eat like Bourdain
🇮🇹 Where Bourdain Ate in Rome
13 places across Parts Unknown & No Reservations
“Rome teaches you that the simplest things, done perfectly, are the hardest to achieve.”
Bourdain was captivated by Rome's food culture — the commitment to ingredients, the tradition behind every dish, and the Italian conviction that food is life. He visited across multiple shows, always finding new layers to the city's culinary story.
What Bourdain Loved About Rome
Cacio e pepe — three ingredients, infinite obsession
The trattorias in Trastevere where recipes haven't changed in generations
Eating artichokes in season — a Roman obsession he fully endorsed
The aperitivo culture — a Negroni and small bites before dinner
Offal cooking — pajata, trippa, coda alla vaccinara — Roman cucina povera
Episodes Featuring Rome
Parts Unknown — S8 E9: Rome
A deeply personal episode about love, food, and mortality
No Reservations — S5 E9: Rome
Explores the eternal city through its food
Travel Tips for Eating in Rome
Tony's Advice
Walk through Trastevere at 9pm. Follow the sound of laughter. Eat wherever the Italians are eating.
Find a place to stay in Rome →What to Skip
- ✕Restaurants near the Colosseum with pictures of food on the menu
- ✕Anywhere that serves spaghetti and meatballs (not a Roman dish)
- ✕Overpriced gelato in tourist zones with neon signs
Every Place Bourdain Visited in Rome
13 placesOsteria dal 1931
Via di Donna Olimpia
Tony ate by himself here, he had Chianti, prosciutto and artichoke hearts in olive oil, ravioli.
Gladiators
Via Quinto Publicio
Tony and Asia Argento had pasta for dinner ringside at a boxing match.
Simply Market
Via Vito Sinisi
Tony and Asia went shopping here for a lunch her sister prepared for them. They bought fava beans, cheese, and other goodies.
Trattoria Morgana
Via Mecenate
Tony had a meal with Abel Ferrara, film director known for Kings of New York and Bad Lieutenant, who now lives in Rome with his family. They had Roman pastas, snails, and artichokes.
Bar Caffetteria
Via Attilio Benigni
Tony had espresso and a bomba, a type of Italian donut, for breakfast.
Eating your way through Rome? Stay within walking distance of these spots.
Trattoria Settimio
Via Del Pellegrino
The restaurant that Tony and Asia visited in Rome that Tony refused to disclose the name of.
Palazzo dei Congressi
Tony and Asia visited this huge structure, which was built originally to be a symbol of fascism.
Cafe' De Paris
Via Vittorio Veneto
Seasonal restaurant; Tony had a dish that had fresh artichokes, fava, peas, and pancetta. Also a baby lamb dish, a salad with roman chicory and anchovy.
Trattoria Il Timoniere Roma
Via Francesco Orazio Da Pennabilli
Tony ate carbonara and amatriciana
Hotel Majestic
Via Vittorio Veneto
Tony ate at the Sicilian restaurant in the hotel. Caponata, bucatini with sardines. Fish, potatoes, fava, pistachio, tomato.
Trattoria A Casa Di Rita
Via Delle Ciliege
Tony and his wife Ottavia ate here with one of the cameraman. Antipasti; tagliolini with garlic, chiles, and pork ragout; oxtail; tripe.
Roma Sparita
Piazza Di Santa Cecilia
Tony had Cacio e Pepe here
Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina
Via Dei Giubbonari
Tony and his friend went to the back of the shop to try fresh buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto
Where to stay in Rome
All hotels →Hotels and rentals around the places he ate — his spots are pinned on the map.
The hotel he stayed in
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