If you want pretty, Instagrammable desserts, look elsewhere. The biscuits at Pasticceria Boccione (known to most just as “the pasticceria in the Jewish Ghetto”) are not particularly beautiful, often looking a bit lumpy or burned. But they’re absolutely delicious. Soft, squidgy almond biscuits, ricotta and sour cherry tart, and some unidentifiable wedge of cake filled with candied fruit and almonds… it’s all so good. The toasted, salted pumpkin seeds are an acquired taste but also worth a try. Oh, and that burned cake? It’s meant to look that way. There used to be a papal decree forbidding Jews from selling dairy products, so Jewish bakers hid the ricotta under an extra thick layer of pastry.
Boccione is very much a no-frills sort of place, and the service can be brusque, but it’s a historic bakery in one of the most ancient neighbourhoods in Rome, and I think its popularity with locals is justified. Just like its building – a crumbling orange ruin that also looks like it’s spent too much time in the oven – Boccione is part of the Eternal City’s history.
Via del Portico d'Ottavia 1
Biscuits:
€
5
+39
066878637
Explore Rome like a local with Spotted by Locals - discover hidden gems and all our locals’ favourites! Get full access to our Rome guide.
"Osteria Dar Bruttone" in Rome makes some of tastiest carbonara (with or without artichokes) you can get your hands on. Also try their Porchetta...
By
"Cecilia Metella's Tomb" is a bit outside Rome's city center, but I love coming here to write among the ancient buildings & the Appia Antica road...
By
"La Fraschetta" is a neighborhood hangout in Rome for the locals -- Sandro doesn't get many customers who aren't Italian men in their fifties or older!
By
"Trajan's Market Walkway" in Rome is a useful shortcut that takes you to Monti, but I use it primarily as a place to stop & soak up the ancient atmosphere.
By
Ride a scooter on "Via Piccolomini" in Rome and, as you get closer to St Peter's Basilica, you'll actually see it shrinking instead of growing closer!
By
"Via Casilina Vecchia" is, for me, one of the most intriguing neighbourhoods in Rome. It feels invisible to the rest of the city & forgotten by modernity.
By
"Bar Giolitti" is one of my favorite places in Testaccio, Rome, for a gelato or a coffee at the bar. I also like sitting at one of the tables outside...
By
"Villa Farnesina" in Rome isn't exactly unknown, but few tourists visit it. Come here to experience Raphael in peace & tranquility in a Renaissance villa.
By
"Bentu e Soi" in Rome is a Sardinian restaurant. The food here is to die for, and everything comes with an explanation -- even the bread...
By
"Villa dei Quintili" is an archaeological site on Rome's Appia Antica. Important scenes of my novel 'In Exile' take place here; it's just so atmospheric.
By
"Parco degli Acquedotti" is a huge, popular park in Rome that's just so uniquely Roman! Where else will you find a park with so many ancient aqueducts?
By
152 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
Authentic Stories by Real People
Escape the crowd & travel slow 🐌
✓ 152 Insider Tips from our local Spotters