Alongside the Vatican and the Colosseum, food is one of the top reasons why Rome is a favorite destination among travelers from the world over. We have joined Rome Like a Local food tour with Devour Tours and enjoyed plenty of typical bites from the traditional Roman cuisine.
From deep-fried goodies to local craft beer to a wonderful aperitif on a rooftop in the heart of Trastevere, we ate so much that no space was left for dinner.
Are you ready to eat for three hours and a half non-stop? Let’s dive into Devour’s Taste Rome Like a Local food tour around the Jewish Quarter, the Historic Center, and Trastevere.
Taste Rome like a Local food tour – My Experience
Even though I live in Rome, I like to join food tours because it’s always a good occasion to learn more about the local culinary tradition and to discover new eateries and restaurants. Whether you are a foodie or you want to explore the Roman culture a step deeper, this tour is a great way to do so.
The tour started in front of Portico d’Ottavia, an important archaeological site that was named after the sister of Octavianus Augustus, Rome’s first official emperor. The portico served to give shelter to the spectators of the nearby Marcellus Theater, still connected to the site and easy to reach by just crossing the ruins.
This is when our guide Fernanda walked us through the history of the place before tantalizing our senses with the first bite.
First stop – Artichoke Jewish style
This Rome food tour kicked off with a taste of the famous “carciofo alla giudìa“, Jewish-style artichoke. We had it from La Taverna del Ghetto and it was crunchy enough on the outside with a warm and tender heart. A perfect start for our hungry group.
Our guide Fernanda also explained the history behind the birth of this fried artichoke recipe and the Roman Kosher cuisine strictly intertwined with the city’s past and society.
Second stop – Supplì Kosher style
Supplì is one of the most famous street foods in Rome and the one we tried at Bona pizza place in the Jewish Ghetto was excellent. The mozzarella cheese heart was stretchy to the right point to render the perfect “phone cable” experience the Roman supplì is known for (“al telefono”).
If you are lactose-intolerant, you can enjoy pizza by the slice in perfect Roman style, thin and crunchy.
Third stop – The best bakery in the Jewish Quarter
It’s called “Il Boccione” by the locals but just because the founder was known for his big belly, because this great bakery in the Jewish Ghetto really has no name and no sign. The locals know it, and that’s enough for them.
When we visited, it was during Jewish Passover so they were not operating as normal, and anything on display was produced upon previous order. Here, we tried two wonderful almond-based pastries. One was tender while the second one was a crumbly shortcrust pastry. They were both fantastic and not being very sweet, you will easily feel like eating one after another!
Fourth stop – A piece of history on the way
What’s never missing in Rome is a piece of history around every corner. To the point that no city tour can afford to skip an introduction, even if it’s a food tour. And ours didn’t let us down. Our guide Fernanda showed us a part of the city that is really right in front of your eyes but not easy to spot since embedded in modern buildings.
This is what makes Rome fascinating and it was nice to see it reiterated during a food tour. From secret passageways to hidden ancient columns, we traveled through time as Fernanda guided us across the narrow and winding alleys of the historic center that once were the corridors of the marvelous Theater of Pompeo.
Fifth stop – Craft beer tasting!
While learning about the history of the area, we made our way to the next stop of the tour: an off-license craft beer shop. The current owner was a customer of the historic craft beer shop and took it over to avoid being shut down.
As soon as we entered what looked like a temple of craft and artisan beer, we had a taste of two of the specialties they sell. Among the different beers, we were also shown one type made by a local beer factory with the collaboration of the same shop owner.
Sixth stop – Deep-fried codfish
The next stop of the tour brought us to an institution in the city center adjacent to Campo de’ Fiori. Simply known as “dar filettaro”, this rustic eatery serves only one dish: deep-fried codfish (filetti di baccalà). The few other things you will see on the menu are a side of the one and only main course.
This delicious street food bite was served to us with a glass of white wine from the house (vino della casa) on a table outside. The eatery is open every afternoon until 10.30 pm and when it’s not dinner time, you can just grab a bite and enjoy it on the go.
Seventh stop – Aperitivo on a rooftop!
I’m sure you are going to love the seventh stop of this food tour as much as we did. With a short walk, we headed to Trastevere and enjoyed a relaxed and quiet aperitif on a private rooftop.
We made our own spritz aided and advised by our guide Fernanda and sipped it with some delicious nibbles of local cold cuts, Italian cheese, olives, and taralli crunchy bread. This was really a highlight of our tour and a much-appreciated break from the crowds and noise always populating the neighborhood of Trastevere.
We enjoyed the breeze and the aperitif relaxing on a couch gazing at the local rooftops with a view of the ever-present Saint Peter’s dome and very little willing to go back down to real life.
Eighth stop – One last surprise!
Yet, one last stop and one last bite was waiting for us from a local Trastevere restaurant that prepares and serves the dishes of the Roman tradition. I won’t be spoiling what the surprise was but let me tell you that even though we didn’t really have much room left, we all gladly tucked into it.
Here too, Fernanda added engaging details talking us through the history of Rome’s cucina povera (poor man’s cuisine).
My final thoughts on Taste Rome like a Local food tour by Devour Tours
I took several tours with Devour Tours, including a food tour in Bologna, a pasta-making class, a pizza-making class, and a Testaccio tour, so I can safely recommend them.
Even though I’m very familiar with all the neighborhoods we have visited during the Taste Rome Like a Local food tour, I loved visiting historical places and nibbling around. I simply adored the pastries of Il Boccione in the Jewish Ghetto and was very pleased to try them because I had never been there.
Food is always intertwined with local history and traditions, and Fernanda, leading this culinary experience by Devour Tours, highlighted this giving the right importance to all the aspects and places we visited.
Curious? Watch my video of this Rome food tour!
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