Rome is one of the most important cities in the world, its magnificence brings at least 7 million visitors every year, making it the second most visited city in Europe right after Paris. Museums, architecture, history, culture, business: many are the reasons to explore Italy’s capital. But at some point, walking through the streets of Rome, you’ll start to get hungry and if you are on a budget, what are the best ways to eat cheap traditional food without forgetting quality? Here you can find our suggestions for the top 5 affordable restaurants to stay on a budget and eat well!
Il Quagliaro
Since 1958, Il Quagliaro offers traditional roman cuisine, picking the best zero km raw materials and keeping an informal atmosphere. Located in the Quarticciolo district, the tavern was renovated in 2009, maintaining its traditional structure, and innovations. With 20€, you can order a complete menu and try their most famous dishes: vinegar marinated quail, cooked in a wood oven, with a side of olives and mushrooms, and a bruschetta.
Top 5 affordable restaurants: Osteria Bonelli
Recognized by Gambero Rosso cooking guide as the best value-for-money tavern in Rome, the Osteria Bonelli menu is the perfect mix between roman and seafood dishes. While enjoying a view of an old Roman aqueduct, you can order the main homemade dishes from the roman cuisine for just over 20€, just as a roman grandma would cook them. The tavern is well known by the population, but just in the last few years, it has been appreciated by tourists from all over the world, mainly because it gets most of its clients by word of mouth.
Osteria da Angelino
You may think that a dinner watching the Colosseum would cost hundreds of euros, but not in Osteria Angelino. Founded in 1899, this modern tavern represents a point of reference to people who are passionate about local food. The warm and welcoming place is decorated with antique objects and artistic ornaments, creating a multisensory experience for the guests. On the menu, you can find the main roman dishes, created with local ingredients only and by following the culinary traditions handed down for generations.
Top 5 affordable restaurants: Tanto pe Magnà
Moving on to the urban side of the city, we are now in Garbatella, one of the most famous neighborhoods in Rome and home to the Palladium Theatre. One of the typical places here is the historical tavern ‘Tanto pe Magnà’. Simple, few, and traditional dishes are what this menu at a reasonable price consists of. With just around 15€, you can order two main courses and local wine and with a few euros more, you can enjoy an exquisite homemade Panna Cotta.
Trattoria Guerra
Do you want to go extra cheap but still eat traditional food? Trattoria Guerra is the place for you. All it takes is 5€ to have lunch here, but there’s a twist. You can not choose what you eat! However, the menu includes a main dish, water, wine and dessert. A simple, roman meal in a small as welcoming tavern. It really is a gamble, but a delicious one. For dinner, the prices go up to 15€, but this time you can choose among a small number of dishes.
