Snacks

The Porto fluvial is an ex industrial warehouse reinvented as a restaurant. Actually it’s more than a restaurant. It works almost all day, from late morning to late night and you can choose the best way to eat depending on your needs.

It’s divided in different spaces: La Trattoria, La Pizzeria, Il Banco, Il Salotto, La Cucina di Strada. La Trattoria is the typical restaurant, with a lot of tasty and reinvented Italian food in different sizes, depending on how hungry you are. In the pizzeria there is a wood oven. I’ve never tried the pizza here, but at least I can say that it looks good. Il Banco instead is the place to drink all day long, from a coffee in the morning to the aperitif in the late afternoon.

I usually go there at lunch, during my break. They have a big buffet, with a lot of different dishes, warm and cold, and a lot of vegetarian options. It’s fast, good and at a good price. It’s always really crowded, but at lunch you wont’ wait to much. In the evening instead you’d better reserve a table.

One of the most typical Roman fast foods is the so called pizza bianca. It’s not the pizza that we are used to, the typical Neapolitan pizza, it’s somehow different and you can see it and taste it. Moreover the Roman people eat it filled with the most various ingredients, from dried tomatoes to Ariccia’s Porchetta.

Since I really like this dish I’ve tried a lot of spots that made it. One of my favourites is Opulentia. It’s a small place in the Pigneto neighborhood. They have one of the best pizza biancas, with a typical 72 hours leavening that made it really soft and digestible. They fill it with very good and typical ingredients and they have some really good options for vegetarians too.

The guys inside are really kind, they join the “smile free” philosophy of some other, more well known fast food spot, but in a more personal and enthusiastic way.

So if you are touring in the neighborhood and you want to try something typical or if you want a night snack this is the right spot: good and cheap, but really crowded in the rush hours, especially at night (21:30 – 00:00)

Grom is a gelato shop-chain founded in Turin in 2003. Even if I’m not a big fan of food chains I highly recommend you try one their stores. Rome has different stores and the central ones are located in Piazza Navona, near the Pantheon and in Campo de Fiori (check the site for all addresses). My favorite one is in Piazza Navona because I like to enjoy my gelato sitting on the famous “Fountain of the four rivers” and watching all the street artists as they’re working.

Here gelato has an extremely high quality and it’s made with fresh ingredients, all of them are natural and without any additives. In fact flavors often change because they only use seasonal ingredients (especially fruit flavors). Every month there is a “Gusto del mese” (flavor of the month) which is often particular and uncommon. I remember last month’s flavor: it was caramel mixed with Himalaya pink salt, it was extremely yummy.

Do you think that Gelato is too heavy? Just enjoy a refreshing Sicilian granita while strolling hot Rome’s streets.

Don’t worry if you are celiac or you have food intolerance: the friendly staff will tell you what you can eat and what you cannot.

Rome addresses: Pantheon : Via della maddalena 30 A. Piazza Navona: Piazza Navona 1. Campo De Fiori:Via dei Giubbonari, 53. Outiside City Center: Via Tuscolana, 1370

You know you’ve arrived to Kalapà once you see people sitting on every ledge and stoop available on this small street in Pigneto. What are they doing? Enjoying really great Greek food! Kalapà is a small, cozy spot, where you can choose between savory souvlaki wraps, salads, stuffed potatoes, or skewers of meat.

There is always a line, at least every time I have been there. Don’t worry though, it all goes very fast: the ordering, the waiting, and of course, the eating. All you have to do is browse the menu as you wait in line, place your order, give your name, and they will call you when it’s ready. At Kalapà you can get water for free, or choose one of their Greek beers/wines. All of the food at Kalapà is very fresh and delicious. I especially enjoy their large menu of stuffed potatoes, of which many are vegetarian.

Basically, Kalapà is a great non-Italian choice for dinner. The food is tasty, inexpensive, and quick. And if you ate too much, a nice walk/digestivo in the area is always advisable!

No storefront, no signs, just pastries. Lots and lots of pastries! If you’re hanging out in the San Giovanni/Tuscolano area and up for a late night snack, Alba Dolce is definitely the place to go, if you’re in the mood for pastries that is! 

Not the usual coffee bar, Alba Dolce is just a bakery that stocks up the neighboring cafes, and also happens to serve walk-in customers. When you walk on back into the kitchen, you will be greeted by mounds of baked goods. There are donuts, stuffed pockets, cornetti, and any other pastries you could possibly want. I frequently show up hungry, with a clear idea of what I want to eat, and then I always end up leaving with the next three morning’s pastries! There are just too many to choose from, so why not get a few, I always say. 

Since there are no tables or seats, people are always grouped outside. In fact, that is how I always spot the small bakery: by the groups of late-nighters, scarfing down their snacks. There is also a coffee machine that accepts coins, if you want a coffee drink to accompany your pastry. 

All in all, Alba Dolce makes amazing pastries and is open all night long. What else could you want?