Once in Rome, Live like the Romans, Street Food Tour, airbnb Experience Tour
I was so excited about this tour. To be quite honest, I’m a huge foodie. So when I travel, one of the main things I want to do is try the local foods and beers in that specific area. Being in Rome a few times, I have definitely had my share of good pasta and delicious pizzas, but I wanted to try something new. In looking for some unique experiences to try out in the city, we found this street food tour on Airbnb, and couldn’t say no. The price was great, and a local Roman would take you around and you got to try some original foods in the city center. What more could you ask for? We instantly booked it, and I’m so glad we did because this was such a fun and unique tour we got to experience.
What We Saw
One of the neatest things about this tour was being able to walk through the streets of Rome around sunset. There’s something magical about Rome once this warm lighting illuminates the city. We also explored neighborhoods like the old Jewish Quarter or ghetto, which is very rich in history. Along our journey we saw the Pompeo Magno Theater, the Torre Argentina (Roman Cat Sanctuary) which is the very place where Caesar was murdered, and the outside of the Pantheon.
What We Ate
We started the tour in Campo de’ Fiori square at Norcineria Viola, which is a very well known establishment for their hard meats. As a small group, we walked inside the little shop towards the back, where we found an extensive selection of various salamis and, of course, bottles of red wine. Fun fact- I do not eat red meats. They’ve just never settled in my stomach well, so I cut it from my daily diet. However, my mouth was watering remembering what Italian salami tasted like when I lived in Florence, Italy, 9 years ago. And as the Roman do, I decided to I try some salami. Absolutely delicious. My favorite was made with truffle, which is a type of fungi that grows in the ground. You will find truffle flavoring all over the place in Italy, and this is fantastic for me because I love the flavor!
After a few little glasses of wine and tasty salami, we made our way to try some street pizza at Roscioli. Claudio, our guide, explained the story of the creation of the margarita pizza, and told us of his favorite, which had potatoes on top and is a speciality of Rome. Along with our pizza, they gave us a glass of a blonde ale Italian beer. We were immersed in a really cute street, and while snacking, we got to learn about some fun cultural things. Just ask Claudio to tell you about the table on wheels!
Next, we walked through some more beautiful Roman streets to Pizzeria Al Taglio where we tried Suppli, which was something I had never heard of before this trip. This is a type of rice ball that’s been deep fried, so I guess I don’t have to mention to you how good it was. I’ll let your imagination wonder.
From here we made our way to the old Jewish ghetto outside of Ristorante Antico Ghetto Ebraico Sheva to try caciofi all gudia, which is deep fried artichokes. This was my favorite thing I tried throughout the entire tour. It instantly melted into your mouth and the flavor was just unreal. After eating it, if you took a sip of water it would taste like sugar! I cannot wait to go back one day so I can order this at a restaurant, because it was that delicious! Last on our journey, we found ourselves outside of the Pantheon, where we enjoyed two scoops of gelato at Günther. I had my gelato here another day on my trip because it really impressed me with how delicious it was! I chose the pistachio, but my traveling companions both got the lemon and said it was absolutely delicious.
Highly Recommend
This tour went beyond all of my initial expectations. All the food we tried was unique and delicious and we got to see parts of the city I didn’t even realize were there with a little history sprinkled in. Claudio was so charismatic, fun and helpful even after the tour ended to make sure our stay in Rome was top-notch. We even ran into him at the Vatican a few days after the tour, and he still offered to help us find neat places to visit while staying in the city.
The tour was the perfect amount of time. Just in Roman style, everything was laid back and full of laughter and smiles. I cannot recommend this tour enough to get a different experience of Roman living. Great food, great company and great sights. What more could you ask for?
I do recommend taking this tour on the first day of your Roman holiday in order to get more acquainted with the city, and learn how to discern and avoid tourist traps with suggestions and recommendations from these tours guides.
How To Book
Does this sound like the type of tour you’re looking for while exploring this beautiful Roman city? You can easily book your street food tour HERE. Please let Pietro and Claudio know that I sent you. And let me know in the comments if you ended up doing the tour and what you thought of it!
“When in Rome, live as the Romans do; when elsewhere, live as they live elsewhere.”
Learn more about exploring Rome in a related article: Biking In Ancient Rome, Airbnb Experience Tour
