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I had lunch last week with a new press attaché for the American Embassy in Rome, and he asked a question that boggles the mind of most new residents. "Why aren't there any ethnic restaurants in Rome?" In fact, for a city synonymous with good eating, there is an often shocking lack of choice.
The reason is a combination of bureaucracy and lack of interest. It's extremely difficult to open a restaurant in Italy, and foreigners have it much harder than Italians. But few Italians have the culinary background to open an authentic ethnic restaurant, and there's no real drive to offer choice. Tourists mostly want to eat Roman cuisine, and the local population isn't what I'd call gastronomically adventurous.
It's even difficult to cook ethnic food in Rome. The vegetable market on Piazza Vittorio near Termini station has the largest selection of dried spices and vegetables, but it's almost impossible to get fresh items like snow peas, Thai basil, lemon grass or fresh cilantro with any regularity (or at reasonable prices).
Luckily, over years living in Rome, I've uncovered some satisfying ethnic restaurants for times when you just can't eat another noodle.
My go-to Indian restaurant is Surya Mahal. The owners are wonderfully friendly (though they have a tendency to lower the heat on the vindaloo), and there's outdoor seating in a garden overlooking Piazza Trilussa. Via di Ponte Sisto, 67, 50; 011-39/06-589-4554.
I recently discovered Green Tea near the Pantheon, which has a great ambiance and authentic Chinese dishes. Via del Pie' di Marmo, 28; 011-39/06-679-8628.
Zen Sushi is a sceney place for Japanese; the decor may be obnoxious, but the sushi is great. Via degli Scipioni, 243; 011-39/06-321-3420.
The best Mediterranean fusion option is the super-swanky Ketumbar, just beyond Trastevere in the nightlife-centric district of Testaccio. Via Galvani 24, 011-39/06-5730-5338.
While calling it authentic "tex-mex" would be an exaggeration, The Perfect Bun does serve up a great plate of nachos and spicy wings—right by the Pantheon. Largo del Teatro Valle, 4, 011-39/06-4547-6337.
A long-time favorite for Vietnamese food is Thien Kim, which is on a quiet street near Campo dei Fiori. Via Giulia, 201; 011-39/06-6830-7832.
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Barbie,
Skip the ethnic food, you're in Roma to eat Italian food! If you want to eat ethnic, then go to either of only 2 Chinese eateries in Roma, they use, after all, in their dishes, Italian pasta.
There are plenty of ethnic eateries in Roma, you haven't looked hard enough or expect every city to met your foodie delight. Try the local ethnic foods such as Turkish or Ethiopian, which are plenty.
You wouldn't go to New England & skip the seafood would you?
Actually, the best cheap meal you just missed at the Maratona di Roma pasta dinner at 5 Euros tonight! The race is taking place Sunday.
I'm not in Roma this year, Continental has a stupid & scam-ish "Fuel Surcharge" this year of $280.00.
Posted By Bruce Edward Logan on March 21, 2010, 12:40 AM
I'm trying to imagine being in Rome and wanting Chinese food. Nope. Cannot do it.
Posted By Janelle Meehan on March 22, 2010, 11:40 AM
So, where does one find good, inexpensive Italian meals in Rome, Venice, Florence and Paris? We're going there next month for our 2nd trip and would like to go where the locals eat!
Posted By Kathy on March 22, 2010, 12:53 PM
Pasta break? And you suggest CHINESE FOOD? IN ROME? I'm not yelling, I'm incredulous.
Posted By Peggy on March 22, 2010, 1:01 PM
I live in Italy and have experienced the same desire for something other than Italian food. I also have eaten at the Hard Rock Cafe in Rome and there is also one in Venice now, for those times that I need an American food fix.
Posted By DBD on March 22, 2010, 1:52 PM
What a disappointing article! We will soon be in Rome, and I was hoping for some advice on where to get a nice pasta meal sans all the trimmings! (I have traveled often in Italy, but never to Rome.) The biggest problem with food is usually that you have to order a whole multi-course meal in most restaurants, and we do not have such big appetites.
Posted By Elizabeth on March 22, 2010, 3:00 PM
It's true, I find the Italian food to be very good, but there is not much variation.
I will check this place out when I am there later this week.
By the way, I will be posting my Italy trip to my blog every day if you wish to read it. I'll give you the restaurant report.
Posted By Steve From TravelingProfessor.com on March 22, 2010, 3:46 PM
i haven't travel to Rome in quite some years, but I can recommend a little restaurant I found in the Porta Maggiore area; the beauty of the restaurant is that there's no menu, you eat what the chef/owner prepares for that day & believe me you will be stuffed by dessert time! its called:
Ristorante Porto Corallo, via U. Biancamano 30; metro: Piazzale Appio.
Posted By Donna on March 22, 2010, 4:43 PM
Janelle, Peggy,
I feel your pain. I wouldn't go to Roma to eat Chinese food, I was only responding to the poor article. I might try on my next trip, just to see if it's any good.
