John Hornick — Chef’s Apprentice
If you have four days in Rome and want good food with Roman ambience, this is your budget-friendly gourmet guide to restaurants and a few attractions from our most recent visit.
Getting to Rome
My brother, who doesn’t have much travel experience outside the U.S., asked “is Italy a good place to go in June, and if so, where should we go, where should we stay, and what should we do? And why don’t you come along and be our tour guide?” So we jumped at the chance to go to Italy with my brother, his girlfriend, his son, and his son’s girlfriend. We visited Rome, Florence, and Venice. Look for future gourmet guides to Florence and Venice.
To book your trip to Rome, or anywhere, use this Expedia box:
We used United points to fly to Rome. If you have slightly fewer points than you need, you can buy enough to get you a free trip from United. If you want to stay in Marriott hotels and don’t have enough points, you can also buy more here.
We travel with only one bag and a backpack each. I have been using this Pathfinder bag for many years. It has a large compartment with top or bottom access, and a nylon panel can be unzipped to combine the soft upper compartment and the rigid lower. The whole bag is heavy duty, including the retractable handle and wheels, as proven by the fact that I have been using it for well over five years, it still looks new despite having been in many, many overhead luggage compartments, and Sarah just bought one because mine has served me so well for so long. What I like most about it is the pockets. I love pockets and it has many pockets both inside and out.
Where to Stay: Hotel Forum
The moment we passed through the patinaed old wood, brass, and glass doors into the spacious, Victorian-era lobby (I know, Victorian wasn’t Italian, but you get the point), I loved this hotel.
The lobby’s wooden bar, antique rugs, many antique comfy chairs and seating areas, baby grand piano, antique furniture, and marble-topped coffee tables was great for planning the day, chatting with friends or family, reading a good book, or just sitting quietly, thinking about the glory that was, and is, Rome.
Two small elevators service the floors but I preferred the carpeted staircase and its old-world banister. The hallways are lined with antiques and old paintings (I’m pretty sure the Vermeer is not the one missing so many years).
Our room was spacious, with antique table and desk, and marvelous view of the ancient Roman Forum.
The icing on the cake is the top floors. The 5th floor is the home of the canopied open-air fine dining restaurant, which doubles as the breakfast room. We didn’t include the breakfast package when we booked, but added it because this restaurant is such a great place to start the day. Sunny and airy with a spectacular view that looks back in time.
Then there’s the perfect spot for the end of the day: the open-air rooftop cocktail bar with retractable shading. We ended every day and every dinner at this bar, where the drinks are well made, the potato chips and peanuts are endless, and the staff is wonderful.
After the bar closed, we retired to the kind-of-secret terrace tucked behind the second floor (BYOB and glasses).
After staying elsewhere on two prior Roman Holidays, I can’t imagine a reason to stay at any other hotel in the Eternal City, located as it is at the very edge of the Forum and within sight of the Colosseum, and walking distance to everything.
Day 1
Trevi Fountain
This guide isn’t about seeing the sites, and there is far more to see in Rome than I could cover, but I’ve included one must-see for each day.
Don’t miss the Trevi Fountain, one of the most amazing, beautiful, and historic fountains, and one of the best things to see, on this planet. It’s been featured in many movies: “Roman Holiday”, “Three Coins in the Fountain”, “La Dolce Vita”, and has been the location of countless marriage proposals.
Be sure to check the rules before you visit. Because this is a VERY popular attraction and is located in a relatively small plaza, the local government may restrict access to certain hours, days, and numbers of visitors. And the rules may change. So do your research and plan your visit (or proposal) accordingly.
For a proposal, I recommend St. Peter’s Square at The Vatican instead (keep reading).
UPDATE: As of February 2026, the City of Rome started charging tourists two euros to visit the fountain. The fee will will help fund historic preservation and crowd control. The charge does not currently apply after 10pm, but this could change if great hoards of tourists start waiting until after 10pm to visit the fountain.
