If you’re considering of visiting Rome, you is likely to be serious about making an attempt among the tasty Roman meals on supply. And among the best methods to do this in Rome is to take a meals tour or cooking class.
We suspect that if you consider Italy, one of many first issues that involves thoughts might be scrumptious Italian meals. Certainly, once we journey in Rome, or Italy typically, the meals is at all times a spotlight of our journey!
Italian meals covers a variety of eating types and contains a lot greater than pizza and pasta. One of the challenges of eating in Italy is methods to distinguish between genuine, high quality Italian cooking and the extra tourist-oriented fare.
Rome is a big metropolis and there are such a lot of choices in the case of eating out that it may be tough to know which to decide on. We have discovered once we journey that among the best methods to pattern the native meals and find out how it’s made is to take a meals tour.
We have taken a number of meals excursions in Rome, in addition to cooking courses and pasta making workshops, which have helped us discover ways to make among the basic Roman dishes.
In this information we’re going to share a few of our favourite Rome meals excursions so you will get the very best meals expertise in Rome. These will cowl each strolling excursions with meals, in addition to cooking courses, as these are very completely different experiences which can be each price doing in our opinion.
We suggest studying this information together with our different Rome content material when planning your journey. These guides embrace our information to spending 1 day in Rome, 2 days in Rome and 3 days in Rome, in addition to our guides to the finest gelato in Rome and the finest espresso in Rome.
Rome Food Tours on Foot
We love meals excursions and have performed them everywhere in the world. It’s often an ideal mixture of a strolling tour the place you may be taught concerning the historical past of a vacation spot, mixed with a lot of tasty native meals from among the finest producers within the space.
We additionally love that once we take a meals tour the information might be captivated with meals and is often very pleased to suggest good eating choices for the remainder of our keep. For this motive, we expect it may be a good suggestion to do a meals tour in Rome close to the beginning of your go to.
Rome has plenty of meals excursions to select from, however these are a few of our favourites.
Trastevere Sunset Food and Wine Tour
If you’d prefer to attempt some pretty Italian wine while sampling scrumptious Roman meals, then this meals tour with Take Walks of the fashionable Trastevere district is one to think about.
This is a 3-hour Trastevere meals and wine tour with a most of 12 individuals which takes place within the Trastevere neighborhood. This is to the west of the Tiber river, simply south of the Vatican City space, inside simple strolling distance of places just like the Pantheon or Colosseum.
The tour features a lot, so you’ll undoubtedly wish to come hungry. It contains a lot of wine tastings (the pours have been undoubtedly beneficiant once we did this tour!), a basic spritz at a very talked-about native bar, and a lot of meals bites and dishes together with charcuterie, cheese, snacks, a scrumptious plate of pasta, and gelato.
There is a few strolling, however not an enormous quantity. You’ll additionally be taught concerning the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome from a educated native information. As with any strolling tour you’ll in fact wish to put on snug sneakers.
This is certainly certainly one of our favourite meals excursions in Rome. The solely factor to concentrate on is that there’s numerous alcoholic drinks included. Of course, smooth drinks can be found as an alternative, however in the event you aren’t into ingesting (or aren’t capable of drink alcohol) then you definately would possibly take into account one of many different excursions on our listing.
As a short apart, we’ve taken strolling excursions with Take Walks (also referred to as Walks of Italy) all world wide and at all times had an ideal expertise. Their meals excursions are literally run by their sister firm, Devour Tours, and you may e book their excursions on both website. The excursions are precisely the identical. They supply a wide range of nice meals excursions throughout Italy (and the world).
If you’re desirous to do a strolling meals tour within the Trastevere, however the really useful tour with Take Walks doesn’t work along with your itinerary or you’re in search of one thing with much less alcohol, there are plenty of different choices on the market. This is without doubt one of the hottest areas for meals excursions in Rome and you may see and evaluate a large number of different choices right here.
