Rome Restaurants

And we're talking about some very old standbys: some restaurants re-create dishes that come from ancient recipes of Apicius, probably the first "celebrity chef" (to Emperor Tiberius) and cookbook author of the Western world. Today, Rome's cooks excel at what has taken hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years to perfect. This is why the basic trattoria menu is similar wherever you go.

Still, if you're hunting for newer-than-now developments, things are slowly changing. Talented young chefs are exploring new culinary frontiers, with results that tickle the taste buds: potato gnocchi with sea urchin sauce, artichoke strudel, and oysters with red onion foam are just a few recent examples. Of course, there's grumbling about the number of chefs who, in a clumsy effort to be nuovo, end up with collision rather than fusion. That noted, Rome is the capital city, and the influx of residents from other regions of the country allows for many variations on the Italian theme. Sicilian, Tuscan, Pugliese, Bolognese, Sardinian, and other Italian regional cuisines from the Alps to the northern reaches of Africa, are all represented. You'll also find a number of good-quality foreign food outposts here, particularly Japanese, Indian, and Ethiopian restaurants.

Most Romans don't care about the fanfare of decor in a city where you can sit outside on a glorious piazza and dine in a virtual baroque painting. Still, Rome has its fair share of both slick interiors, which are slowly starting to catch on, and historic settings that offer amazing views or gorgeous settings. In any case, if you can look beyond the trappings, as Romans do, you can eat like an emperor—or at least a well-fed member of the Roman working class—for very little money.