Eating outside in the centre of Rome. The historical centre of Rome is brimming with restaurants and bistros where you can enjoy lunch or dinner (ignoring the tourist traps, obviously). With the arrival of summer there are now many spots where you can sit outside and enjoy the sunny afternoons or balmy evenings. Among the various restaurants, osterias and trattorias we have investigated which have outside seating, whether its a garden, courtyard or terrace.

Eating outside in the centre of Rome

SAN LORENZO IN LUCINA (NEAR PIAZZA DI SPAGNA)

Matricianella

At Matricianella, two minutes walk from San Lorenzo in Lucina, you will find traditional cooking. You can kick of with mountains of fried delicacies, from lamb’s brains and sweetbreads to anchovies, mushrooms, potato skins (5.50 euros), to artichokes alla romana (5.50 euro). Don’t miss their best dish, the amatriciana (11 euros) and the rigatoni  pasta with lamb pajata (intestines) (12 euros). To finish you should  try either the Jewish dessert of ricotta and chocolate or the Roman trifle. All of this can be enjoyed at the small outdoor area.

Matricianella Rome, via del Leone 4. Open from 12.30pm to 3pm, and then from 7pm to 11pm. Closed on Sundays.  Tel. 066832100. Website and Facebook. 

LEONCINO (NEAR PIAZZA DI SPAGNA)

Osteria Siciliana

In via del Leoncino, you’ll find a little piece of Sicily at Osteria Siciliana. Seating around sixty people, with around 30 indoors and the others at the outdoor area that faces onto via dell’Arancio, the menu consists of cuisine from Sicula (which is pretty similar to cooking from Palermo). They are all traditional recipes with an original twist, and they certainly won’t break the bank. You could begin with the stuffed artichokes (13 euros), vegetable caponata (12 euros), or sardines alla beccafico (15). For the first course we recommend spaghetti with salted tuna and Sicilian lemon peel (20), fried pasta alla norma with salted ricotta (14 euros) or lobster soup with spaghetti (26).

Osteria Siciliana Rome, via del Leoncino 28, Tel. 0668805283. Facebook and Website. 

CONDOTTI (NEAR PIAZZA DI SPAGNA)

Zuma

Zuma Rome, the splendid Japanese restaurant in the palazzo Fendi, also has a rooftop terrace that faces onto via del Corso.  It’s a beautiful place to outside in central Rome and to look over the city from up high. The dishes are prepared in three places and in three different ways, the central cooking point is the sushi counter and Robata Grill, where food is cooked on the carbon grill. There’s a lunch menu (named Ebisu after a Japanese deity) which is very convenient at 28 euros per person, and includes two antipasti and a main dish. The Ebisu Express is even better – miso soup and a main dish. And then there’s the evening menu which includes two fixed menus: the classic for 68 euros and the premium for 147 euros.  We recommend the fried calamari with lime and green pepper (8.60), the seared tuna with daikon, chilli and ponzu sauce, and the edamame beans, which can also be served spicy.

Zuma Roma, via della Fontanella Borghese 48. Open every day for lunch and dinner. Tel. 0699266622. Website and Facebook. 

PIAZZA DE’ RICCI (NEAR CAMPO DE’ FIORI)

Pierluigi

Pierluigi (open since 1938) is a restaurant with a great outside area in the small Piazza de’ Ricci. It’s famous for being the haunt of illustrious guests like ex president of the United States Barack Obama, John Kerry, Joe Biden (ex vice president of the USA), Quentin Tarantino and Mark Zuckerberg. Fresh fish is the focus of the menu – there are french oysters, North American lobsters and the locally sourced fish of the day, that you will find in many different dishes, from carpacci (20-28), to tartare (20). There’s also the Catalan prawn salad (25) and the fish amatriciana pasta (22). A brilliant wine menu is available too. One warning: be prepared to spend a fair bit.

Ristorante Pierluigi Rome, piazza de’ Ricci 144, Tel. 066861302 – 066868717. Website

PANTHEON

Casa Coppelle

Casa Coppelle is a lovely restaurant in one of Rome’s most beautiful piazze. The cuisine combines Italian specialities with Roman and French cooking. On the menu the paccheri pasta with Amatriciana scomposta sauce really stands out (12 euros), and we also enjoyed the guinea fowl (23). The bread is all made in-house and is truly excellent, and while the indoors (and the bathrooms) are decorated stylishly, there’s also a little space to eat outside. There are traditional first courses ranging from 8-9 euros and second courses from 12-15 euros. We recommend the leg of Roman lamb (27 euros) and the tournedos (steak) cooked with red pepper and cognac (28).

Casa Coppelle Rome, piazza delle Coppelle 49. Open every day from 12pm until 1am. Tel. 0668891707. Website and Facebook. 