Testaccio Food and Market Tour
When we visited Rome with Jess’s household, we actually needed them to expertise a meals tour, so we selected this tour of Testaccio with Take Walks.
Found to the south east of central Rome, Testaccio was historically the middle of commerce throughout Roman occasions. In the nineteenth century it turned an enormous industrial space, and it’s well-known in the present day because the place to search out a few of Rome’s most conventional meals.
The 4-hour meals tour explains the historical past of the realm, and contains each breakfast and lunch. We’d recommend coming hungry as a result of plenty of meals is included. The tour additionally contains espresso and a glass of wine.
When we did this tour, it began with espresso and a conventional pastry at a beautiful cafe. Then we headed to the Testaccio market. Here the tour stopped at a number of native market stands, a few of whom produce very conventional Roman meals.
If you feel adventurous, you could have the chance to attempt conventional staples equivalent to tripe (I did, and thought it was fairly scrumptious) in addition to cured meats, recent seasonal produce, cheeses, and so on.
Of course, the precise stops and meals provided will rely on what is accessible and in season if you take the tour.
Finally, there was a full sit-down meal with completely different sorts of pasta at an area restaurant, accompanied by wine. Then the ultimate cease is in fact for gelato.
This meals tour undoubtedly focuses extra on the meals than the drink, and is a superb possibility for these of you trying to attempt some extra traditionally conventional Roman meals that you simply won’t have the ability to get anyplace else. We additionally actually cherished studying concerning the Testaccio space as you cross by historic websites relationship from Roman occasions to what was at one time Europe’s largest slaughterhouse within the twentieth century.
Our information Fernanda was extremely educated and entertaining, and Jess’s mother and father thought the tour was a spotlight of our time in Rome. The Testaccio space is Jess’s private favourite place for a meals tour in Rome.
Again, in the event you love the thought of a meals tour within the Testaccio neighborhood of Rome, however the really useful one does suit your itinerary, you may try different meals tour choices within the Testaccio right here.
Campo de’Fiori & Ghetto Street Food Tour
If you’re in search of a faster meals tour with out drinks included, then take into account this 2.5 hour avenue meals tour of the Campo di Fiori and Jewish Ghetto space.
The Campo di Fiori is situated very near the outdated heart of Rome, simply south of the Piazza Navona, so could be very simple to get to.
The meals tour gives nice worth and contains at the least 5 completely different meals. These can range relying on the tour and availability, however often embrace classics equivalent to porchetta, suppli (breaded rice stuffed cheese balls), pizza, and gelato. You’ll get to attempt the meals in fact, but in addition find out about its historical past and the explanations it turned fashionable.
This being a strolling tour, you additionally get to see among the highlights of the outdated metropolis heart, together with the placement the place Julius Caesar was killed and the Pantheon.
Overall, an ideal worth meals strolling tour to think about to your subsequent go to to Rome.
Private Rome Food Tour
If you’d favor a personal meals tour of Rome, that’s additionally an possibility in fact. This tour may be booked as a personal tour for as much as 10 individuals, and you may select between both doing a tour within the Trastevere neighborhood or Jewish Quarter. Both are nice areas.
It may also be booked as a traditional small group tour, the place the group measurement is restricted to 14 individuals, making it nonetheless a reasonably intimate expertise. Just ensure when reserving that you simply select the proper possibility, whether or not you desire a non-public tour or to hitch a gaggle tour.
All the excursions embrace at the least 5 avenue meals tastings which usually embrace classics like suppli and cannoli. This tour additionally contains two alcoholic drinks: 1 beer and 1 wine per participant.
For extra non-public Rome meals excursions choices, you may see and evaluate plenty of nice non-public choices right here. Just remember to fastidiously learn the tour inclusions and previous critiques earlier than making your reserving.
Rome Cooking Classes and Workshops
What higher memento from Italy than the data to make your personal scrumptious Italian meals which you could take dwelling? Well, you are able to do simply that by taking a cooking class in Rome.