I'll respond to Kathy, EliZabeth, & Steve shortly.
Posted By Bruce on March 22, 2010, 11:51 PM
Dear Barbie,
If you need other places to go, I always recommend www.diningcity.com/rome where you can find all different kind of restaurants and price categories and you can also book your table immediately online. It is very useful!
Posted By Kim on March 23, 2010, 12:15 PM
Ok, the best deals for eating in Roma is Cacio e Pepe, located at Ave Avezzana, 11, not far from the Vatican. The Alfredo Cabanara I had in 2008 & 2009. Twins are servers there.
Also, City of Gusto in south Roma, a buffet lunch is quite good. It's a bit of a trek, though.
Franchi at Via Cola di Rienzo, also near the Vatican, is an upscale deli, similar to Zabar's in NYC.
Coffee, I love Caffe Doro and Cafe Sant Eustachio.
As for Venezia, I advise a wine bar called Do Moro.
Posted By Bruce on March 23, 2010, 11:45 PM
Thank you to everyone who commented on this post. It makes perfect sense that anyone visiting Italy for the first time would expect to eat only Italian food, but many people who read these posts are frequent visitors to the eternal city or part-time residents looking for new suggestions. And no matter how great Roman food is, even the most ardent Italophiles get tired of pasta seven days a week!
These suggestions aren't meant to replace the staple Italian choices, but rather to offer an alternative to the obvious. Watch this blog in the coming weeks, and I'll give you five favorite off-the-beaten-track restaurants in Rome -- places that those who live here go to time and again.
Posted By Barbie Latza Nadeau on March 24, 2010, 6:53 PM
Thanks for the article! I'll be working in Rome this summer and, as much as I love authentic Italian food, I will need a break from time to time. Plus, this answers my question of "What sort of metropolis doesn't have a ton of good ethnic restaurants???"
Posted By Nate on March 28, 2010, 11:55 PM
Ha Ha Ha-- love the polemic this piece caused! As a former Budget Travel Rome writer and resident, I am happy to read about ethnic food in Rome. After all, you can carb crunch every day!
My favorite non-Italian place is a secret, but Surya Mahal makes for a close second. When in Rome, do as the Romans do-- and you will see they also non-Italian food. . .
Posted By Erica on March 30, 2010, 9:13 AM
The best Chinese food I ever ate was in Paris - it was a delightful fusion of cooking techniques and flavors. It was fabulous!!!! I would not pass up trying ethnic restaurants in foreign countries. Chinese and Italian food are very much alike - both use pasta and a lot of sauces. Thirty years ago I ate a Chinese restaurants in Rome and enjoyed them for a change of diet! Rome has a "Chinatown" now just beyond Santa Maria Maggiore. It could be interesting. Rome is no longer an Italian city - it's an international city. It shouldn't be too difficult to eat ethnic foods. However, many Italians are suspicious of foreign foods - it just ain't like what mamma made...
Posted By Riccardo DeMedici on April 5, 2010, 6:14 PM
While in Rome a couple of years ago there was a Communist Rally going on, all of the Italian restaurants/eateries shuttered their doors...whats a tourist to do!? We ended up walking around for a bit but found a very quaint chinese restaurant that was open and glad to serve us. Where exactly in Roma did we find such a restaurant....well I'd be hard pressed to say, although I do recall that it was not too far from the Termini.
Posted By Whitney on April 7, 2010, 2:08 PM
Of course it's fun to try 'ethnic' foods in Rome or any other city. But don't do it because you are tired of something like pasta. I was just in Rome visiting my daughter, and managed to many eat delicious appetizers and main courses without having to eat pasta (although I didn't miss out on that either. Try local specialties like baccala con patate, trippa romana, oxtail (the best!), Jewish-Italian fried foods (like artichokes),panino con porchetta (yummy piggy roast), lots of fresh veggies, and salads, pecorino cheese, salamis and pates, fried codfish, and on and on.
Posted By Yodog on April 12, 2010, 2:59 PM
I feel your pain! I am living in Rome and dying for Mexican food, because here it just sucks. There is not a bad selection of different Asian restaurants, but missing out on my burritos is a big loss (even if I will never stop loving a good Gricia or Amatriciana).
To those who criticize her for suggesting food other than Italian... try staying in Italy longer than it takes to tour the Coliseum and Vatican, then talk about who knows what in Rome.
ps I love the espresso here, but if you anyone has found a place that sells American coffee makers/filters I would be greatly indebted.
Posted By Rick on April 25, 2010, 5:51 PM
green t. the best chinese in europe! thanks barbie!
Posted By ingrid on March 14, 2011, 5:23 PM
Wow, das ist so interessant! Ich kann nicht für den nächsten Artikel warten. Achten Sie darauf!
Posted By mialem wypadek on March 6, 2012, 6:46 PM