Our Anniversary to Italy: Part 23 – Eating in Rome, Part 1

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Emily Jablon:  Daraius and I went to Europe in September to celebrate our 2nd anniversary for ~2 weeks.  It was my first time in Italy so I was very excited!  In Italy, we visited Varenna on Lake Como, Milan, Venice, and Rome.

Since we were in Europe, we visited a friend in Strasbourg, France and also spent a night in Zurich.  We started our trip with a one day layover in Chicago to see friends!

Our Anniversary To Italy – Trip Report Index:

• Part 1 – Planning & Introduction
• Part 2 – Park Hyatt, Chicago
• Part 3 – One Day in Chicago
• Part 4 – Virgin Atlantic Upper Class
• Part 5 – Virgin Atlantic Revivals Lounge, London
• Part 6 – Under the Channel to Strasbourg
• Part 7 – Hotel Cathedrale, Strasbourg
• Part 8 – What did we do in Strasbourg
• Part 9 – Eating in Strasbourg
• Part 10 – Park Hyatt, Zurich
• Part 11 – 10 Hours in Zurich
• Part 12 – Hotel Eremo Gaudio in Varenna, Italy
• Part 13 – What to do in Varenna, Italy
• Part 14 – Eating in Varenna, Italy
• Part 15 –  Park Hyatt, Milan
• Part 16 – What Did We Do in Milan
• Part 17 – Eating in Milan
• Part 18 – Hilton Molino Stucky, Venice
• Part 19 – Around the Hilton Molino Stucky & Free Shuttle Boat Details
• Part 20 – What we did in Venice
• Part 21 – Eating in Venice
• Part 22 – Waldorf-Astoria, Rome Cavalieri
• Part 23 – Eating in Rome, Part 1
• Part 24 – Emily’s Best Meal Was in Italy!
• Part 25 – Rome Cavalieri Imperial Floor
• Part 26 – Activities in Rome
• Part 27 – Activities in Rome – Where to Go, What to See, How to Save Time
• Part 28 – Virgin Atlantic Flight from Europe to US
• Part 29 – Conclusion & Blog Giveaway

This post will cover several restaurants and gelaterias from from the Rick Steves’ Italy guidebook and Chowhound, including:

• By the Rome Cavilieri
• Cheap Eats
  • Pizzeria Di Sforza Piero (near the Colosseum; a slice of pizza was less than $1)
  • Antica Gelato (near the Colosseum; ~$3 gelatos & $4 granitas)
  • McDonald’s (Spanish steps)
  • Giolatti
  • Hostaria dei Bastioni (near Vatican City and our favorite pizza)
  • Baffetto 2
  • Carrefour Express (Grocery Shopping)

Eating In Rome

1.   By the Rome Cavalieri

Eating at the Rome Cavalieri was expensive so we went searching for cheaper places to eat near the hotel.  Here’s a map to some of the restaurants, cafes, and supermarkets close to the hotel.

We turned right at the fountain as you leave the hotel…

and walked down Via Alberto Cadlolo.  There were mostly homes and apartments so we kept walking.

We got to the end of the street but didn’t find a restaurant.

We turned left onto Viale delle Medaglie D’Oro and found a little market with fresh fruit and bottled drinks.

We kept walking and found Petit Cafe.

There was a Massari supermarket.

There was a cafe bar called the Cubino Bar.

There are a lot of shops on Viale delle Medaglie D’Oro.  There was a travel agency…

and a restaurant called I Vespri Siciliani.

There’s also a gelateria in between the restaurant and a bakery.

The bakery also sold Italian pasta.

We went down some steps…

and found the View Restaurant and it definitely lived up to its name!

Cheap Eats

1.   Pizzeria (located near the Colosseum)

For lunch, Daraius and I went to Pizzeria Di Sforza Piero, a pizza bar near the Colosseum, located at Via Celimontana 17.

Our first pick was closed, so we wandered the streets until we saw something that looked good.

The pizzeria had flatbread, whole roasted chicken, lasagna…

stuffed tomatoes, potato pizza….

and several other different types of pizza.

The prices weren’t too bad either.

