5 food days in Rome

There are many more places I would have liked to visit but didn't have the time, so use this more as an inspiration than something you must follow. 

Dinner on the first night 
Because our hotel was very central and we were exhausted from travelling, we wanted to find something close by for our first dinner and stumbled upon Settimo all'Arancio in the area of Colonna. The service was good and we did not have to wait too long for our antipasto, a 'carciofo alla giudea' (picture 1) and subsequent 'bucatini all'Amatriciana' (picture 1) sprinkled with Pecorino cheese, delicious! Overall, a very good, traditional Roman restaurant with decent prices for the central location it has. 

Lunch on the second day 
This time I relied on all the suggestions my followers gave me, and, feeling like a pizza, I went to Da Baffetto, a famous pizzeria in the area of Parione. I had no idea how popular this place was until we saw the long queue of people outside. It turns out the pizzeria is featured on many Spanish magazines and full of Spanish tourists. We waited a while for our pizzas, but it was a pleasant wait as we needed a break from walking around, and seeing the bustle of the open kitchen was entertaining. After roughly twenty minutes our delicious, thin crust pizzas arrived. I had ordered a pizza Margherita topped with zucchini flowers (picture 2) , and the person I was with a simple pizza Marinara (tomato sauce, garlic and oregano). What was especially pleasing was the lightness of the pizza, which didn't cause us to have an 'abbiocco' and allowed us to proceed with our sightseeing. 

Dinner on the second day 
This is the place to go if you're looking for the authentic, rustic Roman experience, of both food and venue. In the area of 'Testaccio' south of the Colosseum and Fori Imperiali you find Da Oio a Casa Mia. 
I really wanted to try a pasta dish and a second course of meat, but portions in Rome are always huge. We got around this by splitting between two one portion of Carbonara one of their specialities, and then some delicious, huge, meatballs in tomato sauce all for myself. Both were excellent and I highly recommend trying the traditional Roman meatballs at least once during your visit to Rome. 

Lunch on the third day 
This was one of two lovely culinary surprises during our visit to Rome. Suggested by a Rome based food blog, we were in the area between Pigna and Colonna around lunchtime and decided to give it a try. Facing Hadrian's Temple, the view of Osteria Dell'Ingegno is breathtaking. I had the 'carciofi alla Romana' with sautéed potatoes (picture 3) and some delicious 'arancini' with shrimp served with a lovely tomato sauce. The most delicious surprise was the Panna Cotta I ordered as dessert. I consider myself a Panna Cotta expert, but never in my many years of tasting them had I tried something as delicious as this one. Softer and creamier than usual, and served with fresh berries and biscuit crumbs, it was heaven in a dessert. Delicious restaurant, and the one where we spent the most money, but nonetheless worth it. 

Dinner on the fourth day 
Osteria la Gensola was the second culinary surprise of our trip. Also highly recommended by some family friends, this traditional Roman restaurant with an influence of Sicilian cuisine can be found in the area of Trastevere, a street away from the river. We divided an appetiser between the two of us, tuna 'polpettine' with fresh tomato sauce. Words cannot express how delicious, soft and flavourful these were, I suggest them to anyone who eats at La Gensola. I then ordered some paccheri served with a delicate fish ragù, (picture 6) basil and Pecorino Romano. This is a definite must if you visit Rome and like fish. 

Lunch on the fith day
Wanting to save the best for last, we went to Felice a Testaccio, which ten different people had suggested, on the last day for lunch. The person I was with instead on walking to the area of Testaccio, where the restaurant is, from the Colosseum. I don't suggest it as it was quite a hike, especially under the midday sun. I decided to order their speciality, tonnarelli with Cacio and Pepe. It was a big portion but my was it worth it! They were cooked to the perfect hardness, and the amount of sauce was just right. It was a little more trendy than I imagined, but the food was delicious and the prices very competitive.