Although it’s smack dab in the city center, Osteria La Quercia is on one of Rome’s smallest, quietest piazzas. Their glossy cacio e pepe comes with thick, chewy strands of tonnarelli dressed with some especially pepper-packed pecorino romano. Although the ingredients are simple, cacio e pepe is one of the most difficult pastas to perfect, and Osteria La Quercia gets it just right.

Armando Al Pantheon serves the best amatriciana in the city. Their signature sauce, perfected over six decades, has the perfect punch of meaty guanciale, which gets caught in every mouthful of rigatoni alongside perfectly-crisp bits of pork cheek. The creamy carbonara also shares this same guanciale crunch, showered with pecorino on top. Make sure to book your visit in advance—Armando Al Pantheon is closed on Sundays and remains one of the toughest reservations to get last minute.

Bianca Trattoria isn’t the place you accidentally wander into on a whim. Nope, you’re gonna hail a cab, show up hungry, and demolish their delicious pasta, starting with the gricia. Rigatoni is coated in a peppery pecorino sauce, crowned with crispy matchstick strips of pork cheek that hit the perfect meat-to-fat ratio, and finished off with a generous sprinkle of more pecorino. If you’re coming in the spring, they add fava beans to their gricia.

There are always two things at Trattoria Da Enzo: a line snaking out the door and silky carbonara worth every minute of the wait. This always-packed, cheerfully loud trattoria serves theirs with rigatoni, and it’s reliably creamy, with plenty of guanciale and a heavy hand of pecorino. They source lots of ingredients from their own farm, about an hour north of the city, so everything tastes incredibly fresh.

Saltimbocca is a dish that’s hard to perfect. The veal must be pounded super thin and cooked just right—crispy at the edges without being overdone. The ratio of prosciutto to sage has to be spot on, and the sauce should never be bland. And it’s one of the few Roman recipes that unapologetically calls for butter. Husband-and-wife duo Roberta and Loretta have been perfecting this dish for decades at their spacious, old-school spot in San Giovanni.

No trip to Rome is complete without a maritozzo for breakfast. And Pasticceria Regoli, a century-old bakery near the Termini train station, is where you should have your first of many. Sweet, yeasty buns get neatly filled with whipped cream, and make for the perfect start to a definitely over-caffeinated and “I might order wine at 11am” kind of day. Arrive early: the bakery opens at 7am, so they’ll probably be sold out before noon.

Everything the Trecastelli brothers (of Trecca fame) touch turns to gold, including the pizza at their latest spot, Fratelli Trecca. It’s crisp, ultra-thin, and slick with just enough olive oil to coat your fingers. You’ll find classics like parsley-packed marinara and straightforward margherita, along with some unexpected options like pizza with chicken innards or anchovy and chicory shoots. Enjoy a slice and glass of natural wine, just steps from Circo Massimo.

At Pecorino, it’s all about Rome’s most prized vegetable: artichokes. Start with the crispy, golden carciofi alla giudia, which are Jewish-style fried artichokes that crackle with every bite. Then move on to maltagliati con carciofi, irregularly cut pasta tossed with garlicky sautéed artichokes and a generous dusting of pecorino. If you’re still hungry, try the thin veal cutlets bathed in that same savory sauce and artichokes stuffed with garlic and wild mint, then gently braised in olive oil.

Cesare Al Pellegrino is the younger sibling of Da Cesare Al Casaletto, an institution that’s been whipping up classic Roman dishes for over 50 years. This tradition continues with dishes like rigatoni con coda alla vaccinara, where succulent, slow-braised beef arrives submerged in rich and tangy tomato stew. Lunch is the move here: their floor-to-ceiling windows allow ample sunshine to flood in while you’re flooding your body with pasta and beef.

After sidestepping waiters luring you in for an overpriced aperitivo, stop for dinner at Dar Filettaro in Campo de' Fiori. It’s our pick for Rome’s iconic baccalà, the massive filet of fried salted cod. Even though the setting is laid back, their fish is outstanding and so crispy. If the weather’s nice, grab a table outside on the lively piazza where you can gaze at the slightly leaning Santa Barbara dei Librai church.

Some say picchiapò’s name comes from “picchia un po,” meaning “give it a little hit,” which is probably a nod to pounding the tough leftover boiled beef to tenderize it. The version made by Osteria Palmira stands above the rest. Picture tender, long-simmered beef slow-cooked in a slightly spicy tomato sauce, balanced by the sweetness of caramelized onions. A glass of Cesanese on the side is optional. A hunk of crusty bread to soak up every last bit is not.

Wild chicory is as vital to the city as a good espresso on a Monday morning. Without it, and the crucial fiber it brings to many locals' diets, Rome might just shut down. The dandelion greens shine in two preparations: raw stems cut into thin, curly shoots and dressed in anchovy vinaigrette (puntarelle), or sautéed with garlic, oil, and chili pepper (cicoria ripassata). Piatto Romano, a restaurant in Testaccio known for making vegetable dishes, masters both.