I got a potato pizza and Daraius got a cheese pizza.  We also split a rice and cheese fried snack.  To drink, Daraius had pear juice and I had an Italian cola.

I really liked my potato pizza.  You could taste the fresh potatoes and olive oil.

2.   Antica Gelateria (near the Colosseum)

After the pizza bar, Daraius and I went to a gelateria located across the street called Antica Gelateria De Matteis.

They had a large selection of homemade gelato…

…and real fruit granitas that looked so good, that I hoped we would return after our sightseeing.

The prices were not too bad either.

I had one scoop of cookie flavored gelato that was delicious!

We decided to eat our gelato on the way to Palantine Hill.

After our day of sightseeing, we went back to Antica Gelateria De Matteis for their freshly made granitas.  We ordered strawberry and melon.  Both were good, but the strawberry was out of this world!

3.   McDonald’s

Daraius and I decided to eat a cheap dinner to save for our splurge meals, so we had McDonald’s.

They had the normal menu and a special Italian menu…

there was a Share Box and Chicken McBites.

You can wait in line or use the EasyOrder machine.

We ordered a Share Box, which came with chicken nuggets, fried brie, and fried spinach and parmesan nuggets.  We also ordered a calzone and French fries.

My favorite part was the fried brie, but I thought even the cheap pizzas and sandwiches were better than McDonald’s.

McDonald’s also had a big selection of pies and cakes…

and ice cream treats.

4.   Giolitti

Daraius and I had gelato during one of our evening strolls.  The Giolitti gelateria is well known and has been there for decades.

We had to pay for the gelato first, and then give our ticket to the gelato server.  I ordered a turron and Nutella gelato, and Daraius had a cream flavored gelato.

Both were tasty but not as tasty as other gelatos we’ve tried.  I was surprised how much like actual Nutella my gelato tasted (and looked) like.  It brought back memories when Daraius ate a whole jar of Nutella in one sitting with a spoon in front of his computer.

5.   Hostaria dei Bastioni (near Vatican City)

For lunch, Daraius and I went to the Hostaria dei Bastioni restaurant near the Vatican before our day of sightseeing.

It was a Rick Steves’ recommendation and they had the usual Italian favorites.  A pizza cost 8 euros or ~$11.

Daraius ordered a pizza and I had spaghetti.

Daraius’ pizza turned out to be our favorite pizza out of all the pizza we had in Italy!  The dough was thin and tasted handmade and fresh.  The cheese was also very delicate and fresh, and the meats were also very good.  My spaghetti was good, too.

We enjoyed the pizza so much that we decided to come back for dinner after our sightseeing.  We ordered the mixed bruschetta as an appetizer.

I ordered lasagna…

and Daraius had risotto with seafood.

Our food was good, but not as good as the pizza for lunch.  We wanted to order pizza but the chef said it would not be ready until 7:00 pm (we went for dinner at 6:15 pm after leaving the Vatican).

6.   Baffetto 2

Our last day in Rome, we went to find wood fired pizza.  We went to Baffetto 2, which was mentioned in the Rick Steves’ book for its good wood fired pizzas.

They also had an extensive menu.

We liked the outdoor seating.

We ordered garlic bread for our starter, which may have been a bit too salty, but good.

For our main course we shared an Italian pepperoni pizza.

The pizza was good, but not as good as the Hostaria dei Bastioni Restaurant.

7.  Carrefour Express

Before we left for the US, we wanted to get some Italian chocolates and pasta, so we went to Carrefour Express after visiting the Vatican and did some shopping.  It’s cheaper to buy treats from the grocery store than from a souvenir shops.

The market had lots of food, including olive oil…

pasta…

cured meats…

cookies…

more cookies…

candy…

and even American style bread.

Carrefour Express also had health and beauty products.

We managed to find a lot of things we liked!

Bottom Line

We’ve had good luck using Rick Steves’ guidebooks recommendations on what to do and where to eat when traveling.

But it’s okay to forget the guidebook and discover places on your own which is how we found  potato pizza at Pizzeria Di Sforza Piero for only 70 cents a slice and the best fruit granites at Antica Gelato.