Where to Eat around The Westin Excelsior, Rome

This historic bakery in Campo de’ Fiori serves good pizza bianca and excellent pizza rossa, as well as assorted slices, cookies, and pastries. The neighboring annex across the alley (Vicolo del Gallo 14) serves sandwiches and baked goods. Drop in during August and September for a taste of the seasonal treat pizza prosciutto e fichi (pizza bianca filled with savory slices of prosciutto crudo and sweet, overripe figs).

In spite of its reputation as a city of local, seasonal dining, these characteristics of Roman cuisine are actually under threat and in widespread decline. For this reason, the government has stepped in with the hopes of saving local farms and food producers. At Enoteca Provincia Romana near the Roman Forum, the county of Rome has teamed up with small farms to provide excellent and affordable food made exclusively from ingredients from in and around Rome. Even the water and beer is local. At lunch, stop by for a quick pasta and a glass of local wine, or dig into something more substantial at dinner. Locally sourced ingredients are also for sale near the entrance.

A few blocks from Villa Ada and the Via Salaria, Gelateria Fatamorgana sells Maria Agnese Spagnuolo’s edible works of art. Each flavor is made from all natural ingredients, without chemical additives or artificial flavors, and many are lactose free. Spagnuolo’s whimsical creations are often seasonal and always draw on quality produce, spices and herbs. In the summer, try panacea (ginseng, almond milk, and mint) with ananas e zenzero (pineapple and ginger). There are a number of chocolate variations ideal for winter, including Kentucky (dark chocolate and tobacco). Fatamorgana also offers gluten free gelato, a rarity in Rome where so many shops use additives containing gluten. There are three other branches.

When it comes to ice cream, there is still only one place in Rome. It has been the best since 1900. I love Giolitti not only for the great gelato, but also because it hasn’t changed since I was a little girl. 39/06-699-1243. By Pepi Marchetti Franchi, as told to Elizabeth Minchilli. This appeared in the November/December 2012 issue.

Coromandel, located just around the corner from Piazza Navona, just might be the prettiest spot to have a meal in town. From the brass door handle to bone-handled cutlery to the delicate Limoges-style plates and cups, it is an elegant design delight. And the food is extraordinarily delicious. For breakfast, there are set, sweet and salty menus to choose from, or an a la carte menu. The table filled with pastries and breakfast cake is difficult to resist. We sampled scrambled eggs and crispy guanciale, light-as-air popovers with melted cheese and prosciutto cotto. There is a croissant that met with French approval (and much discussion of the qualities and merits of French versus Italian butter). To drink on a hot Roman morning there is iced coffee with almond milk, and made-to-order juices with a healthy zing of ginger.

Gabriele Bonci’s famous pizza-by-the-slice joint serves some of the best pizza in town. The slow-leavened dough is made from organic stoneground flour, and toppings change throughout the day. Pizzarium also sells excellent bread and supplì (fried rice balls with various fillings). If you dare, get one of every slice. Doing so will certainly push Pizzarium out of the moderate budget range, but it is a worthwhile splurge. Pair your pizza with a craft beer from the fridge. Beware: the tiny place gets crowded at lunch, there are only a couple of benches outside to sit on, and there is no table service.

One of Rome‘s best bakeries and among the city’s most historic institutions, Antico Forno Roscioli is a family-run business. Depending on the time of day, you might find patriarch Marco or his son Pierluigi hard at work. There are a variety of baked goods, including pizza by the slice, flatbreads, loaves, and sweets. The pizza bianca (flatbread brushed with olive oil) and pizza rossa (crispy flatbread dressed with light tomato sauce) are sensational, and the pane di Lariano (crusty sourdough bread) is the best in Rome. Be sure to check out their wine bar/restaurant/gourmet food shop—called, simply, Roscioli—nearby.

This busy pizzeria in the Celio, the neighborhood adjacent to the Colosseum, is decked out in kitschy Roman decor. The dining room resembles a piazza of sorts, surrounded by old school storefronts anchored to the walls. Six nights a week, Li Rioni turns out thin and crispy pizzas from its wood burning oven. They also serve pretty good starters, including olive ascolane (breaded fried olives stuffed with meat) and filetti di baccalà (fried cod filets). The margherita pizza and sausage and mozzarella pizza (hold the tomato sauce) are their best.