These are clearly completely different from a strolling tour as a result of nearly all of the expertise takes place in a single location, the place you’re employed with a chef to truly create a dish.
However, some experiences would possibly embrace a go to to an area market or producer to supply recent substances, which is so essential in Italian cooking.
Rome Pasta-Making Class
If there are two issues that in all probability spring straight to thoughts when serious about Italian meals, they might be pizza and pasta. So it needs to be no shock that the preferred cookery courses in Rome concentrate on these two dishes!
Our first really useful cookery class in Rome is this 3 hour pasta making class with Take Walks.
This takes place at a purpose-built location within the stylish Trastevere area of Rome. Run by an area chef, the category has you having fun with some Prosecco with an aperitivo of cured meats and cheese to begin.
After this, your chef will educate you methods to make pasta from scratch. You get to assist make two completely different pastas and two completely different sauces. Expect to get your fingers floury!
Once your pasta is made, you may chill out with a glass of wine and style the fruits of your labor. You’ll additionally find out about how gelato is made and get some to style on the finish. You additionally in fact get recipes of all of the dishes so you may make them once more at dwelling.
We did a model of this meals tour with Take Walks earlier than it moved to its new location and had a extremely good time doing it. So, we’ve no hesitation recommending it in its new custom-built location! Group sizes are restricted to 14, so it is going to by no means be too crowded both.
If the above really useful pasta making class doesn’t match into your itinerary, there are a selection of different pasta making courses and workshops in Rome and you may try this listing for extra choices.
Rome Pizza Making Class
Of course, we couldn’t share a information to our favourite cooking courses in Rome with out together with one on pizza making! This 2.5 hour pizza making class can also be with Take Walks at their devoted cooking workshop location in Trastevere.
This night workshop has you making a pizza from begin to end underneath the watchful instruction of an expert chef. You’ll do every thing from creating the dough by means of to including the toppings, cooking it, and naturally, consuming it!
The expertise additionally contains aperitivo to nibble on, limitless beer and wine all through the night (smooth drinks additionally obtainable) and a sit-down meal the place you get to eat your pizza in addition to some gelato made on-site by the teacher.
Overall we expect this class gives an ideal worth expertise and might be enjoyable for all of the household.
Again, there are tons extra pizza making courses to select from if this one doesn’t have availability or match into your itinerary. You can see extra choices right here.
Rome Fettucine and Tiramisu Cooking Class
If you will have a candy tooth and want to discover ways to make a basic Italian dessert, in addition to pasta, then try this 2.5 hour cooking class that teaches you to make each fettucine pasta and tiramisu.
This cooking class is held at Oste Cavour restaurant, which is discovered simply to the north east of Castel Sant Angelo.
This class has you studying methods to make two basic Italian dishes. First, your skilled chef teacher will educate you methods to make pasta from scratch utilizing flour and eggs. You’ll be proven methods to flip the bottom pasta into numerous shapes, together with the basic fettucine form.
Once you will have made your pasta, it is going to then be ready by the restaurant workers with a sauce of your alternative. You’ll then discover ways to create and layer a tiramisu, certainly one of Italy’s most well-known and scrumptious desserts.
When you will have completed cooking, you’ll get to eat and benefit from the dishes that you simply made. Expect a sit-down meal the place you get to eat your fettucine (with a sauce of your alternative), adopted by your tiramisu. You will accompany this with a glass of wine (or smooth drink), adopted by a espresso or limoncello.
Private Rome Cooking Classes
If you’d prefer to be taught some extra conventional Roman dishes in a personal atmosphere, then we might recommend this non-public cooking class expertise.
You can e book this for a personal group of between 2 and 10 individuals, and the category lasts for 3 hours. You’ll really make an entire meal, together with a primary plate, second plate, and dessert.
Whilst the menu might range, a conventional expertise has you being welcomed with a glass of prosecco and a few selfmade pizza.
Following this you’ll discover ways to make ravioli, fettucine with a conventional cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper) sauce, after which a tiramisu for dessert.
