Rome is full of so many fabulous treasures. Home to the world-famous Roman Colosseum, the Pantheon, and the Vatican, you will find fascinating sites around every corner in this iconic city.
Another one of the many treasures of Rome has some of the top traditional Italian food that you can find, making a food tour in Rome a perfect addition to your Rome itinerary!
The best food tours in Rome take you beyond the bad tourist restaurants. A Roman food tour takes you outside of just pizza and pasta and introduces you to the real Italian food in Rome and maybe even a wine tour.
Food tours in Rome allow you to eat like a local in Rome, tasting some incredible Italian food, making your experience so much better!
So, keep reading to see why food tours in Rome can introduce you to some of the finest food in the Eternal City.
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How to Choose a Roman Food Tour
As you have probably already discovered, there are many options when choosing a food tours in Rome. So many options that it can be a little overwhelming.
I say to look for one of the food tours in Rome that meets your specific needs.
By that I mean, is there a specific reason you are doing your Roman food tour? For example, do you want to get to know a specific neighborhood better?
If so, then you would probably enjoy a Roman food tour that focuses on that neighborhood, like this tour that focuses on the Trastevere neighborhood or this tour outlining the Monti neighborhood, or the neighborhood around the Trevi Fountain, all of which focus on native Italian cuisine.
For our Rome food tour, we chose to take a tour with Secret Food Tours. We loved our time with Secret Food Tours in Dublin, so we knew that we would have a great experience with them in the Eternal City as well, and we were right!
Honestly, we have found Secret Food Tours to be some of the best food tours anywhere!
Whatever you desire, you can find Roman food tours that matches it, just do your research before making your decision. Next time we visit I will be doing a wine tour!
Reasons to Take a Rome Food Tour
Take Food Tours in Rome to Learn Local History
Now, don’t let them one scare you off, this isn’t going to be boring history book type of history. NO! This is cool, food and culture-related history.
We met our guide in front of the famous Pantheon.
Not only did we learn some fabulous facts about not only the Pantheon, but we also learned about the Piazza, some of the ancient ruins, the Trevi Fountain, and surrounding neighborhoods.
Don’t worry though, your guide knows that you are there for a food tour, so they keep the history facts to a minimum and instead truly focus on the Italian cuisine.
The best food tours in Rome give you the opportunity to see the town through an entirely different lense. These tours are available throughout Rome and the Vatican City.
Discover Off the Beaten Path Restaurants During Rome Food Tours
It is no secret that restaurants in the Eternal City are a dime a dozen. Don’t fall victim to the ones that focus strictly on tourists. They are truly just tourist traps.
To get true Italian cuisine, you have to venture off the beaten path and eat where the locals eat. One of our favorite ways to discover these little gems is just by asking the locals.
Well, on our food tour, this is exactly what we were introduced to. We were lead off the beaten path and into local butcher shops, bakeries, gelato shops, and of course, true Italian trattorias.
We ventured down little side streets that I didn’t even know existed and wound our way through cobblestone lanes only to be introduced to some of the best food in Italy we had ever tasted.
Honestly, discovering off-the-beaten-path restaurants with a local is one of our favorite things about taking food tours.
Tasting Local Food is a Highlight of Food Tours
Our Rome food tour allowed us to visit places that we wouldn’t normally. We visited local restaurants, tried local foods, local wine during our Roman food tour. This was truly some of the finest food we have ever tasted.
Marty and I upgraded our tour with Secret Food Tours to get the drink package as well.
I recommend doing this or at least looking for the option when you are looking at food tours.
This allowed us to taste different alcohol and coffee beverages at the stops along with the food. Several of the friends we made on our tour wished they had upgraded also!
During our Roman food tour, we tried so many amazing food. We visited Roscolio (which I probably never would have found on my own) where we had the most amazing aracini.
Don’t know what arancini is? I didn’t either until this tour. Arancini is a rice ball with cheese and meat that is deep-fried to perfection.
Trust me when I tell you they are delicious.
A Local Guide
As I said above in the history section, having a local guide is so incredible.
We were taken along the back streets and alleys as we ventured from destination to destination all while hearing about the culture and history of the area we were visiting.
It was apparent that our guide knew not only the businesses that we were visiting but the community as a whole. This was especially true when we visit the market and the butcher had our selection of cured meats already prepared.
Several times he was greeted on the street while giving our tour. We really enjoyed getting to hear his take on Rome’s food and drink scene as we ate our way through the city!
While exploring food tours, be sure they provide you with a local guide.
Pro Tip: If you have any food allergies, be sure to put that information in your booking. The guide will be sure that you the restaurants are aware of all food allergies.
Make New Friends
There is nothing that brings people together like delicious food!
We had so much fun making new and interesting friends on our roman food tour.
We met people from all over the United States on our tour as well as a lady from Scotland and one from Japan. Really, bonding over food is such a great experience. We still have friends that we talk to from our Galveston food tour and our Dallas food tour!
Food tours are truly an awesome way to make new friends.
Try Some New Drinks
We were really glad we purchased the drink upgrade for our Roman food tour!
As our fellow participants were drinking water (unless they paid for it), Marty and I were sipping Aperol Spritz, delicious lattes, ice-cold Italian beer, and wonderful Italian wine, and Limoncello. If you haven’t tried limoncello or Aperol Spritz, you need to!
We first experienced limoncello while in Capri and we loved it!
We were introduced to Aperol Spritz during the hot summer months in Venice and have drunk them in Italy ever since. I don’t think I would have survived the summer heat in Cinque Terre or Florence without my Aperol Spritz!
Adding the drinks truly made this the best food tour ever!
Final Thoughts
We loved our Roman food tour in the Eternal City with Secret Food Tours. They truly gave us the best food tour and let us taste some delicious local foods.
