - Piazzale 12 Ottobre 1492

There is more than one Eataly in Rome, and this is the biggest. We bought fresh pasta, eggs, bacon and cheese to make carbonara at home. Isabella is always saying that was the best carbonara she has ever eaten. And it was!

Venchi - many locations throughout the city

This a chocolate and ice cream shop. The hot chocolate is amazing, and so is the ice cream! Isabella fell in love with the mango ice cream! Check our copycat recipe here!

Pam and Pam Express - many locations throughout the city

This supermarket chain ended up being our favorite because there was a Pam Express very close to our apartment. There we bought many items for breakfast and some dinners, mostly their daily promotion. They had some meal combos with excellent prices. Carbonara for 3 for 3 euros (1 euro per person!!!) and gnocchi with sauce and a bottle of wine for 4 euros! We also bought some very good salads!

Well, that's it! I hope you enjoyed this post and use some of this tips on your next trip to Rome!