5 x The Best Savoury Street Food in Rome
You know I was excited to write this article. I love many things about Rome, but the food is definitely one of the biggest contributors to my happiness. Since I am a student, my budget isn’t very big, so I don’t eat out often. But with the street food in Rome, you don’t have to spend much for something to really rock your world.
There are a few street food items in Rome that are very famous, and you’ll see them a lot in the city centre. For this blog post, I thought it would be a good idea to share the most famous savoury street food items in Rome that I personally enjoy, along with the places where I think they sell the best ones. When you visit Rome, you simply have to try these foods!
Supplì
If there is one street food you absolutely can’t miss in Rome, it’s supplì. These little balls of fried comfort are usually filled with rice, tomato sauce and gooey mozzarella in the middle that stretches infinite when you pull your supplì apart. They are crispy, warm, full of flavour, and per supplì you only pay between 1 and 3 euros. It is my personal comfort food whenever I need a little pick me up.
People sometimes confuse supplì with arancini, but they are definitely not the same. First of all, supplì are Roman and more ovally shaped, almost like a little croquette. Arancini are Sicilian, very important, and often larger, rounder, and stuffed with all kinds of fillings like ragu, peas or ham and cheese. Both are delicious, but if you’re in Rome, supplì is the one you have to try.
My favourite place for supplì lately is Supplì Roma, located in Trastevere, after it was recommended to me by a Roman friend. Here they have the classic flavour with rice, tomato, meat and mozzarella (amazing) but also different flavours such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana and carbonara. The menu varies a little from day to day, but I highly recommend visiting here for your supplì.
Other famous places for a supplì are Supplizio, Pizzarium and La Casa del Supplì. Honestly the beauty of the supplì is that they sell it almost everywhere, so I recommend trying different ones to find your own favourite.
Pizza al taglio
Pizza Marinara with tomato sauce, garlic, oregano and olive oil.
I already talked about pizza al taglio in the first food article I ever wrote about my favourite food spots in Rome. Since then, I have tried a lot more places to eat pizza al taglio, and I am still obsessed with it.
Pizza al taglio is Roman pizza sold by the slice and is very common in the city. It is baked in large rectangular trays and cut into slices based on how much you want. You pay by weight which makes pizza al taglio perfect for budget travellers or a student meal.
Roman pizza is not like Neapolitan pizza. It is much thinner and crispier and does not have that airy crust you might be used to. Personally I prefer Roman style pizza and pizza al taglio is something that always brings me comfort and happiness.
One of my go-to places to get pizza al taglio is Pizzeria La Boccaccia in Trastevere. Eating it afterwards by the river is always just the cherry on top. A very popular choice is the chain Alice Pizza, and honestly, you can never go wrong ordering there. In my opinion, it is very very good. Just like with supplì, you can find pizza al taglio almost everywhere in the city, so definitely try different places to find your favourites.
Trapizzino
The next street food item is none other than trapizzino, which is very famous not only in Rome but also in other places. Trapizzino started in 2013 in Rome and now even has locations in Milan, Turin, and New York.
But most importantly, what exactly is a trapizzino? A trapizzino is like a pocket made from pizza dough and stuffed with traditional fillings from Roman and other Italian cuisines, such as parmigiana di melanzane, polpetta al sugo, and pollo alla cacciatora. You can think of it as a crossover between pizza and a sandwich. There are five classic flavours, and every day each Trapizzino location also offers three special flavours that change with the seasons.
There are several Trapizzino locations in Rome, for example in Trastevere, Testaccio, and even at Termini. The Trastevere location is often quite busy, and you will probably have to wait in line, but in my opinion, it is worth it. A trapizzino costs around 5 euros, and besides trapizzini they also have amazing supplì. So if you want, you could even order both and cross off two items from this list in one stop.
Panino con porchetta
Another street food classic you have to try in Rome is the panino con porchetta. This simple yet amazing sandwich is made with crusty bread stuffed with porchetta, slow roasted pork often seasoned with garlic, herbs, and black pepper. The meat is always juicy and flavourful, and my favourite parts are the crispy bits of skin.
Usually you can find a good panino con porchetta for around 4 to 6 euros, and they are very popular in Rome. Often even supermarkets sell them at the bakery section. If you love sandwiches in general, I also wrote a blog post about where to find the best sandwiches in Rome, so feel free to check that one out.
There are many places in Rome where you can find a good panino con porchetta, but one of my favourites is La Norcineria di Iacozzilli in Trastevere. The staff is so kind, and they make your sandwich really fresh. It depends on what kind of bread you get, last time I went I got a more pizza bianca style bread, but it is always amazing. Salty, juicy, tender meat, just everything you want from a good panino con porchetta.
Pizza bianca con mortadella
Last but not least is a classic Roman street food item, pizza bianca con mortadella. This is one of the simplest snacks you can get, yet it is absolutely delicious. It is basically fluffy Roman pizza bianca, which is like a soft yet slightly crispy flatbread, sliced open and filled with thin slices of mortadella. It may not sound like much, but when the bread is fresh and warm and the mortadella is good quality, it is pure perfection. You can find it in many bakeries and pizza al taglio places around Rome, usually for just a few euros, and it makes for the perfect quick bite when you are exploring the city.
Conclusion
I hope this blog post has given you plenty of snack inspiration for your next trip to Rome! As you can probably tell, most places sell several of the items on this list, so it’s totally doable to try multiple snacks and really experience Roman street food. These street foods are all pretty simple, but good quality ingredients are what make them so special, and I love every single one of them.
I’m planning to write another article like this, but focused on sweet street food items. As soon as I have that ready, I’ll post the link here. Until then, enjoy these amazing foods!