GIUBBONARI (NEAR CAMPO DE’ FIORI)

Emma

In via del Monte della Farina is Emma, a pizzeria that has been open since 2014 and that serves typical Roman pizzas – the thin and crunchy ones – prepared with the best ingredients. The best pizzas are the Zibello with Pomilia tomato, buffalo mozzarella from Paestum and cured ham (13.50 euros), and the Cavolo e Cinta with mozzarella from Vaccina Terra Rome, Tuscan kale, pecorino shavings from Pienza and pancetta from Cinta (12 euros). For the fried antipasti you must try the supplì al telefono with Carnaroli rice (3 euros). Other than pizza there are also many other dishes on the extensive menu. We recommend the San Bartolomeo organic eggs with potato and saffron tart, the parmesan fondue with asparagus (12 euros) and the trio of Ovoline buffalo mozzarella from Paestum with Cabras mullet fish, semi dried cherry tomatoes and olives (13 euros).

Emma Rome, Via Monte della Farina 28/29. Sito. Open every day for lunch and dinner. Tel. 0664760475. Website and Facebook. 

ZOCCOLETTE (IN THE JEWISH QUARTER)

Pianostrada

In via delle Zoccolette, you’ll find the splendid Pianostrada, an elegantly styled restaurant with a fantastic courtyard-garden, with a great long bar and a kitchen on show. Already greatly successful with Roman foodies, you can try anything from fried antipasti (10-13.50 euros), salads, gourmet panini (12.50-14.50), artichokes and excellent bread that’s made in house. We loved the artichokes alla giudìa, the extremely light cod tempura and the fig and sun dried tomato focaccia.

Pianostrada Rome, via delle Zoccolette 22. Open from Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Tel. 0689572296.Website and Facebook. 

PANTHEON

Grano

At Grano you can try a delicious Mediterranean menu made with the highest quality ingredients. Dishes are traditional but made with an original touch. There are fun variations, such as a cacio e pepe risotto dish instead of pasta, pasta with beans and breaded mussels, and carbonara risotto. The menu combines fish and meat dishes with antipasti that vary from squid roasted in a layer of spelt, to buffalo mozzarella from Campania. For the first course try the large spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and grilled calamari (13 euros), the fettucine with Neapolitan ragù and smoked provola cream (12 euros) or the linguine from Gragnano with cod and onions (13 euros). For the second course instead, you could go for the fillet of amberjack fish with aubergine caponata (20 euros) or the duck breast with a beet and rapini purée (18). At Grano the cooking is creative and fun.

Grano Rome, piazza Rondanini 53. Open every day for lunch and dinner. Tel. 0668192096. Website

CAMPO DE’ FIORI

La Regola

With a big outside eating area and Genovese cooking, La Regola is a fantastic restaurant in the heart of Rome. Other than dishes that are both traditionally from Genoa and Rome, they prepare an array of fresh fish delicacies. We recommend the trofie pasta with genovese pesto (16 euros), quail salad with a mustard dressing (14 euros), spaghetti with mullet, olives and capers (16 euros) and the cod alla genovese (22 euros).

La Regola Rome, piazza San Paolo Alla Regola 40. Open from Tuesday until Sunday for lunch and dinner. Tel. 066893099. Website and Facebook. 

VITTORIO EMANUELE (NEAR CAMPO DE’ FIORI)

Per Me

Here at Per Me you can try interesting food in an elegant setting, with delicate lighting and a rather romantic outdoor area. For a fun lunch that suits every budget, try their ‘tappi’ (an italian version of tapas), mini portions of important dishes that cost 9 euros each. For dinner instead, there are 3 different tasting menus that range from 80 to 130 euros. There’s the mackerel, burrata and kale served with bread (26 euros), the foie gras with bread made of mozzarella, beans, shallots and fruits of the forest jelly (28 euros), linguine with fruits, chargrilled cherry tomatoes and smoked olive oil (26), cappellacci pasta with vegetable ragù and caciocavallo cheese (26 euros), mixed fried fish and vegetables (36).

Per Me Rome, Vicolo del Malpasso 9. Open every day for lunch and dinner. Tel. 066877365. Website and Facebook. 

SPAGNA

Hosteria del Mercato 1870

Both a restaurant and place to take away, Hosteria del mercato 1870 is open all day long. The idea is based on London eateries where you can both dine in and take the food away with you. Here you can either enjoy traditional Roman dishes, sip on a drink at the cocktail bar, relax in the tea room or have a cheeky aperitivo. On the menu you’ll also find pizza, coffees and special juices. There’s also a big outdoor space.

Hosteria del Mercato Rome, via Bocca di Leone 46. Open every day from 9am to 11pm. Tel. 0669923705. Website and Facebook. 

Traduzione a cura di Corinna Parker