Eat and Drink: the best of Monti, Rome

Our guide to the best places to eat, drink and be merry in Rome's 'Monti', the coolest quarter of the city, just down the road from the Colosseum.

Rome is a notorious tourist trap, often criticised for its overpriced and underwhelming food. But tucked away down old cobbled streets, untouched by the fake smiles of overzealous waiters, Monti (one of 12 'Rioni' of Rome) can offer you a generous helping of authentic Italian fare.

What's in Monti?

The ‘hipster’ area of Rome, Monti has been attracting the attention of food and travel lovers alike for the past couple of years. There is a quietness about the streets that is refreshing, especially when the madness of the Colosseum is just a stone’s throw away.

Locals both young and old wander in and out of the boutique shops and pop-up vintage markets with an air of Italian nonchalance that makes you want to stick around. And, of course, Monti is brimming with glorious eateries.

Breakfast and a cappuccino

Grab a fresh pastry oozing with apricot jam and a cappuccino from Antico Forno ai Serpenti just off Via Panisperna. By combining traditional baking methods with a passion for flavour, they create delicious goods that locals keep coming back for. If their delectable 'biscotti al latte' is still playing on your mind by lunchtime, you might want to return for their wonderful rustic pizza slices, which are unfussy and melt in the mouth like they ought to.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, then stop off at Pasticceria Ciardi along Via Cavour for tarts and pastries loaded with fresh cream. The owners are known for their friendly service and keen recommendations of sweet treats to go alongside a fresh cappuccino. Keep an eye out for their delicious pistachio cannoli.

For the authentic Italian hipster experience head to 2Periodico along Via Leonina for a leisurely brunch. Sit back on their leather sofas and rub knees with local artists and creative types who flock to Monti for some bohemian respite. Chef Patrizia Simonetti has recently launched a new menu, experimenting with uncommon organic flours such as rice flour and spelt to make quirky pastries. Truly catering for the restricted diet crowd, they even offer soy cappuccinos, as well as ginseng tea and delightful earl grey biscotti.

Trattoria Monti

Near the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica on Via San Vito sits Trattoria Monti, where I ate an incredible lunch. This restaurant comes highly reviewed on almost every travel website and in every guidebook out there. Although I’m always quite wary of hype, I’m glad I gave it a chance. Reservations are an absolute must, and I recommend trying to book a lunch slot as they are far easier to come by than dinner ones.  

A charming family run business, their menu is based around food from the Marche region on the eastern coast of Italy, and grandma is in charge of the kitchen. 

Highlights include the wild rabbit gnocchi in white sauce (fresh, soft and unlike any gnocchi found in the UK); the juicy, flaky monkfish in tomato sauce (pictured left); and the spinach tortello, a pasta shape encasing a whole egg. It’s a notoriously hard dish to get right even for the most experienced of chefs. Expect homemade amaretto in the gelato, too. The menu is very reasonably priced – which would explain why the restaurant was brimming full of knowing locals.

Seasonal snacks

If you don’t manage to get a table at Trattoria Monti, then head back toward Urbana 47. To show their support for local farmers they feature one seasonal ingredient every month, which they tailor their menu around. The ingredient for March was Erbe di Campo (wild leaf vegetable). For lunch they have two options – fast or slow. With the fast option you are guaranteed service in 15 minutes and have the choice of three dishes which change daily. Options might include a spelt salad, gnocchi in Sorrentina sauce or a beef saltimbocca. At the weekends, lunch becomes a four-course brunch, including a dessert from their pastry counter.

If you fancy sticking around for dinner, from 6pm you’ll see locals wandering in for tapas and ‘Cinema Urbana 47’, where they play live music and project films. While this goes on, barman Alessandro Livulpi mixes up some cocktails. Check their website for listings of what’s on.

Buona sera!

The evening is when Monti truly comes to life. Locals sprawl across the square, Piazza della Madonna dei Monti, drinking vino and chatting the night away. Open since 1906, La Carbonara is moments away from the square along Via Panisperna, and is renowned for its friendly atmosphere and trendy clientele. Running the show is Donna Teresa, the matriarch of the family, who makes sure that their spaghetti carbonara is just as good now as it was a hundred years ago. Aside from a great selection of pasta dishes, you could also sample a steak in truffle sauce, or their very popular artichoke salad.

Just along from the Piazza down Via Madonna dei Monti is La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali, another family run business that comes highly recommended. The chef Alessio uses seasonal ingredients to cook traditional Italian dishes such as canellonni al forno and caponata di melanzane, a Sicilian eggplant dish. With their decent selection of reasonably priced bottles of wine and friendly atmosphere it’s easy to understand why customers spend all night there.

Just off the Piazza, Al Boschetto, who are famed for their fungi dishes, is a great choice for vegetarians. Try their fish from the daily specials, served on a bed of fresh mushrooms. And of course a taste of their homemade desserts, especially the tiramisu, is a must.

A tipple or two

If you fancy a nightcap then Monti is home to some charismatic wine and cocktail bars (which can be hard to find in other parts of Rome). La Bottega del Caffè on Piazza della Madonna dei Monti is forever bursting with Italians drinking wine, eating appertivos and watching the world go by.

Al Vino Al Vino along Via dei Serpenti boasts a selection of over 500 wines as well as grappa and whiskies, and is continuously packed full of locals. Being a wine bar it’s not really the place for a meal, but nevertheless it's well recognised for its caponata eggplant dish.

2Periodico (mentioned earlier) turns into a hip watering hole after dark, with a long cocktail list and a nice selection of grappa. They regularly host live music, mostly in the folk vein, which is definitely worth a look if you want to really immerse yourself in the local culture.

Chocolates and ice cream

While you’re wandering around Monti’s vintage boutiques and art shops, make sure to pay La Bottega del Cioccolato a visit for handmade chocolates or just to gawp at their chocolate sculptures (the Colloseum in particular is stunning). Mia Market along Via Panisperna is a great source of fresh ingredients if you’re in Rome for a while. With a focus on local, organic ingredients the market is a friendly place that looks like a ‘group of friends has assembled in a kitchen and accidentally left the door open’. Expect to find freshly baked bread, seasonal fruit and veg, as well as homemade tarts.

Of course, no trip to any Italian city is complete without gelato. Fatamorgana (don’t be put off by the fact that it’s a chain) on Piazza degli Zingari has an incredible selection of both traditional and downright bizarre flavours. The creator of the brand Maria Agnese is extremely passionate about ice cream so there are no additives, colourants or thickening ingredients allowed, making the ice cream delightfully light. A few example flavours include beer, honey, nuts, and even wasabi.

A bed for the night

Il Covo B&B along Via Del Boschetto is right in the heart of Monti with a terrace facing the Piazza. With only 15 rooms, there’s a much more personal, authentic-feeling experience compared to being in one of the big chain hotels.

Alternatively, airbnb has a great selection of rooms and whole apartments to rent in Monti. This way you are in the perfect location to visit all the tourist hotspots in Rome, while enjoying the comfort of a local fully-furnished home. You can either opt for a modern studio flat, or throw yourself entirely into la dolce vita with this townhouse complete with its own patio area.

Larger, printable version of this map

It’s always difficult to include everything in these features. Is there anywhere else in Monti we should definitely visit? What’s your favourite foodie hangout there? Share your local knowledge in the Comments box below. 

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