Where To Eat When Rome Shuts Down

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Contributed by Amanda Ruggeri

For years, Rome has shut down in August. During Italy’s traditional summer holiday of ferragosto, it is normally near impossible to find an open restaurant or shop.

But thanks to the economic crisis, the number of Romans leaving for ferragosto has diminished, with Italian newspaper Il Messaggero reporting that only one in three Romans will leave for a week or more this year, down 10% from last summer.

That might be bad news for Italians, but it’s good news for Rome-bound tourists, especially for those coming for the food. Visitors will still need to plan and book their meals in advance — especially for the two weeks in the middle of August ― but an incredible amount of restaurants will remain open this year, including some top-quality, authentic spots.

Trattorias were usually the first restaurants to shut in summer – after all, if the menu stayed faithful to Roman tradition, the calendar probably did too. Luckily, Flavio al Velavevodetto will open for both lunch and dinner every day in August, including the national holiday of 15 August. The restaurant’s classic Roman dishes – such as bucatini all’amatriciana(pasta with tomato and pork cheek) and coda alla vaccinara (stew made with oxtail) – are favourites of Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini. The restaurant’s location makes it an even better summer choice: built into Monte Testaccio (a hill created by the ancient Romans, who dumped their used amphorae here), its upstairs terrace gets a cool breeze on hot days. On the ground floor, a glass wall shows off the broken pottery.

More upscale than a trattoria but still cosy, Roman institution Rosciolidishes out both Roman classics and Italian cuisine with a twist. Try thecacio e pepe (traditional Roman pasta with Pecorino Romana and black pepper) and linguina alla siciliana (pasta with wild fennel, red prawn and cumin). Roscioli will be open daily through August, except for Sundays and on 15 August.

In the mood for fish? Osteria La Gensola, one of Rome’s tastiest seafood restaurants, is open every day this month, except for 15 August. Head to this top-notch Trastevere spot for super-fresh fish dishes such as spaghetti with sea urchin or grilled calamari.

Some of the city’s top spots for contemporary cuisine are open through August too ― including Rome’s newest Michelin-starred restaurants. Two-year-old Pipero al Rex offers specialties such as goose carpaccio with apple and mustard, while Metamorfosi features twists on the classics, such as gnocchi with cuttlefish and peas. Both restaurants are serving dinner Monday through Saturday.

Need an upmarket spot for Sunday? At Michelin-starred Glass Hostaria, Cordon Bleu-trained chef Cristina Bowerman whips up a creative menu that changes frequently. Past dishes have included items such as tagliolini with oysters, leeks and vanilla. In August, Glass is open Tuesday through Sunday.

Ristorante Antico Arco, meanwhile, is open seven days a week during ferragosto. Located just out of Rome’s centre on the beautiful Janiculum hill, its menu includes specialties such as raw yellowtail with lime, ginger and fennel, or carbonara with black truffle. Open from noon to midnight, this is also a good option for a late lunch, as many of Rome’s restaurants close between 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm.

The new Splendor Parthenopes is also open every day, from 7 am until 2 am. It is a great option for families, since the menu has something for everyone, including pastries, cheeses, meat, fish, pasta and pizza.

Finally, the area near the Vatican museums and St Peter’s Basilica is a tough one for food, even at the best of times. Luckily, one local favourite is remaining open through August. Pizzarium (Via della Meloria 43; 063-974-5416) offers some of Rome’s tastiest pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice). There’s no table service – and it’s pricy – but the slices, sold by weight, are made with the day’s freshest ingredients. Chef Gabriele Bonci uses 200-year-old starters for his sourdough, making for a deliciously fluffy crust.

Italy Travel: Seven Places Off The Tourist Map

Rome, Florence, Venice, and Naples -- these are the destinations where a first-time visitor to Italy dreams of traveling, and rightly so. You could spend your entire vacation in any one of these magnificent cultural hubs. But the lesser-known places; the towns and villages you'd likely pass by -- those are my favorite. The beauty of Italy is that every town -- even the tiniest village -- has its own individual identity; its own specialty products, dialects and customs, which makes roaming off the Italian tourist map even more addictive. Here are some of my favorites places to roam: 

1. Genzano di Roma, Italy: Perched on a hill about a forty-minute drive from Rome is Genzano di Roma, one of the Castelli Romani villages. Despite its close proximity to Rome, you won't find restaurants with "tourist menus," or Internet points or American bars. You will find the most delicious wood-fired bread, a Genzano specialty, and some of the sweetest fragole (strawberries) in the region. Stop by in May for the Festa delle Fragole. Another summer delight? Swimming in nearby Lago di Nemi (Lake Nemi) where ancient Roman goddesses once basked.

2. Treviso, Italy : Just a thirty-minute train ride from Venice, Treviso is an affluent and ancient walled city on the Sile River in the region of Veneto. While Treviso is known for its annual wine crawl, the Ombralonga, as well as its famous Benetton rugby team, the city has managed to stay relatively off the tourist radar, for now. Be sure to drink a spritz in the Piazza dei Signori and stop by for a mozzarella in carrozza at Osteria dalla Gigia. Explore beyond the walls and you'll discover picture-perfect villas, local osterie and prosecco wine country.

3. Piano di Sorrento, Italy : Just one town over from Sorrento, the major cruise and tourist hub of the Amalfi Coast, is the town of Piano di Sorrento. This is where many Sorrentine Peninsula locals live, and it's a wonderful place to feel like you're one of them. The vibe is laid-back and beachy. The preferred mode of transport is a Vespa. Scoot up into the hills and you'll find the landscapes are exquisite -- lush green mountains full of lemon trees, bougainvillea and palms, overlooking fantastic sunsets. Be sure to hit the open markets for peaches the size of grapefruits and a bottle of homemade Limoncello. 

4. Baiardo, Italy: The statistics are not exact, but the latest estimates indicate that Baiardo is home to a few hundred residents. Yes, I said hundred. To get there you'll need to a strong stomach. From San Remo, it's a slaloming uphill climb of about 45 minutes until you reach Baiardo. Once you arrive, it's hilltop perfection -- a place to reflect, write or wander. The air is fresh, the panoramas are stunning and if you can understand Italian, you will enjoy stories from 100-year-old locals who have never gone down the mountain, and why should they?

5. Procida, Italy: Most tourists who visit Naples also hop on a ferry to the islands of Capri or Ischia, but less stop over on Procida, making it a paradise for the travelers who do! The pastel-colored fishermen's villages invite you to relax and enjoy the art of doing nothing. Life is slow and seemingly satisfying to everyone who lives there. For photographers, Procida is a dream subject, an entire island washed in color and charm.

6. Entracque, Italy : Close to the French border is the Italian mountain village of Entracque. In the winter, locals from the Piedmont region escape to this Maritime Alps hideaway for some fantastic alpine skiing. In summer, it's just as inviting. Stop in town to fill up your picnic basket with fresh-cut meat, bread and wine, and then spend the weekend hiking or camping through the beautiful Natural Park of the Maritime Alps.

7. Nettuno, Italy: Italians love their futball. Residents of Nettuno, however, love their baseball. In fact, Nettuno is the capital of Italian baseball and home to the most famous baseball club in Italy. So how did baseball land on the shores of Nettuno? During the Second World War, American soldiers taught the game to locals and it stuck. But Nettuno isn't just the birthplace of Italian baseball. It's named after Neptune, the God of the Sea, and its beaches and seaside charm stand up to its prominent title.

 

Follow Courtney Scott on Twitter: www.twitter.com/courtscott