Post-industrial gasometer quarter south of the city, where Eataly, Doppiozeroo and the Marco Martini fine-dining room sit alongside the new trattoria wave.
Trattoria Pennestri in Rome's Ostiense, opened 2017 by Tommaso Pennestri, runs the Roman canon with farmer-named meat sourcing. The rigatoni alla gricia is the lead order.
Signature: Rigatoni alla gricia, Pajata, Tonnarelli cacio e pepe
Order: The rigatoni alla gricia, pajata when it's on, and any seasonal antipasto from the chalkboard.
Tip: Closed Monday all day, Sunday dinner. Lunch is much easier to book than the 20:30 dinner seating.
Marco Martini's Aventino-edge room holds a Michelin star for the chef's modern reading of Roman pastas, with a tasting menu that runs both omnivore and vegetarian tracks at the same length.
Signature: Carbonara reinterpreted, Pigeon, Tasting menu
Order: The carbonara reinterpreted with smoked egg, then any of the seasonal pigeon courses.
Tip: Lunch tasting is €95 vs €150 dinner. The vegetarian carte runs the same number of courses.
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 and a craft beer list.
Signature: Pizza al taglio, Aperitivo, Tasting plates
Order: The aperitivo buffet from 19:00 with a glass of Lazio white, plus slices of pizza al taglio.
Tip: Open daily 07:00 to 02:00. The 19:00 aperitivo is the value entry; book the rooftop in summer.
Marigold in Rome's Ostiense district is the Scandinavian-style cafe and bakery with sourdough loaves, cardamom buns and a brunch carte that runs Saturday and Sunday only.
Signature drink: Flat white, brunch sets
Tip: Open Tue to Sun 08:30 to 18:00. Brunch sets cost 25 euros. Book Sunday 11:00 brunch a week ahead.
Andreotti Pasticceria in Rome's Ostiense district has run since 1931 as the working-quarter cornetto-and-cappuccino bar, with a long counter of Roman classic pastries.
Tip: Open 07:00; the morning cornetto sfogliato is the breakfast steal at 1.50 euros.
Worth the queue: Cornetto, sfogliatella
Hopside Roma in Rome's Ostiense district is the Italian craft beer multitap with 30 rotating taps, the IPA-heavy carte and the small kitchen running burgers and the late-night plates.
Tip: Open Tue-Sun 18:00 to 02:00. The 4-tap IPA flight tasting at 12 euros is the lead-order.
Marigold in Rome's Ostiense district runs Saturday and Sunday brunch sets at €25 per head, with sourdough plates, granola bowls, eggs and the city's strongest cardamom-bun finish.
Order: Sourdough breakfast plate with poached eggs, smoked salmon and pickled cucumber.
Tip: Book a week ahead for Sunday 11:00 brunch. Open Tue-Sun 08:30 to 18:00; closed Monday.
Doppio Zeroo in Rome's Ostiense district runs a weekend brunch buffet at €22 per head with rotating savoury and sweet plates, the city's most generous all-you-can-eat brunch from 10:00.
Order: The all-you-can-eat weekend brunch buffet with rotating savoury and sweet plates.
Tip: Book the rooftop terrace from May to September. The 12:00 buffet refresh is the freshest of the morning.