These are simple stalls with just a few tables, where you can have a quick lunch break or enjoy an aperitif at the end of the day at affordable prices, but where the quality of the ingredients and workmanship is second to none. Perched among the stalls of vendors selling fruit, vegetables, and other foodstuffs and with the bustle of market life going on around you, it’s a unique charm complete with a multitude of faces, scents, and sounds.
Eating in the markets of Rome is more than just a meal: it is a journey into the heart of Roman culture, an event that combines the authenticity of the flavors with the vibrancy and energy of the places. It is an invitation to slow down, to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, to discover the stories behind each dish and every stall. It is a celebration of conviviality, sharing, and a love of good food.
These markets put a new spin on tradition, offering visitors an alternative to restaurants without losing the essence of the Roman culinary experience.
Central Market at Termini Station
The beating heart of this rebirth of street food in the markets has been the Mercato Centrale at Termini Station, a place where history meets modernity. Inaugurated in 2016, this market has breathed new life into the station's spaces with a culinary offering that reflects the diversity and richness of Italian cuisine. The Mercato Centrale stands out not only for the wide range of food on offer, but also for its location featuring the historical Cappa Mazzoniana, Angiolo Mazzoni's grey marble hood. This striking setting, dating back to the 1930s and shares elegant lines and monumental architecture in a unique atmosphere, making every visit an unforgettable experience.
Gabriele Bonci, a master of pizza by the slice, runs one of the most renowned stalls, selling his creations that defy convention with their light dough and innovative toppings. At the Banco del Tartufo di Luciano Savini, meanwhile, every bite is a journey through the most intense aromas and flavors of Italian cuisine. Egidio Michelis's pasta shop serves up freshly prepared pasta that is a tribute to the most authentic traditions.
The artisans present at the Mercato Centrale make for a roll call of some of the restaurant world's great names: Arcangelo Dandini with his fritto, Sabato Sessa with his Neapolitan sfogliatelle and Joe Bastianich with his smashburger. Ernesto Claps and Giovanni Mercuri make delicious Argentinian empanadas, while Günther Rohregger proposes his house-made ice cream. At the sushi counter, Alessio Toiati surprises with his creations, and Akira Yoshida tempts you with ramen and gyōza. Stefano Callegari delights marketgoers with the famous trapizzino, an appetizing Roman invention; Daniele Meini brings mozzarella and fresh cheeses.
Campo de' Fiori Market
In the heart of Rome, with its fruit and vegetable stalls and florists, the Mercato di Campo de' Fiori is a true icon of the city. Here, the Forno Campo de' Fiori is a must for anyone who loves pizza by the slice. The crispy crust, the authentic flavor of tomato and the stringy mozzarella make for a unique sensory experience, to be savored as you stroll among the colorful and fragrant stalls of the historic market. Don't expect an endless array of pizzas: here, we go classic, namely with or without mozzarella, white or red, but either way, it's strictly Roman style, in other words: thin, crispy and always hot from the oven.
Parioli Market
In the residential area of Parioli, a short distance from the Auditorium Parco della Musica and the MAXXI Museum of Contemporary Art, Mercato Parioli offers an interesting and refined culinary experience. Small, but also very neatly laid out, it was one of the first markets to aim for success by opening its stalls in the evenings. Frequented mostly by residents of the neighborhood, and not just for shopping, Parioli embodies a new vision of what a market can be.
Modernizing their offerings, almost every stall takes on a different guise in the evening. Be sure to stop by San Bartolomeo: in the mornings it is a butcher's shop, then from lunchtime to evening it sells cartocci (paper cones) of fried foods, croquettes, meatballs, and the famous chicken raised on their farms and cooked in a plethora of different ways. Steccolecco, a renowned ice cream parlor, tempts you with its ice creams and sorbets. In addition to selling fish, La Gorgonia, Flavio Savini's fishmonger's, serves cartocci of calamari, cod balls, and raw fish such as oysters and tartare. The hot dishes – think fish lasagne, stuffed squid, and crusted salmon – are excellent.
Nomentano Market
Another hidden gem is the Mercato Nomentano in Via Alessandria, a few steps away from the MACRO Museum of Contemporary Art in Via Nizza. In this tiny covered market, the Mordi Roma counter of brothers Manuel and Tomas reigns supreme. Inspired by their grandmother's cuisine, steeped in tradition and rife with flavor, the menu comprises primi piatti, secondi piatti, side dishes, and the typical fried dishes of Rome. Meatballs all'amatriciana and battered vegetables are a must, to be enjoyed at the counter in front or at the small tables laid out in the middle of the market.
Testaccio Market
Located in the neighborhood of the same name, the Mercato di Testaccio has more than 100 stalls stocking a wealth of items: fruit, vegetables, clothing, and flowers. But the real star of the show here is the street food. The most famous stalls include: Mordi e Vai, with its panini filled with tripe with gravy, boiled beef and slow-cooked beef alla picchiapò; Zoé with its fruit salads, salads, and juices, made with fresh fruit and vegetables from the market; and CasaManco, at stall 22, which serves pizza alla pala made with organic and wholemeal flours and topped with zero-kilometer ingredients. Then there's Le Mani in Pasta, an egg pasta workshop that serves fresh pasta with various toppings at lunchtime in take-away form. Da Corrado al Banco 18, which promises "rediscovered cuisine," deserves a special mention for doing such a great job of recovering traditional old Italian recipes, and "i vini del dissenso" ("wines of dissent"): niche, spontaneously fermented natural wines.
Campagna Amica Market at Circus Maximus
Behind the Circus Maximus, Mercato di Campagna Amica is an authentic farmers' market. Open only on the weekends, it is a meeting point between producers and consumers. Farmers from 60 companies in the Lazio region sell fresh zero-kilometer fruit and vegetables, preserves, cold meats, herbs, and potted plants. The produce on sale is grown or bred by the very same producers seen at their stalls, and some of the wares are stamped with the Campagna Amica seal, indicating that they were saved from extinction thanks to the work of the farmers.
One can eat in the courtyard, amid the food trucks in which "cooks from the land" prepare dishes in keeping with tradition: fried fish, vegetable soups, porchetta panini, and barbecued meat. There are also various organized activities, such as educational workshops, show cooking, tastings, and exhibitions of typical foods.
Travel notes
Central Market - Stazione Termini, via Giovanni Giolitti 36
Forno Campo de’ Fiori - Campo de' Fiori 22
Parioli Market - viale Parioli 206
Nomentano Market - piazza Alessandria
Testaccio Market- via Lorenzo Ghiberti
Campagna Amica Market at Circo Massimo- via San Teodoro 74
Hero image: Campo de' Fiori Market/Chiara Ercini
