A complete guide to the best food tours in Rome (+ street food walking tours, pasta cooking classes and wine day trips from Rome).
Italy isn’t just famous for its art and history, but it’s also a paradise for food lovers. While pizza and pasta are everywhere, you’ll be surprised by how much the flavours change depending on the region. You’ll see different sauces, pasta shapes, and pizza toppings from town to town. And besides these classics, each region has its own unique dishes that you won’t find anywhere else.
And trust me, you’re going to love Roman cuisine! I couldn’t get enough of dishes like Pasta Carbonara, Amatriciana, and Cacio e Pepe. Saltimbocca and Pizza al Taglio quickly became some of my favourites, too. Each bite is a treat you definitely won’t want to miss! In this guide, we’ll dive into the best cooking classes and food tours in Rome, so you can eat your way through the Eternal City like a true Italian.
The food tour I’d book again
I’m a big foodie, so food tours are a must for me when I travel. This is especially true in Italy, as I absolutely love Italian food. Honestly, one of my main reasons for visiting Italy every year is the amazing cuisine! I could happily live on pasta and pizza, and I usually make pasta at home twice a week! I’ve taken several food tours during my many visits to Rome, but these two were definitely my favourites.
💖 The food tour I’d book again: Trastevere Food Tour with Free Flowing Wine
What I loved: great guide, 20+ delicious tastings: 30-year aged balsamic vinegar, truffles, handmade pasta and pizza
If you love Italian food as I do, I can’t recommend taking a food tour in Rome enough. It’s one of the best ways to experience the city, try new and exciting dishes, and really learn about its culture and history. Every tour I’ve taken has been a delicious adventure!
And you’re up for a cooking class, I highly recommend this Pasta Making Class with Wine and Dessert. It’s a fun, hands-on experience where you’ll master three types of pasta and authentic Italian sauces. Perfect for food lovers who want to bring a taste of Italy home!
Readers’ most booked food tour in Rome
Looking for a walking food tour in Rome where you can taste the best street food? Then check out the Street Food Tour with Local Guide (over 4,000 excellent reviews).
Street Food Tour with Local Guide – Most booked
This street food tour takes you through one of my favourite historic neighbourhoods – the Jewish Quarter. It is home to Campo De’ Fiori, one of the oldest open-air markets in Rome. You’ll taste classic Roman bites like supplì (deep-fried rice balls), cured meats, pizza and artisanal gelato, all with insights and stories from a local guide. With 5 tastings and drinks included, it’s a fun, tasty way to explore the city’s food culture and hidden corners you might miss on your own.
I recommend booking the morning tour since the Campo de’ Fiori market is only open in the mornings.
Best food tours in Rome (My top picks)
- Best for street food – Food Walking Tour with Wine in Trastevere
- Best for gourmet food – Food Tour with Gourmet Food & Barolo Wine
- Best cooking class – Pasta Cooking Class and Spritz Cocktails
- Best wine experience – Frascati Wine Tour with Farmhouse Lunch
Tips for booking a food tour in Rome
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Visiting Rome for the first time? Then take a look at my Rome itinerary. It covers all popular attractions, including how to skip the lines for the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums.
Take a tour on your first (or second) day – you’ll get to try a variety of new foods, and if you find something you really love, you’ll have time to order it in a full portion later. Also, I found it really helpful to get to know the local cuisine, so I knew what to order at the restaurants. Additionally, most tour guides will happily provide you with plenty of recommendations for local restaurants.
Best food tours in Rome
If there’s one thing I love about Rome, it’s the way food connects you to the city’s soul. Rome isn’t just a feast for the eyes, it’s a feast for the senses, especially when it comes to food. There are so many options, from hands-on cooking classes where you can learn to make pasta from scratch to food tours that take you through the city’s tastiest neighbourhoods. There’s no better way to experience Rome than through its incredible cuisine.