Osteria Oliva for Dinner
We enjoyed an Al fresco evening for 6 at this elevated Italian restaurant near The Forum. My Carpaccio di Pescato was a refreshingly unique dish among the sameness of many Roman restaurants. I couldn’t translate the type of fish but it was yellowtailish and delicious, accompanied by a sweetish egg yolk sauce, a white meringue, and shaved fennel.
I also enjoyed the Castolette d’angnello, two perfectly grilled, meaty lamb chops with a very tasty mint and pea cream and a red wine reduction. Check out my Lamb Chops Master Recipe or my Grilled Lamb Chops with Salmoriglio Sauce.
The Buffalo Mozz, Prosciutto, and Melon Gazpacho was also unique, delicious, and beautiful, as were the meatballs anti-pasta with salsa verde.
My friends enjoyed very good representations of Amatriciano and Carbonara. See my Pasta Carbonara video and my Pork Belly and Spinach Carbonara video, or my blog post on Mastering Homemade Pasta.
Day 2
Tucci for Lunch
We stopped for lunch at this casual outdoor trattoria because it’s on the shady side of the Piazza Navona at lunchtime. I didn’t expect much because this is such a touristy area, but they had a table for 6 and I was pleasantly surprised by the food.
I had the Italian version of Salad Nicoise. Each ingredient was fresh and paired well, especially when dressed with olive oil and balsamico.
My wife Sarah’s pizza was just as she likes it, with crust thin enough that it almost snaps. The sausage was delicious, not spicy, and freed of its casing.
Roman Forum
As I walked the ancient Forum I could imagine how lively that market must have been over 2000 years ago, full of merchants selling fabric, spices, fruit, baskets and ceramic jars, beer (yes, they had beer, though snooty Romans thought beer barbaric and opted instead for, say, a nice 44 BCE Chianti), jewelry, sandals, candles (which they developed around 500 BCE), and many other things we can’t even imagine today.
Custom toga tailors probably outfitted the most discerning Roman, and certainly a great towel selection was available for the Roman baths.
And only a short walk away you could catch gladiators gladiating in the Colosseum while snacking on popcorn (well, probably not because corn didn’t reach Europe until Columbus stowed some in his luggage). But you get the point.
Allow at least half a day to appreciate The Forum, more if you want to see the post-Empire churches.
Also, be sure to buy early-in-the-day tickets in advance to avoid long lines and crowds, and I highly recommend hiring a guide.
If you go to The Colosseum, different tickets provide access to different areas. Make sure you get tickets for the areas you want to see.
Outside the Forum’s controlled area, don’t miss the ruins of Trajan’s Market on the other side of the big, wide, modern street that Mussolini never should have built.
Iari The Vino for Dinner
Our Forum Hotel recommended this classy enoteca a short walk away (any restaurant with wine in the name is probably good), which I give high marks. The hotel made reservations, which I highly recommend if you are thinking of dining around 8p, as we do. We walked past the no-rez line straight to our al fresco table for 6 people.
We started with a rich, inky Aglianico and a bright, crisp Pinot Grigio, which paired well with my fried squash blossoms from the daily specials menu and my friend’s fried pecorino balls. Click here for a great selection of Italian wines at good prices.
Both dishes were very tasty (and mine was delightfully gooey).
For my squash blossoms I borrowed honey from another friend’s very generous cheese plate and the berry jam from the cheese balls, which worked well.
I followed with another special, ravioli filled with sea bass, accompanied by mussels and clams in the shell, and wonderful tomato sauce. Excellent. Check out my Ravioli Master Recipe.
The others said they enjoyed their dishes very much, too. Carbonara is one of the world’s great dishes and every restaurant in Rome serves it. This version, which I tasted, was an excellent representation and satisfied both the eyes and the Buds.
Day 3
Campo de’ Fiori
We visit this great outdoor market whenever we’re in Rome. Though we can’t buy any fresh fruit or veggies because we are staying in hotels, we enjoy strolling the market, appreciating the beautiful local produce, and photographing the wares.
There’s also a great selection of truffle, balsamic, olive oil, and dried pasta products perfect for gifts or your own pantry.
Restaurants ring the campo, perfect for lunch, snacks, or drinks.