Once you will have made every thing you’ll then in fact have the chance to eat your creations, accompanied with wine and water. You’ll then end the expertise with an espresso.
Overall it is a nice possibility if you’re in search of a personal expertise studying to cook dinner in Rome, and it covers an excellent vary of fashionable Italian dishes.
Things to Think About When Booking a Rome Food Tour or Cooking Class
Before you e book a Rome meals tour or cooking expertise, there are some things we advise contemplating. These will assist make sure you e book the suitable tour for you.
Our principal tip is to not evaluate excursions based mostly on worth alone, there’s undoubtedly extra to think about when selecting. Here’s what we advise you concentrate on when evaluating meals excursions.
Food Allergies & Dietary Preferences
The very first thing to think about is whether or not or not the tour will really meet your food and drinks preferences. This is especially essential, in fact, when you have any allergic reactions as you wish to ensure your wants may be met.
In addition, if there are particular meals you don’t eat or actually dislike then clearly it would be best to ensure there are alternate options. It is essential to let the tour operator know upfront to allow them to make sure the tour is an efficient match for you and make applicable preparations.
For instance, many tour operators can accommodate widespread meals allergic reactions, vegetarians, pregnant girls, and non-drinkers.
However, group meals excursions is probably not an excellent match for some vacationers. We discover that many Italian meals group excursions, as a result of nature of many of the meals included (which are usually heavy in bread, pasta, meat, wine, pizza), typically can’t accommodate vegans, these wanting a gluten free tour, or these with a number of meals allergic reactions. But there are excursions that may accommodate these dietary restrictions with superior discover.
If you’re having issue discovering a tour, I’d suggest reserving a personal tour or cooking class as an alternative the place the information can accommodate your meals preferences and allergic reactions.
Many Roman meals excursions embrace alcoholic drinks, and in our expertise excursions with extra alcoholic drinks are inclined to price greater than these with out, simply as a result of further price this incurs to the operator. Whilst alternate options are usually obtainable, you would possibly discover it’s higher worth to e book a tour with out drink inclusions.
Ultimately, you’re paying for the tour and the meals or drinks, so it’s essential that you’re going to have the ability to get pleasure from every thing (or at the least most) that’s included! If you will have particular dietary necessities, you’ll undoubtedly wish to attain out to the tour operator upfront to make sure they’ll meet these previous to reserving.
Inclusions
When a meals tour or cookery class, it’s essential to know what’s and what isn’t included.
A tour ought to listing precisely what it’s best to count on to get. For a meals tour for instance, while the precise dishes won’t be detailed (as they could be topic to availability or seasonality), there needs to be an summary of what number of dishes you’ll be sampling and an thought of portion measurement.
If drinks are included, both smooth or alcoholic, once more, this needs to be listed.
Any different inclusions or exclusions also needs to be made clear. For a cooking class, it’s best to get an thought of what you’ll be cooking, whether or not you’ll be consuming it (usually you’ll!), and if different meals are additionally offered.
In our expertise, most meals excursions embrace sufficient meals that they’re equal to at the least a meal, typically extra. So we at all times come hungry and able to eat. But this may occasionally not at all times be the case, so it’s essential to know upfront.
Length
Food excursions and cooking courses can range in size, however often final between 2 and 4 hours. Generally, the longer the tour, the extra you’re going to get to expertise.
For a strolling tour for instance, this would possibly imply extra tastings and time for a sit-down meal. For a cooking class, it would embrace a go to to the native market earlier than you get to cooking.
If you’re doing a gaggle tour, it might probably additionally provide you with extra time to get to know among the different group individuals, or ask extra questions of your information.
Longer excursions do are usually costlier in fact. There’s not a “best” size for a meals tour, it actually is determined by the expertise you’re in search of and the way it suits into your itinerary. For occasion, longer strolling excursions could also be tough for these with extra restricted mobility.
