Meal times are an important part of Roman culture and tend to involved large potions and plenty of lively conversation. Pasta is of course central to any Italian meal and a traditional Roman feast will always include a pasta dish as well as a main meat dish and a dessert.

Italy produces some excellent wines and they are generally good value, so be sure to order a bottle both at lunch and dinner. Food in Rome tends to combine the best of all regions of Italy and the city is known to have some of the best restaurants in the country.

Roman cuisine often uses plenty of pecorino (sheep cheese) and a true Roman pizza will have an extremely thin and crispy crust. Coffee is extremely popular in Rome and tends to be strong.

A real Italian espresso will be a very small shot of extremely strong coffee; you’ll see plenty of Romans pop into their local cafe on the way to work and quickly down a shot and be on their way. Macchiato has a small amount of milk, whereas a caffe latte is equal milk and coffee. Cappuccino is also popular, topped with frothy milk.

Generally speaking in Rome, restaurants close in the afternoon, between lunch and dinner. So you’ll find places open between 13:00 and 15:00 and then again from around 20:00, locals tend to eat dinner quite late. In the summer, many restaurants set up tables outside and stay open later than usual.