Magus Bistro for Lunch
We enjoyed lunch at this casual trattoria along the edge of Campo de’ Fiori. Our sautéed mussels and clams was spot-on.
Our bruschetta combo of tomato, tepanade, and artichoke was fresh and tasty.
Along with a glass of local red wine from Lazio, we munched while watching the market shoppers.
Gio’ Gio’ a Monti for Dinner
Our Hotel Forum recommended this upscale restaurant a short distance away. So glad they did. We had a great dinner at our al fresco, candlelit table for 6, shielded from the narrow, vehicle-free street by a hedge with twinkling lights.
Our server wisely recommended the mussel soup, which was rich and delicious, and I chose the Pesce alla Vernaccia with capers and olives, which was also excellent, accompanied by a very light Multipulciano. Click here for a great selection of Italian wines at good prices.
Everyone else in our group loved their dishes too, and although I did not taste them, they were a feast for the eyes.
Day 4
The Vatican
The Vatican is a sprawling city-state and the world’s smallest country, established in 1929, with roots reaching back to the birth of Christ. It is located within Rome’s city limits. It is the seat of the Papacy and the Catholic Church. Its museums are chock full of history and art.
The Sistine Chapel is the home of Michelangelo’s famous ceiling frescoes, which you can enjoy for a few minutes while a guard asks the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd to be silent every few minutes.
St. Peter’s Basilica is stunning.
It seems like everyone carries a water bottle these days. We knew having one would be important in Rome in June. Sarah found this great neoprene bottle carrier, which either slips over the shoulder or can be carried by a handle. It also has two zippered pouches. Yes, this is related to The Vatican.
I can say from experience that the larger of the two compartments can hold a rather large engagement ring box. My brother was planning to propose to his girlfriend at The Vatican. Upon entering, we realized he would have to put the ring box on the X-ray conveyor belt. Not only would that have ruined the surprise but the box could have been lost in the machine. Not knowing if it would fit, we quickly stashed it in the zippered compartment and placed the carrier on the conveyor belt. Disaster averted! I highly recommend this water bottle carrier even if you don’t plan to hide an engagement ring in it.
The vast St. Peter’s Square is a great place for marriage proposals. The Square is large enough for a thousand simultaneous proposals without being crowded. This is where my brother proposed. As I told him, “when her friends ask ‘where did he propose’?,” everyone knows where The Vatican is.
Ristorante Roof Garden for Dinner
This fine dining restaurant sits atop the Forum Hotel with a spectacular view of the Forum. I believe it is the only restaurant with a comparable view. It is open air with a retractable canopy roof. There are misters for too-hot weather and an indoor area for too-cool weather. The breakfast and dinner staff is excellent in every way.
The restaurant provides a very good breakfast buffet, where we ate every morning during our stay. Normally, we don’t like to have dinner in a hotel restaurant where we had breakfast, but we liked the setting so much that we made an exception, for our last night in Rome.
The dusk-to-nighttime view makes every table romantic, especially with wine (in Italy we almost always order an inexpensive local wine, this time a bottle of local Lazio Casale del Giglio Merlot — Merlot is really underappreciated, no matter what anyone says).
The Capasante Lardo (scallops wrapped in bacon) were excellent.
Sarah said the Trofie, which I believe was Amatriciana, was perfectly al dente, saucy, and delicious (it certainly looked great).
My brother’s s swordfish also looked good and he said it was.
I ordered the Tournedos Rossini. I’m not a beef tenderloin fan because it doesn’t have enough intramuscular fat but I ordered it because Rossini means foie gras and truffles, which would compensate for the tenderloin’s lack of marbling. Yum.
We ended with two beautiful and delicious desserts, one with a chocolate fondant and the other with some type of sweat baked bar, two types of chocolate, red currants, blueberries, and pine nuts.
This restaurant has all of the ingredients for a great evening.
Conclusion
Rome is one of our favorite cities in the world, for history, sightseeing, food, wine, and fun. There are countless restaurants in Rome. Although most of the restaurants in this great city are geared to visitors, it’s hard to get a bad meal because Romans love food and are proud of their food traditions. I hope this guide leads you to several great food experiences in the Eternal City.
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