One of the things I loved about food tours is that they serve small portions, so you could sample plenty of Roman foods, without getting stuffed. This is simply not possible if you decide to visit the eateries on your own. Plus, the tours took you beyond the usual pizza and pasta, introducing you to delicious foods you might not have tried otherwise.
Best food tours in Rome, Italy
- Street Food Tour with Local Guide
- Food Walking Tour with Wine in Trastevere
- Food Tour with Gourmet Food & Barolo Wine
- Pasta Cooking Class and 3 Spritz Cocktails
- Fettuccine, Ravioli, and Tiramisu Cooking Class
- Traditional Pizza Cooking Class
- Espresso, Gelato and Tiramisu Tasting Tour
- Frascati Wine Tour with Farmhouse Lunch
Food Walking Tour with Wine in Trastevere
Trastevere is hands down one of the best spots in Rome for a food tour. It’s got that perfect mix of charm and flavour. Walking through its cobbled streets and charming piazzas, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a postcard. But the real magic of Trastevere? It’s in the food, of course!
Trastevere is packed with amazing spots, from cosy, family-run trattorias that serve up classic Roman dishes to modern eateries. There’s everything from creamy carbonara and crispy supplì to the best gelato you’ll ever taste. It’s the kind of place where every corner has something delicious waiting!
On this walking Trastevere food tour, you’ll get to try a bit of everything! Picture starting with supplì (delicious fried rice balls) along with aged cheeses, and of course, a classic Roman pasta dish. You’ll sip on local wine from the Lazio region and finish up with the best gelato around. But it’s not just about eating! What I love most about this tour is that you’ll learn the secrets behind your favourite Italian dishes. You’ll also discover what makes Roman food so unique.
Food Tour with Gourmet Food & Barolo Wine
If you want to escape the usual tourist spots, this gourmet food tour is perfect for you! It takes place in the Prati neighbourhood, right next to Vatican City. While Prati is known for being close to the Vatican, it has a more residential vibe. This means you’ll find plenty of local restaurants and authentic trattorias, no tourist traps here!
This gourmet food tour is an absolute treat, with five stops and over 20 tastings! You’ll get to enjoy Parmigiano Reggiano, 30-year-aged balsamic vinegar, buffalo mozzarella, and Prosciutto di Parma, along with many other treats. Plus, you’ll taste some of the best pizza in Rome and enjoy handmade Roman pasta paired with Barolo wine. And the best part? You’ll learn how to spot real gelato, so you’ll never have to settle for bad gelato again!
Pasta Cooking Class and 3 Spritz Cocktails
There’s no better place to learn about pasta than in Italy, especially in Rome, the birthplace of Carbonara. You’ll get hands-on experience with local chefs who share their family recipes and the secrets that have been passed down through generations. It’s a fantastic way to connect with Italian culture while making and enjoying delicious food!
This small group cooking class is not only the most popular in Rome but also one of the best-rated! You’ll get to enjoy two of the best things about the city: the food and the drinks. You’ll learn to make fresh pasta from scratch and one of Rome’s famous sauces, Carbonara or Cacio e Pepe, whichever you prefer!
But that’s not all! I really love that in this cooking class, you’ll learn the secrets behind three famous spritzes – Aperol, Campari, and Limoncello. Cooking is always more fun with a few drinks!
Fettuccine, Ravioli, and Tiramisu Cooking Class
If you want to learn how to make two iconic Italian dishes, pasta and tiramisu, this cooking class is the perfect choice. This class goes beyond the previous one by teaching you to make two types of pasta (fettuccine and ravioli) along with the beloved Italian dessert, tiramisu. If you’re passionate about cooking, I highly recommend this class. However, if you’re seeking a more fun experience, you might prefer the earlier class with cocktails!
You’ll start by learning how to make a delicious tiramisu. While it chills, you’ll get to prepare the perfect pasta dough for fettuccine and ravioli. When it comes to fettuccine, you can pick from three tasty sauces: tomato and basil, Cacio e Pepe, or Amatriciana. And for the ravioli, you’ll serve them with a lovely butter and sage sauce that really brings out the flavours.
