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ItalianTestaccio
Volpetti in Rome's Testaccio is the 1973-founded salumeria counter with 300 Italian cheeses, a salumi case stocked from every region and a takeaway pasta.
OrderThe cheese flight tasting at the counter and a salumi board with prosciutto di Parma.
TipOpen Mon to Sat 08:00-14:00 and 16:30-20:15. Closed Sunday. Cheese tour by request.
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Modern RomanOstiense
Doppio Zeroo in Rome's Ostiense district is the all-day pizza-and-aperitivo room with a long deli counter, the city's most generous aperitivo bar at 19:00.
OrderThe aperitivo buffet from 19:00 with a glass of Lazio white, plus slices of pizza al taglio.
TipOpen daily 07:00-02:00. The 19:00 aperitivo is the value entry; book the rooftop in summer.
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Roman TrattoriaCentro Storico
Trattoria Dal Cavalier Gino in Rome's Centro Storico is the politicians' lunch room near the Parliament, with frescoed walls and the coniglio alla cacciatora.
OrderThe tonnarelli cacio e pepe, coniglio alla cacciatora, and a half-litre of house Frascati.
TipClosed Sunday. Book a week ahead; the back-room frescoed alcoves are the ask.
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Roman TrattoriaTrastevere
Antica Pesa in Rome's Trastevere is the 1922-founded trattoria with a hidden walled garden, the celebrity-spot lunch room and the cacio e pepe that critics.
OrderCacio e pepe, tagliata di manzo, and the carciofi alla giudia in season.
TipBook the walled garden three weeks ahead for May to September. Closed Sunday all day.
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RisottoCentro Storico
Risotteria Melotti in Rome's Centro Storico is a rice house near Piazza Navona cooking the Veronese risotto tradition with a fully gluten-free menu.
OrderA classic risotto from the Veronese side of the menu; everything in the room is gluten-free.
TipOpen daily 11:00-22:30 with no afternoon break, useful when the trattorie around Navona are shut between services.
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Roman TrattoriaTrastevere
Trattoria Dal Cordaro in Rome's Trastevere edge is the Dori family's 1922 Roman trattoria at Porta Portese, with chef Maurizio Villa and a summer garden.
OrderStay with the Roman canon here, the pastas and the seasonal secondi the kitchen has cooked since 1922.
TipLunch 12:30-15:00 and dinner 19:30-22:30. Ask for the garden in summer; it sits a few steps from the Porta Portese market.