Rome Street Food Guide for 2025

Street food might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Italian cuisine. But the Bel Paese excels at all things food-related, and its capital city is no different. Street food in Rome is on another level. A borderline religious experience, love at first bite. Delicious affirmation that the best things in life are simple, inexpensive, and—more often than we’d like—unhealthy.

Such is Rome’s reputation when it comes to street food that TasteAtlas recently voted it the sixth-best food destination in the world, just behind Florence, Bologna, and, in first place, Naples.

We’ve written this guide for gastronome and casual food lovers alike who are visiting Rome and want to treat their taste buds. Here's our favourite Rome street food, and where best to try it. 

Supplì

Supplì is a classic Roman street food that is both simple and sumptuous. Supplì are essentially croquettes made from risotto rice mixed with various ingredients — most commonly mozzarella and tomato sauce but sometimes cheese and pepper (cacio e pepe) carbonara, or spicy 'njuda — coated in bread crumbs and deep-fried to golden perfection.

The history of supplì is somewhat clouded, yet it is widely believed to have been introduced in Rome during the French occupation in the 19th century. Some say "supplì" is derived from the French word "surprise", hinting at the delightful stringy cheese that emerges when you pull one open.

Where to Try

You wouldn’t have guessed from the name, but Supplì Roma is a great local spot to enjoy this Roman classic. It serves supplì with a wide range of fillings, each giving a modern twist to the traditional recipe. Expect to pay from €1.50 to €3 per piece. Trapizzino, in the Testaccio and Trastevere districts, also does excellent supplì despite being more famous for its trapizzino (more on this later).

You can also order supplì at any pizzeria in Rome since many Romans start their meal with something fried (whether it be supplì, baccalà codfish, or fried pumpkin flower and anchovy croquettes).

Pizza Bianca

Pizza Bianca ("white pizza") is a delightful plain yeast flatbread, topped with just olive oil, salt, and sometimes rosemary. More like a focaccia than a typical restaurant pizza, it's known for its crispy exterior and chewy interior, often enjoyed as a snack or a side dish, usually served hot. Some bakeries will slice pizza bianca lengthwise and stuff it with mortadella, prosciutto or mozzarella cheese.

The history of pizza can be traced back to ancient Rome — though without the topping of tomatoes, which did not appear in Italy until after the 'discovery' of the New World — and has evolved over the centuries to become a staple in Rome's contemporary street food scene. It represents simple yet flavourful Roman cuisine that rewards just a few quality ingredients by putting them front and centre.

Where to Try

Antico Forno Roscioli is a historic bakery serving up some of the best pizza bianca in Rome. A slice from here promises an authentic Roman culinary experience. We also love Pantera Garbatella and Sesamo Trastevere (so much that we’ve included it on our Rome Food Tour!) We reckon both are in contention for offering the best pizza by the slice in town, but we’ll leave it up to you to decide 😉

You’ll usually pay around €1 to €2 for a slice of simple pizza bianca, with the price increasing incrementally for each additional topping. 

🍕 Read our definitive guide to the Best Pizza in Rome

Baccalà

For Brits, it might be fancy fish and chips, but Romans regard their baccalà, or salted cod, as a delicacy that combines simplicity with sublime flavours. As any Italian nonna worth her salt will tell you, what makes baccalà special is the fresh water you run it under before frying it up into a crispy golden delight. 

Though not native to Mediterranean waters, cod found its way to Roman tables through trading routes established in the Middle Ages. It became a staple, especially during Lent when the consumption of meat was restricted.

Where to Try

Dar Filettaro, not far from Campo de' Fiori, is a haven for baccalà lovers. 

This historic establishment has been serving delicious baccalà for generations as street food on the go or with sides like potatoes or puntarelle soaked in olive oil and anchovies. Dar Filettaro is only open from 5 pm to 10:30 pm and is closed on Sundays. 

Testaccio Market’s Food Box also serves up some brilliant baccalà as well as most other street food mentioned in this article. Expect to pay between €5 to €8 per baccalà fillet.