Even if your morning pastry intake could qualify as a competitive sport, you’ll still need a snack later in the day. That's what a fried rice ball from Supplì Roma is for. This tiny but mighty takeout spot in Trastevere changes its flavors daily, but you’ll probably find Roman staples like coda alla vaccinara, cacio e pepe, or carbonara. Break one in half, and stretch the melty cheese like an accordion before absolutely housing it.

Pasticceria Boccione is the sole kosher bakery left in Rome’s historic Jewish Ghetto, and their baked tart brimming with ricotta cheese and a thin layer of wild cherry jam is the best in the city. Cram into the bakery, which is smaller than a walk-in closet, place your order with one of the kind sisters who run the place, and don’t be alarmed if your slice has a cracked crust or burnt edge—that’s part of the charm.

Some people ride or die for carbonara, or think cacio e pepe is the pinnacle of Roman cooking. But Trecca shows that it’s all about the quinto quarto, or offal. Their rigaglie di pollo arrives sizzling in a pan, with luscious chicken innards slowly simmered in a white wine and rosemary sauce, alongside the crispiest cubes of potatoes. It’s so good, we’ve considered licking the pan—and honestly, we just might one of these days.

La Tavernaccia Da Bruno in Trastevere serves comfort food so good, you simply won’t want to leave. Their trippa, most days, is slow-braised in sweet tomatoes, dashed with mint, and blanketed in pecorino, but in the fall it’s served with a silky mashed squash puree seasoned with garlic, herbs, and olive oil. We love Tavernaccia’s preparation because it’s perfectly cooked (yes, even tripe deserves to be al dente), and always coated in a lip-smacking sauce.

Sora Lella is one of only two restaurants on Isola Tiberina, a tiny island in the middle of the Tiber River, between the Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere. Their menu has classic Roman dishes alongside food you won’t find anywhere else. The most famous of these plates is pollo con i peperoni—chicken slowly simmered with strips of red and yellow bell peppers, tomato, white wine, and herbs. The secret is cooking it low and slow, allowing the chicken to soak up the flavors from the peppers and sauce.

Pajata is veal that still has its mother’s milk in it. It arrives in a bowl of mezze maniche pasta, slow-cooked for hours in a rich tomato and pecorino sauce. The meat has a ricotta-like texture in a natural casing. When you cut into it, the veal releases a creamy richness that melts into the sauce, adding its signature bold, gamey flavor. Checchino Dal 1887, a Testaccio-based restaurant, excels at pajata—not just in the pasta, but also grilled and dressed with a squeeze of lemon.

Tucked away in Monteverde, Ristorante Il Cortile is the spot to snag an outdoor table, take in the picturesque, quiet street, and relish the sweet sound of absolutely no tourists shouting about gelato. Their abbacchio a scottadito, or “burn your fingers” lamb chops, live up to the name. They come out sizzling hot, with a perfect char and sear. Add a side of sautéed chicory greens, and you’re eating like a true Roman.

Trapizzino is Rome’s iconic pizza pocket—the dough is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and filled with local ingredients. Though there are more than five locations across the city, the Trastevere spot is the one to visit. The restaurant has several round tables and a welcoming bar, plus a great Lazio-centric wine list. Try the slowly-simmered, shredded chicken cacciatore braised in white wine, vinegar, and herbs, or the hearty meatballs cooked in tomato sauce.

Made from lamb offal—heart, lungs, and liver—coratella is classic cucina povera, meaning humble ingredients turned into something rich and satisfying. Here, the innards are slowly sautéed with caramelized onions, creating a subtly sweet sauce that mellows their gamey flavor. Make sure to mop up the gravy with bread. This dish may come from peasant cooking, but the white tablecloths and sharp service say otherwise.

Good porchetta should have a crispy crust, juicy meat, and the ability to make you swear off all other pork. That’s exactly what you'll find at Iacozzilli, a pork butcher shop that’s the self-proclaimed "Porchetta King of Trastevere" (and we wholeheartedly agree). Come by first thing in the morning so you can taste it hot and crackly right out of the oven. On your way out, stock up on pecorino, parmigiano, and salumi, especially their coppiette that tastes like pork jerky.

Thursdays in Rome are for gnocchi because Fridays are for fish—shout out to a Roman Catholic tradition, where a filling meal prepared you for a meatless day ahead. This is where you want to be on Thursday. Their soft potato pillows get coated in a deceptively simple yet deeply flavorful tomato sauce. A generous snowfall of sharp pecorino romano on top adds a salty kick that balances the dish’s softness. And if you want to double down on gnocchi, they’ve got a fried version.

You can’t talk about Roman pizza without bringing up Bonci Pizzarium. Pregame your pizza here with some polpette di bollito, which are made up of perfectly seasoned shredded beef encased in a crispy crust. The beef stews for 10 straight hours before being shaped into a meatball and fried, and the result is so good, you’ll forget you even came for pizza.

If Rome runs on espresso, then it luxuriously strolls with gelato. Otaleg (which, yes, is gelato spelled backwards) was founded by an employee of one of Rome’s first gourmet gelato-makers, so it’s no surprise their gelato is among the best. Try the pistachio paired with a scoop of rich dark chocolate, or their silky stracciatella. Also good to know: the fruit flavors change with the season, and are dairy-free.