We have performed each longer and shorter meals excursions and cooking courses in Rome, and loved each codecs. For a cooking class although we do suggest reserving an extended possibility if selecting between excursions although, as in any other case it would really feel a bit rushed.
Time of Day
Food excursions and cooking courses happen at completely different occasions within the day, and relying in your itinerary and preferences you would possibly discover that one or one other tour works for you.
We’ve taken meals excursions in Rome at completely different occasions of the day. Generally, we discover that excursions with extra drinks included are extra widespread within the afternoons and night, and could be a good option to end off a day of sightseeing.
Alternatively, excursions that target visiting markets and meals usually tend to happen within the mornings and over lunchtime in order to get entry to the freshest produce.
If you love to do plenty of sightseeing and match quite a bit into your go to, then you definately would possibly favor to e book a meals tour for the night. This will allow you to do your sightseeing through the day, after which do the meals tour or cooking class within the night when the sights are closed.
Also notice that excursions typically happen it doesn’t matter what the climate exterior is like. So remember to costume appropriately and produce raingear if wanted. If you’re visiting Rome in the summertime, taking a night tour (or early morning tour) may be ideally suited if you wish to keep away from being exterior through the hottest a part of the day.
Price
One principal issue to think about is in fact going to be worth. Food excursions in Rome typically may be discovered priced from round 50 euros per particular person and up.
The worth is determined by a lot of components, from how lengthy the tour is thru to what precisely is included. So when evaluating, undoubtedly verify what the tour contains.
In our experiences, excursions with extra alcoholic drinks are inclined to price greater than excursions with none alcoholic drinks. Tours with extra meals, and particularly bigger parts equivalent to a sit-down meal, additionally are inclined to price extra.
Don’t neglect that almost all excursions don’t embrace a tip to your information, so it would be best to take into account that in you funds as effectively to reward your information in the event you benefit from the tour.
One different issue to think about when evaluating worth is the tour corporations’ cancellation coverage. Most meals excursions in Rome permit you to cancel as much as 24 hours upfront for a full refund (or to rebook for an additional date). If you no-show or cancel final minute, you’ll typically be charged the total worth of the tour. So ensure you recognize the cancellation coverage to your tour.
Group Size
Food excursions, like all excursions, can be found in a variety of group sizes. In our expertise, most meals excursions are usually pretty small teams, often not more than 15 individuals or so.
This is simply because it may be impractical to information a big group of individuals and supply them with good meals all on the similar time. So a big group meals tour at a low worth can be one thing we might in all probability be cautious of.
Generally, we’ve discovered that smaller teams work finest for meals excursions. Everyone can hear the information and have the chance to ask questions. It’s additionally simpler to get to know the opposite people in your group tour if it’s a smaller group.
Physical Mobility Considerations
If you will have any bodily mobility limitations, it would be best to fastidiously verify the tour description, size, and any bodily necessities. Most of the favored meals excursions are sadly not capable of accommodate wheelchairs or mobility scooters.
Most of the meals excursions require at the least a little bit of strolling, some might cowl fairly a little bit of floor. The tempo of a gaggle tour may be too quick for somebody with restricted bodily mobility. Many older buildings in Rome should not have step-free entry, have slim doorways, and a few can’t accommodate wheelchairs or mobility scooters.
We discover that the very best excursions for individuals with decreased mobility are both non-public meals excursions or the cooking workshops. Most of the courses and workshops we’ve discovered can accommodate these with restricted mobility and who’re in wheelchairs.
GetYourGuide has a filter the place you may seek for excursions which have been marked as wheelchair accessible by the corporate, and you may see that listing right here. But I’d nonetheless remember to fastidiously learn the outline to make sure it’s a good match to your stage of mobility.
For those that are having issue discovering a tour that may accommodate them, I’d take into account hiring a personal information or reserving a personal tour who can arrange a meals tour itinerary or cooking class that may accommodate your wants and skills. Sage Traveling, which focuses on disabled journey, gives non-public tour guides in Rome and may organize a strolling or rolling meals tour. You can see extra about these right here.
