Orient Express’ first hotel is a block from the Pantheon and has the most beautiful rooftop restaurant. Even if you’re not staying here, we highly recommend it for lunch, dinner, or drinks! The lobby bar is also beautiful, and a perfect spot to cool off with a cocktail on a very hot day.

It’s just heaving everywhere within a couple of blocks of the Pantheon, but five minutes away, there are plenty of great places that don’t cater to tourists. Caffe Portoghesi is one of those places: a neighborhood spot where you can have an espresso at the bar or sit in their shaded outdoor seating area and enjoy a te freddo, or casual aperitivo.

If you’re near the Spanish Steps around lunchtime, head to Nino. Just around the corner yet far removed from the tourist fray, this old-school spot has a wood-paneled interior, and waiters who are sometimes grumpy and always wearing a coat and tie. The menu is more Tuscan than Roman, but the vibe is as local as it gets.

A six minute walk from the Spanish Steps, Settimio al’Arancio is a family-run gem with just 14 tables. Despite its intimate dining room, they have an impressive cellar with over 7,000 bottles of wine from every region in the country.

If you want to splurge, nothing compares to sitting in the lush garden at Hotel de Russie. Just minutes from the Spanish Steps, it's a total oasis for a special lunch, dinner, or aperitivo where you can forget you’re in the heart of the city.

Set in the courtyard of one of our favorite museums in the whole city, Caffè Doria is a peaceful hideaway near the Spanish Steps. Stop in for coffee or a cocktail in between admiring Doria Pamphilj’s masterpieces.

A five minute walk from Piazza Navona, Caffè Peru is one of our absolute favorites. It’s the kind of place where mornings bring neighborhood nonni reading the paper over espresso, while evenings spill into the street with a young crowd fueled by five-euro Negronis.

Attached to the Chiostro del Bramante near Piazza Navona, this bistro serves food and drinks with an extraordinary view into the church of Santa Maria della Pace. From the Hall of the Sibyls, you can admire Raphael’s fresco while enjoying a peaceful lunch. May we recommend the risotto?

Near the Colosseum, Alle Carette is a no-frills pizzeria beloved for its thin, crisp, Roman-style pies. It’s a great option for a quick, satisfying meal before or after sightseeing—especially if promising pizza keeps your kids motivated on a long tour.

Right down the block from the Roman Forum, this family-run trattoria has somehow managed to maintain its local feel in a heavily touristed area. The menu is sort of a blend of Southern Italian cuisine and has great seafood sourced from the nearby town of Anzio.

If you want a break from Italian food, Nakai serves excellent sushi in a sleek space just a 10 minute walk from St. Peter’s Basilica. With omakase, an extensive sake menu, and even a monthly sake club, it’s fun for a special night out or just a casual lunch.

This ivy-strewn gelateria near the Vatican only makes six flavors of gelato and sorbet and four granitas each day to keep everything fresh. The ingredients are organic and locally sourced, with no dyes or preservatives, so it's a treat you can feel good about after a long day exploring St Peter’s and the Vatican Museums.