This tour allowed us the opportunity to kick back, relax and meet some awesome people as well. If you do anything while in Rome, take a Roman food tour!!
Now I’m off to look for that wine tour!
Happy Travels, Friends!!! 🙂
Check Out Our Other Italy Posts:
50 Italian Drinks That You Must Try in Italy
85 Quotes About Italy to Inspire Your Wanderlust
50 Things to Do In Venice On a Budget
How to Easily Get From Florence to Cinque Terre
25 Roman Ruins In Rome That You Have To See
20 Incredible Things To Do In Sorrento, Italy
Towns of Cinque Terre: Ultimate Guide to Cinque Terre Villages
21 Things to Know Before Visiting Rome
Ultimate Guide to Burano Italy
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Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Book Your Flight:
We love using CheapOAir, Kayak, and Kiwi to search for the best prices on flights. We love using these search engines because they search the web for airlines all over the world to ensure you get the best deal! In addition to flights, you can also find great hotel prices on Kayak and Kiwi.
Book Your Vacation Package:
If you want to book an entire vacation package, then we suggest using Expedia. We love how easy Expedia is to use and we always find good deals on entire vacation packages on their site.
Another great site for vacation packages is BookVIP. BookVIP offers super cheap vacation packages to incredible destinations. You are sure to save money using their site!
For full guided vacations including hotels, some meals, transportation, and guides, then we book with Trafalgar. Trafalgar is a trusted tour company that will meet all of your needs while ensuring that you have a great experience.
Trip.com allows you to book flights, hotels, train tickets, rental cars, airport transfers, tours, and more all on one site. Owned by the parent company that also owns Skyscanner, this is a trusted resource for travel booking and a great “one-stop-shop.”
Book Your Accommodations:
We always begin our search by checking out the honest review on hotels at TripAdvisor. This allows us to narrow our search for specific properties once we are ready to book. Of course, you can also book directly on the TripAdvisor site as well!
There are several accommodation sites that we like to use. One of our favorites is Booking.com because it gives you a wide variety of hotels and guesthouses at a good price.
Another “go-to” hotel booking site for us is Hotels.com. We love their loyalty program that allows you to earn free nights, and their “secret prices” for members are fabulous deals!
HotelsCombined is another cool site. They allow you to compare all of the top travel sites with one search to ensure you are finding the best deal out there. Kayak works in this way as well.
If you are looking for a luxurious all-inclusive vacation, then consider checking out the Sandals/Beaches properties. Sandals properties are for couples only and Beaches are for families. We have visited Sandals in the past and absolutely love the attention to detail and the service they provide.
Tour Companies We Trust:
We love taking guided tours when visiting new places. Our go-to tour companies are Viator.com and Get Your Guide. Both of these companies have been in business for years and provide excellent customer service. You can trust booking tours from their sites for sure!
For a guided city tour, check out City Sightseeing and BigBus Tours. These bus tours are so much fun and easy to hop on and hop off at top attractions in cities around the world.
CityPass is a great way to save money when visiting large cities. CityPass allows you to get free admission to major attractions once you buy their pass. The savings add up quickly with this pass, often saving 50% with combined admissions.
Another great pass to save money in larger cities is the Sightseeing Pass. This pass allows you to save valuable time and money by combining admissions to major attractions. They also have a handy app that keeps everything you need at your fingertips.
Looking to Save Time and Money?
Check out our resource page for all of our favorite vendors. These companies help us to save time and money on our travels!
About The Author
Michelle Snell is a travel writer, history buff, wine lover, and enthusiast of different cultures. Michelle enjoys bringing places to life through her informative writing style on her blogs, That Texas Couple and Totally Texas Travel. Her practical tips and suggestions help make travel dreams a reality while immersing her readers in the history, culture, and food of a region. She is happiest sipping wine in Italy or chilling on a beach with her husband, Marty.
Portia Jones
Wednesday 24th of June 2020
I always love your articles guys, such a great post on Rome. Will save for my next trip over. xx
Susan
Sunday 21st of June 2020
Ok, so all of this looks so delicious!! Thanks for the tip on the drink upgrade. I would have serious FOMO if I didn't do that :) Will keep this tour in mind for someday when I return to Rome!
thattexascouple
Wednesday 24th of June 2020
Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed reading it!
Lauriane
Sunday 21st of June 2020
Great post - we can almost smell the cheese and visualise the ice-cream :). It is an amazing idea to really enjoy tasty Italian food outside the tourist trap shops and restaurant. What a fun activity to visit the city. Thank you for sharing :).
thattexascouple
Wednesday 24th of June 2020
It really is a lot of fun. Of course, we enjoyed the food, but we also love meeting the other people on our tour!
Anja
Sunday 21st of June 2020
Love this! Always wary to take a food tour because I fear they are "touristy" but if you get a true food lover they will probably be amazing! Especially Rome can be one big tourist trap so I like to eat away from major monuments, and often stay a bit further away cos its cheaper! I like the San Lorenzo neighbourhood behind Termini for this, even though its becoming a bit hip now, or Re di Roma. But I haven't been to Rome in three years, maybe it changed. The food in Italy generally is really high in standard - also can ask locals for recommendations or take a random bus to the suburbs and get off where you like the look of the restaurants :-)
thattexascouple
Sunday 21st of June 2020
We agree with you 100%. We love Rome also but are careful to not eat or stay in the tourist areas. We actually stayed in san Lorenzo on our last visit and loved it!!!
Arielle Kurtze
Sunday 21st of June 2020
I love food + I love Rome = perfect day! What a great idea, to take a food tour. This is definitely on our bucket list!
thattexascouple
Sunday 21st of June 2020
We really enjoyed this tour. It allowed us to go to less touristy, more local places. We really recommend it.