TASTY TREATS IN TESTACCIO

Here is something real gourmands like you ought not to miss. Bite your way through Rome’s authentic foodie neighbourhood and see where original Roman cuisine was born. Your guide will lead you on a tasty walking tour past the district’s must-try specialty shops and show you where to eat the best pasta amatriciana or carbonara you’ll ever have in your life.

Take a break from being a tourist and experience Rome as a local while you roam round this fascinating offbeat quarter. The working-class, food-centric neighbourhood of Testaccio, teeming with bars, restaurants, trattorias and kiosks but still relatively untouched by mass tourism, will allow you to soak up the atmosphere and get a real flavour of Italian daily life. In Testaccio you might watch children playing football in a piazza, smile at old ladies strolling along arm in arm, sit on a bench next to a pipe-smoking signore with his newspaper in hand. Here you can also dip deeper into the city’s gastronomic traditions as you follow a scented trail through the streets on your quest for authentic Roman aromas.

In the shadow of the Mattatoio, the capital’s ex-abattoir – today a contemporary art exhibition complex – food lovers will uncover the city’s genuine spirit, get to see where real Romans shop, eat and drink and gain insight into the local culinary scene and trends. You will walk past the family-run stalls at the Nuovo Mercato di Testaccio, displaying an array of goods including fresh fruit and vegetables, mozzarella and Parmigiano cheese and freshly baked focaccia. You will have the opportunity to see fishmongers, butchers, bakers and grocers at work and witness their efforts to provide their discerning Roman clientele with an ample range of the very best products.

You can also drop in at local stores selling classic Italian street food, biscuits, bottles of olive oil and wine. Along the way your guide will discuss the meaning of eating seasonally, explain the tradition of cucina povera and highlight how Roman cuisine is crucially linked to market-fresh produce. Tasty inclusions might consist of Pecorino cheese, cured meats, slices of pizza and regional pastries, all washed down with a glass of wine or beer. Oh… and for adventurous eaters there’s oxtail stew or tripe and offal stuffed in ciabatta sandwiches, traditional cucina romana dishes!