Your guide to the best Michelin-starred restaurants in Rome
After a long day of sightseeing in Rome, there’s nothing better than treating yourself to a great meal. With more than a dozen Michelin-starred restaurants in the city, you’ll have more than your fair share of options. Here are some of our favorites:
1. Il Convivio Troiani
Michelin star rating: 1
Price: $$$$
Situated in a historic building right in front of the Tiber River, Il Convivio Troiani is a Michelin legend. Helmed by the three Troiani brothers, this elegant restaurant first opened its doors in 1990, in its original location near Piazza Navona. In 1993, Il Convivio Troiani received its Michelin star, which it still holds today. With three themed dining rooms, Il Convivio reinvigorates traditional Italian fare with modern interpretations. Its all-natural dishes are made with local organic ingredients and crafted with artistic precision.
Try the grand tasting menu, which features signature dishes like scallop au gratin and fresh gnocchi, as well as an adorable dessert named sottobosco (undergrowth). Wine connoisseurs should take full advantage of Il Convivio’s extensive collection of over 3,000 wines. For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, we recommend booking a seat at the “Show Chef” social table, where your nine-course dinner will be crafted in front of you.
2. Acquolina
Michelin star rating: 1
Price: $$$$
Located in The First Roma Arte hotel, Acquolina is the only seafood restaurant in Rome with a Michelin star, awarded in 2009. Also run by the legendary Troiani brothers, Acquolina focuses on quality ingredients and freshly caught seafood. Its executive chef, Daniele Lippi, even trained with the Troiani brothers for nine years in Il Convivio.
This chic bistro specializes in fish-based dishes and aims to push the limits of what food can do. Chef Lippi’s tasting menus embody the Mediterranean spirit of unity and fusion, featuring a medley of mouth-watering dishes with themes like periplo (circumnavigation) and anabasi catabasi (ascent and descent). Our favorites include the octopus with mayonnaise and amberjack tartare.
3. Marco Martini Restaurant Cocktail Bar
Michelin star rating: 1
Price: $$$$
Marco Martini is one of Rome’s youngest Michelin-starred chefs. His eponymous restaurant, Marco Martini Restaurant, is conveniently located within The Corner Townhouse, a boutique hotel set in an Art Deco villa near the Colosseum. With natural light filtering through the glass roof and green climbing vines adorning the walls and ceiling, you’ll feel like you’re dining in a lush garden. Discover traditional Roman dishes with an international touch; chef Martini crafts his dishes with a focus on seasonal and local ingredients and based on his own memories.
Embark on your own tasting adventure by building a personalized lunch course out of Martini’s key creations, like cod cheek linguine and steamed egg with parmigiano, hazelnuts, and coffee. Or choose from one of four dinner tasting menus—our pick is the Empathy omakase menu, 10 courses of the chef’s choice. To enjoy a tasting menu at lunchtime, simply book ahead.
4. Il Pagliaccio
Michelin star rating: 2
Price: $$$$
Rome’s only two Michelin-starred restaurant is ever-evolving, known for its modern fare based on Italian classics. Il Pagliaccio first opened in 2003, and received its first Michelin star in 2006 and the second in 2009. Sommelier Matteo Zappile has even been awarded the Best Service award by the Michelin Guide in 2021 and 2022.
Picky eaters may be disappointed by the lack of à la carte options here, but we promise that Il Pagliaccio’s surprise tasting menus are absolutely worth it. From “Circus,” a 10-course menu marrying Eastern and Western flavors, to “Intermezzo,” a lunch course that features “ethereal experiences,” you’ll wait with bated breath to see what chef Anthony Genovese has up his sleeve.
5. Glass Hostaria
Michelin star rating: 1
Price: $$$$
Tucked in the cobbled alleyways of Trastevere, Glass Hostaria is a strikingly futuristic restaurant. Chef Cristina Bowerman is the only female chef in Rome who has been awarded a Michelin star, and she imbues Glass Hostaria’s menu with fresh, eclectic energy gained from her childhood in Puglia and years of travel.
Try the Glass tasting menu (described as “eccentric”), or go for à la carte signatures like the smoked eel linguini or veal filet. If you’re under the age of 25, come by on the month’s third Thursday and get a 25% discount. Note that lunch is only available on weekends, and the restaurant is closed on Monday and Tuesday.
6. Zia
Michelin star rating: 1
Price: $$$
Newcomer Zia Restaurant earned its first Michelin star in 2021. Head chef Antonio Ziantoni has cut his teeth across four different continents, training under Georges Blanc in France, Gordon Ramsey in London, and Anthony Genovese in Rome’s Il Pagliaccio. These influences shine through in Zia’s menu, from cold spaghetti to duck in dolce e forte sauce. Don’t miss out on the iconic tourbillon, an almond pastry topped with a spiral of vanilla supreme. With minimalist interiors, Zia is an intimate space boasting fewer than 30 seats, so reservations are highly recommended.
7. Imàgo
Michelin star rating: 1
Price: $$$$
Merging breathtaking views of Rome with Michelin-starred dishes, Imàgo is perched on the sixth floor of the Hassler hotel, which sits atop the Spanish Steps. On your left, you’ll spot Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, while the Pantheon and Castel Sant’Angelo stretch out towards your right. Imàgo is only open for dinner, so you’ll get to appreciate Rome’s glittering cityscape under the night sky.
Young and driven executive chef Andrea Antonini exclusively uses Italian ingredients, sourcing them from local markets like Campo de Fiori. Opt for the six-course tasting menu to try the season’s best offerings.
8. La Pergola
Michelin star rating: 3
Price: $$$$
La Pergola made history by being the first restaurant in Rome to be awarded three Michelin stars. Today, it’s still the only three Michelin-starred restaurant in the city, and it’s not hard to see why. Every inch of La Pergola has been thoughtfully curated, from vermeil cutlery to Mediterranean antiques, including a rare Aubusson tapestry. With more than 70,000 wine bottles, some dating back to 1888, La Pergola even offers 45 choices of water.
The restaurant sits on the ninth floor of the Rome Cavalieri hotel, and you’ll be able to gaze at St. Peter’s Basilica in the distance. On warm spring or summer nights, we recommend dining on the outdoor terrace.
Rather than food laden with thick, heavy sauces, La Pergola features healthy and nutritious dishes with an emphasis on herbs and vegetables. While executive chef Heinz Beck’s menu is indisputably creative, you won’t find anything too experimental here. Instead, enjoy an imaginative rendition of John Dory with curry or fagottelli La Pergola.
To avoid disappointment, ensure you make reservations well in advance (at least four months to a year).
9. Idylio by Apreda
Michelin star rating: 1
Price: $$$$
In 2019, chef Francesco Apreda caused a stir in the restaurant industry when he left Imàgo after a decade to set up Idylio by Apreda. Here, Apreda’s Neapolitan heritage is blended with Asian influences, honed from his experience working in Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel.
Located in the Pantheon Iconic Rome Hotel, Idylio by Apreda is a modern and trendy restaurant with an intimate atmosphere well-suited for couples. Do as the Michelin Guide suggests and opt for the tasting menus, which are frequently refreshed based on seasonal availability, like spring 2022’s “Sense of Sapiditi” seven-course menu.
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