Carciofo alla Giudia

Carciofo alla giudia (Jewish-style artichoke) is a Roman-Jewish delicacy that is deeply rooted in the culinary traditions of Rome’s Jewish Ghetto. The artichokes are deep-fried, resulting in a crunchy exterior and tender interior.

This deep-fried artichoke has deep historical roots, dating back to the Jewish community in ancient Rome. It has remained a constant in the city's cuisine, even out of artichoke season in Rome (February to April), and perfectly embodies the cultural blend that characterises Roman cuisine.

Carciofi alla Giudia (delicious deep-fried artichoke)

Where to Try

Perhaps the most authentic place to try Jewish-style artichokes is in the Jewish Ghetto, and few do it better (and crispier) than Nonna Betta. This eatery, in the heart of the Jewish Ghetto, offers a timeless culinary experience, serving dishes steeped in tradition.

Expect to pay around €6 for a portion.

Trapizzino

Trapizzino is a relatively new addition to the Rome street food scene. It is essentially a hybrid between a tramezzino (a typical triangular soft-bread sandwich) and a pizza and consists of a triangular pocket of pizza dough filled with classic Roman dishes such as chicken cacciatore (hunter's chicken) or meatballs in tomato sauce.

Invented in 2008 by pizza chef Stefano Callegari, Trapizzino quickly became a beloved street food offering, bridging the gap between traditional recipes and modern, on-the-go eating habits.

Enjoying Trapizzino in Trastevere on our Rome Street Food Tour

Where to Try

The original Trapizzino store in Testaccio is the place to go for an authentic experience. Here, you can enjoy a range of fillings that promise a burst of flavour with every bite. 

Trastevere also has a Trapizzino just off Piazza Trilussa, but the line is usually so long you’ll have to judge if it’s worth it. 

Expect to pay from €3.50 to €5.00 per trapizzino.

Porchetta

Panino con porchetta is simply a roast pork sandwich, crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle, in which the pork is stuffed with garlic, rosemary and other aromatic herbs.

Porchetta is a particularly popular street food in Rome's region of Lazio, with the nearby hillside towns of Marino, Ariccia, and Castel Gandolfo most closely associated with this street food snack. 

For locals, porchetta is one of the most popular kinds of street food in Rome

Where to Try

It's a little further out, but we love Pane Garbato in the neighbourhood of Garbatella.

Gelato

The creamy stuff of dreams hardly needs an introduction, and no visit to Rome is complete without indulging in a scoop (or three) of gelato. This Italian ice cream is known for its rich flavours and creamy texture, made with a higher proportion of milk than its American counterpart.

While gelato's exact origins are debated, it's agreed that its modern, creamy form was perfected in Renaissance Florence. It quickly spread to Rome, where it became a staple dessert, enjoyed by locals and tourists alike.

Where to Try

Where to start!

Locals will tell you that Giolitti, near the Pantheon, is the best gelateria in Rome. But it’s not, it’s just the oldest (though in the Italian mentality, the two aren’t usually mutually exclusive). 

Gelateria La Romana might be a gelato parlour chain, but my god it's good, and you won’t have too much of a hard time finding an outlet.

Otherwise, Gelateria del Teatro, not far from Piazza Navona, is our personal favourite, not least because its fruity flavours are just as good as its creamy. You should expect to pay around €2 to €5 for a generous serving, depending on the number of scoops and toppings.

No Roman street food menu would be complete without gelato

Enjoying gelato on our Rome Food Tour

Avoid the Tourist Traps on our Trastevere Food Tour

Visiting Rome but not sure where to eat?

Sure, you could trust TripAdvisor reviews or ask your hotel for recommendations. But how do you know you'll be getting the real deal and not just following the crowd? Treat yourself to our Trastevere Food tour and we'll take you to the places the locals keep to themselves and show you the best of Roman street food.

Our tours support small family businesses that source their produce locally and ethically. They are sustainable, meaning the proceeds go towards reforestation through our partnership with Ecologi, and they are led by fun, local guides who don't just love Italian food — they live Italian food; are fluent in the language of Italian food; and are experts in sharing the secrets and stories behind your best-loved Italian dishes.

But don't just take our word for it; come and taste it for yourself 😋