Pizza, pasta, vino, gelato, you name it; there is no denying that Italy is a culinary mecca. Sure, the sights of Florence and Cinque Terre and Positano coasts are majestic. However, Italian food is superior and enough of a reason to visit the boot-legged country even without its natural beauty. It can feel overwhelming to determine where to get the best carbonara or bucatini amatriciana, especially in larger cities like Rome. Many places sacrifice quality and hike prices, knowing unsuspecting tourists will happily oblige since they don’t know any better. To avoid this critical error when traveling through Italy, your best bet is to book a food tour through a trusted guide.
With many food tours to choose from, there’s one in Italy’s most famous bucket list destination, Rome, that allows you to live like a local through its food, the country’s favorite love language. The Roman Food Tour in Trastevere with Free-Flowing Fine Wine takes you through Rome’s most colorful and humble neighborhood, Trastevere, and offers some of the best bites in the city. Don’t just take it from us; this tour is one of the highest-rated in Europe on Viator.
What to expect on the tour
Led by a local, this food tour kicks off in Trastevere with the famous street food, Trapizzino, essentially a triangular-shaped cone-like pizza stuffed to the brim with toppings. You can customize the meal, adding classic or daring toppings, and wash it down with DOCG wine. Next, you’ll head to Essenza Wine Bar for proper Italian charcuterie. Enjoy cheese, cured meats, and, of course, more wine.
You’re not quite done yet; your third stop is Peppo al Cosimato. Here, you’ll get to try some ‘za from the oldest wood-fired oven in the neighborhood and, you guessed it, more wine. You’ll also have the opportunity to taste freshly made pasta — notice how the chew is much more prominent than that of boxed grocery store pasta back in the States. After one bite of fresh pasta in Italy, returning to basic pasta will be tough!
Finally, you won’t need to worry about finding the best gelato on your own because you’ll end on a sweet note at Fonte della Salute. Try some classic Italian gelato, with flavors ranging from pistachio to stracciatella. In total, the tour takes around four hours and costs $131 per person.
What the reviews are saying
You could stop at the best places in the world, but if the logistics are off, the experience will still be spoiled. Such is not the case with The Roman Food Tour in Trastevere with Free-Flowing Wine. With close to 1,400 reviews and a perfect 5-star rating, the proof is in the pudding. Guests on the tour particularly love that the guides are knowledgeable about the history of each dish. Far beyond just sampling delicious eats, the tour is an educational experience through Italian cuisine, closely rooted in the country’s history and past struggles. The free-flowing wine shouldn’t be taken lightly; many tour-goers say their cups consistently stayed full of quality Italian vino.
Another highlight is that, while many food tours are walking around and jumping from place to place, this one, in true Italian fashion, solely involves sit-down restaurants, where guests of the tour have the opportunity to truly take their time and savor the food.
