15 Best Street Food Rome Dishes (and where to get them)

Without doubt the street food Rome scene and its food in general is the best in Europe. In fact this is so much the case that people quite literally travel here to do food tours.

I personally fell in love with the place back when I was doing ships and we would stop at Civitavecchia for guests to visit Rome. AND even though it was an industrial shit hole 80km from the city, the food here was still obscenely good.

Oh and I would nip into the Vatican and the SMOM every now and again too.

The Street Food Rome Scene

Rome is a city where the history is everywhere, and the food is no different. The streets have been feeding people for centuries, long before any restaurant ever mattered. When it comes to street food in Rome, you are not just grabbing a snack, you are stepping into a chaotic, greasy, glorious tradition. Back in the day, markets in the Forum sold olives, bread, cheese, and whatever else locals could carry. Now the markets are gone but the food lives on, louder, messier, and more delicious than ever.

The scene is a perfect mix of old and new. You have the classics like supplì, fried rice balls filled with ragù and mozzarella that are crispy on the outside and gooey inside, alongside modern twists with truffle or squid ink. The Jewish Ghetto still serves carciofi alla Giudia, fried artichokes that are crunchy and tender, and piazzas and backstreets are alive with pizza bianca, porchetta sandwiches, maritozzi stuffed with cream, and panini with veal or lampredotto. Everywhere you turn there is something frying, roasting, or melting in a way that makes you forget everything else.

And while you will have to dodge tour groups, crazy people and pickpockets, there is still just something magical about doing street eats in Rome.

So, my 15 top pick dishes on the streets of Roma?

15 best street food dishes in Rome

My list of food I’ve tried in restaurants I recommend and very very much in order!

15 – Fiori di zucca fritti – Fried zucchini flowers
Lightly battered, sometimes stuffed with mozzarella, deep-fried to perfection. Crunchy, delicate, and addictive.
Best place to try it: Forno Campo de’ Fiori

14 – Maritozzo – Sweet bun with cream
Fluffy, sweet, stuffed with whipped cream. Perfect for breakfast or a mid-day snack.
Best place to try it: Pasticceria Regoli, Via dello Statuto

13 – Pizza bianca – Roman flatbread
Simple, salty, olive oil–coated, sometimes stuffed with cheese or prosciutto. Perfect for wandering the streets.
Best place to try it: Forno Campo de’ Fiori

12 – Coda alla vaccinara fritta – Fried oxtail
Roman offal at its finest. Crispy, rich, and packed with flavor.
Best place to try it: Trattoria Vecchia Roma, Trastevere

11 – Panino con lampredotto – Tripe sandwich
Slow-cooked cow stomach chopped and served in a bun with salsa verde. Not for the faint-hearted but iconic.
Best place to try it: Sergio e Adele, Trastevere

10 – Supplì – Fried rice balls with ragù and mozzarella
Crispy exterior, gooey interior, a staple of street food Rome.
Best place to try it: Supplizio, Via dei Banchi Vecchi

9 – Trapizzino – Pizza pocket with traditional fillings
Triangular pockets stuffed with classics like chicken cacciatore or oxtail stew.
Best place to try it: Trapizzino, Piazza Trilussa

8 – Porchetta sandwich – Roast pork with herbs
Juicy, herby, messy. The ultimate Roman pork street snack.
Best place to try it: Ariccia Porchetta stall, Mercato Testaccio

7 – Pizza al taglio – Roman pizza by the slice
Rectangular, cheesy, perfect for a quick bite while walking.
Best place to try it: Pizzarium, Via della Meloria

6 – Frittatina di pasta – Fried pasta cakes
Leftover pasta transformed into deep-fried, cheesy, saucy perfection.
Best place to try it: Supplizio, Via dei Banchi Vecchi

5 – Saltimbocca panini – Veal, prosciutto, and sage sandwiches
Portable Roman classic, rich and herby.
Best place to try it: Forno Campo de’ Fiori

4 – Carciofi alla Giudia – Jewish-style fried artichokes
Crispy outside, tender inside, iconic Roman snack.
Best place to try it: Via del Portico d’Ottavia, Jewish Ghetto

3 – Gelato – Italian ice cream
No street food Rome list is complete without gelato. Creamy, rich, perfect in the Roman heat.
Best place to try it: Gelateria del Teatro, Via dei Coronari

2 – Supplì variation – Squid ink or truffle supplì
Modern twists on a classic, proving Rome keeps innovating.
Best place to try it: Supplizio, Via dei Banchi Vecchi

1 – Trapizzino Special – The ultimate street food Rome dish
Nothing else in Rome combines convenience, flavor, and tradition like this. Filled with slow-cooked classics like oxtail stew or chicken cacciatore, portable, messy, utterly addictive.
Best place to try it: Trapizzino, Piazza Trilussa

And that is my take on what street food in Rome you need to try. Of course there were lots of other bits that only just missed the list, but hey Rome was not built in day!

Click to see my take on the best street food cities in the world.