Rome Food Tours with Children
If you’re in search of a meals tour in Rome with youngsters, you’ll wish to be certain that the tour permits children and is one thing that may be appropriate for them. Some meals excursions can accommodate youthful youngsters and a few can’t. Note that almost all strolling excursions in Rome don’t permit strollers as these can’t be accommodated in lots of small eating places, bars, and alleyways.
Be positive to verify for any age limitations earlier than reserving. Many of the night meals excursions which have a tendency to incorporate plenty of alcohol are just for these 18 years of age and older.
Many meals excursions we’ve performed are undoubtedly geared to adults and so they is probably not nice experiences for youthful youngsters. So it would be best to learn a tour description fastidiously to see in the event you suppose it will swimsuit your loved ones or not. Consider how a lot your youngsters are more likely to really eat and if they are going to be OK with the size and quantity of strolling concerned.
We have typically discovered that most of the Rome meals courses and workshops, notably the pizza making ones, are among the most household pleasant choices, particularly for these with youthful children. The instructors are often good at preserving children busy and entertained and so they get to eat what they make (one thing that appeals to any age!)!
For instance, this pizza making class and this pasta and tiramisu class are two choices you would possibly wish to take into account. Both have good critiques from households. Or you are able to do a tour that’s particularly designed for teenagers and households equivalent to this tour.
Neighborhood
Rome, like all metropolis, is made up of a number of neighborhoods. Each of those has its personal sights, in addition to its personal vibe.
The principal factor although that you’ll doubtless wish to take into consideration is how the neighborhood suits into your Rome itinerary. Luckily, you’ll discover meals excursions and cooking courses being provided in most of the central areas of Rome.
While Rome is straightforward to get round and is pretty walkable for probably the most half, it’s essential that the meals expertise you decide is in a location which you could simply get to from the place you’ll be on the day you select to do it.
Further Reading for Visiting Rome
That’s it for our information to reserving a meals tour in Rome. We additionally needed to share some extra guides we’ve put collectively for Rome, based mostly on our many visits to the town.
We’ve additionally visited many different components of Italy, and we’ve included a few of these posts under as effectively, in addition to another sources we expect you’ll discover helpful.
- We have a information to spending 1 day in Rome, in addition to guides for 2 days in Rome and 3 days in Rome, which ought to allow you to plan your time successfully. We even have a information to issues to do in Rome typically.
- You can’t go to Rome with out making an attempt gelato – the Italian model of ice cream. See all our favorite locations to search out the finest gelato in Rome
- Another fashionable Italian pastime is ingesting espresso, notably espresso! See among the finest cafes to drink espresso in Rome
- We’ve taken a lot of different strolling excursions in Rome. See our information to our favorite strolling excursions of Rome right here. We even have a full evaluation of the Vatican VIP Key Master’s tour, which is without doubt one of the most unique excursions of the Vatican you may take.
- We have an in depth information to visiting the Borghese Gallery in Rome which is certainly one of our favourite artwork museums in Rome.
- We have a information to visiting the Colosseum, in addition to a information to visiting the Vatican. These have every thing you might want to know to plan your visits to this exceptional sights
- Beyond Rome, we’ve a information to Florence, recommended issues to do in Milan, and ideas for a day in Venice
- We even have an in depth 10 day Italy itinerary that will help you plan a visit on this great nation
- If you’re planning on visiting Rome in summer season, learn our ideas for visiting a European metropolis in summer season to remain sane
- If you’re in search of a bodily (or Kindle!) guidebook, we suggest the most recent version of Rick Steves Rome information, which has a lot of sensible info that will help you profit from your keep
And that’s the top of information to the very best Rome meals excursions and experiences! We hope you discovered it helpful. If you will have performed a meals tour in Rome (or elsewhere in Italy), we’d love to listen to about it. As at all times, when you have any questions or suggestions on this put up, tell us within the feedback under!
