Trastevere

Taking up a fairly large storefront in Trastevere, this traditional Roman-style pizza spot is an important stop if you’re eating your way through the city. Order off the lengthy menu (we suggest going purist with a Margherita), take a seat at one of the communal tables inside or street-side and enjoy your pie (you eat it with a knife and fork) while watching the pizzas go in and out of the massive oven in the open kitchen. Keep in mind that they keep to evening hours only and are big on take-out, so you’ll see a steady procession of locals picking up stacks of pizza boxes to take home for dinner.

Wonderfully low-key and tucked away on a cobblestone street in Trastevere by the river, this is a great lunch or dinner spot; you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but the fried artichokes and cacio e pepe are pretty hard to pass up. The wait here can get pretty long, but they do accept dinner reservations if you’re able to plan in advance.

The humble entrance on Via Garibaldi doesn’t exactly give it away, but this semi-fine dining restaurant has a solid reputation for being something of a hotspot. Specifically, it’s the private open-air terrace—particularly romantic at sunset— that draws locals and in-the-know tourists for return visits; inside, the walls are almost entirely covered in works by local artists. Food-wise, expect to find a lot of Roman classics (cacio e pepe, tripe, carpaccio), plus the occasional culinary curveball.

To see this in person, from its mosaics to its ancient basilica plan, is to witness one of the oldest (and most majestic) churches in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Rome.

Situated next to the Palazzo Riario-Corsini, Orto Botanico is exactly what you'd image a nearly secret botanical garden in an ancient city to be: lush and emerald green, straight out of a fairytale

The entryway is covered in greenery making it easy to miss if you're strolling by. Although it's tiny, there's a small counter where you can perch for an afternoon respite from walking.

Fatamorgana's natural ice creams are made without any artificial coloring, thickeners, or preservatives, resulting in a consistency that is thick, ultra creamy, and slightly fluffy.

An institution, for good reason. Dar Poeta's pizza, with its slow-rising crust, slightly tangy cheese, and fresh tomatoes, is one of our favorites in the city.