Must-Try Roman Dishes: Authentic Flavors You Can't Miss in Rome

When you think of must-try Roman dishes, traditional Italian foods rooted in Rome’s history, ingredients, and daily life. Also known as Roman cuisine, it’s not about fancy presentations—it’s about simple ingredients made perfect. This isn’t the pasta you get at airport restaurants. This is the food Romans eat at 8 p.m. after work, at family tables in Trastevere, or standing at a counter with a glass of wine. It’s food that doesn’t change because it doesn’t need to.

At the heart of Roman cuisine, a style of cooking defined by humble ingredients, regional pride, and centuries of tradition. Also known as cucina romana, it relies on just a few things: high-quality pasta, pecorino cheese, black pepper, guanciale, and olive oil. You won’t find cream in authentic carbonara, a Roman pasta dish made with eggs, cheese, guanciale, and pepper. Also known as spaghetti alla carbonara, it’s a dish that turns simple pantry staples into something unforgettable. Same with cacio e pepe, a minimalist pasta dish of pecorino cheese and freshly ground black pepper. Also known as cheese and pepper pasta, it’s the kind of meal that makes you stop and wonder how something so plain can taste so deep. And then there’s supplì, a fried rice ball filled with mozzarella and tomato sauce, a Roman street food staple. Also known as supplì al telefono, it’s crispy outside, gooey inside, and eaten while walking home from the market. These aren’t menu items—they’re rituals.

Rome’s food doesn’t shout. It whispers. It’s in the way the pasta is cooked al dente just for one person, the way the oil is drizzled slow, the way the cheese is shaved fresh. It’s not about the restaurant’s name—it’s about who made it and why. You’ll find these dishes in tiny trattorias with no signs, at family-run osterias tucked behind the Colosseum, or at a bar counter where the bartender hands you a plate without asking if you’re hungry. This is the real Rome. And if you’re looking for the truth of the city, you’ll find it on a plate.

What you’ll find below are real stories from people who live here—how they learned to cook these dishes, where they eat them, and why they won’t let anyone mess with the recipe. No tourist traps. No fake reviews. Just the food that keeps Rome alive.