What I love most about this class is that at the end, you not only take home the recipes you’ve cooked but also get recipes for other popular dishes!
If you’re staying near Vatican City and want to avoid the trip to the city centre for a cooking class, I highly recommend the Pasta & Tiramisu Class with Fine Wine instead. In this class, you’ll learn how to make tiramisu, tortellini, and fettuccine, all while enjoying an Aperol Spritz!
Traditional Pizza Cooking Class
While I’m more of a pasta lover, I can’t deny that pizza is a huge part of Italian culture. And there’s no better place to learn how to make this iconic dish than in Rome! In fact, Roman-style pizza is quite different from Neapolitan pizza, featuring a flatter and crispier base.
In this pizza cooking class, you’ll learn to make delicious, authentic pizza from scratch with chefs who have years of experience. You’ll discover how to prepare the dough, stretch it, bake it perfectly, and choose the best toppings. I love that you’ll also learn about the differences between Roman and Neapolitan pizza. Honestly, I had no idea these differences existed before my first trip to Italy! The best part, of course, is sitting down at the end to enjoy the delicious pizza you made, paired with local wine.
Espresso, Gelato and Tiramisu Tasting Tour
If you’re a coffee lover, this espresso and gelato tasting tour is something you won’t want to miss! You’ll get to experience Rome through its legendary coffee and gelato culture. An expert guide will teach you how to order coffee like a local and where the best spots to enjoy the tiny cups of espresso are. Plus, you’ll learn about the coffee-making process from bean to cup.
To make things even better, the tours include tastings of gelato and tiramisu! You’ll get to enjoy tiramisu from some of the most famous pastry shops in Rome. Plus, you’ll uncover the secrets of artisanal Italian gelato and learn how to tell a good gelato from a bad one.
Frascati Wine Tour with Farmhouse Lunch
If you want to experience a vineyard and enjoy an authentic Italian meal just outside of Rome, this is the tour for you! You’ll head to the medieval town of Frascati, famous for its delicious white wine. The adventure begins with your first wine tasting in the charming historic centre, followed by a visit to a traditional vineyard.
This family-run historic farmhouse is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. And they’ve been making wine and olive oil for nine generations! You’ll get to taste some of their best wines, including white, red, and sweet dessert varieties. And the lunch is something you won’t want to miss – just imagine enjoying delicious fresh pasta and bruschetta made with local ingredients!
FAQs about food tours in Rome
When in Rome, you must try Amatriciana (made with tomatoes, guanciale, and Pecorino) or Pasta alla Carbonara (made with eggs, cheese and guanciale). Don’t miss Supplì, delicious fried rice balls filled with mozzarella, and Pizza al Taglio, Roman-style pizza sold by the slice. And of course, finish your meal with tiramisu or Italian gelato!
No, food in Rome isn’t expensive. On average, a meal at trattorias or restaurants costs around €20-€25 (about $22-$27). Plus, Pizza Romana, which is sold by the slice, is even cheaper!
In Rome, dinner typically starts later than in many other places, usually around 8 PM. Many restaurants may not open for dinner until around 7 PM or 7:30 PM. If you’re planning to eat out, it’s best to make reservations, especially during busy tourist seasons!
Yes, food tours in Rome are definitely worth it! They are the perfect way to experience Roman cuisine and sample its most popular dishes. The food tours usually take you to local eateries that you might not discover on your own. Plus, you’ll learn about the history of Roman food, what locals really eat, and how to avoid those tourist traps.
The most popular meal in Italy is pizza, particularly the classic Neapolitan pizza, which features a thin crust, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil.
Both Rome and Florence offer great cooking classes. In Rome, you’ll learn to make traditional dishes like Pasta Carbonara, while in Florence, you’ll focus on Tuscan cuisine, including Pici pasta. So, if you love classic Roman food, choose a class in Rome. But if you prefer the rustic flavours of Tuscany, Florence is the place for you!
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