Many of the latest hotspots in Rome are New York warehouse style eateries, with quite a few located in up-and-coming industrial Ostiense. Porto Fluviale is a bright and cool space and houses several different types of restaurants: a trattoria, pizzeria, bar and dining room all with the same modern rustic style and laidback feel. The food is great, affordable and local. At lunch time they put on a large buffet spread and the in the evening there is a lively atmosphere at aperitivo time where you can order "spuntini" or small bar snacks off the menu plus an extensive drinks and cocktail list. Brunch is held each Saturday and Sunday from 12pm-4pm, �19 for adults and �12 for children. It is buffet style, with around 50 different items to choose from, hot and cold including pasta, vegetables, meat and fish dishes and desserts. Juices included in the buffet. Other drinks can be ordered at cost.
Recommended for Late Night because: A large space with a variety of menu options making it a perfect option for any time of day or night.
Maria's expert tip: In summer there is road side seating plus an internal garden space.
Located at Rome's Termini station, you will be spoilt for choice at Mercato Central, which houses food stalls from some of Rome's most renowned food people. Whether you're looking to buy fresh meat from Rome's best butcher, grab a slice of pizza from the famous Gabriele Bonci or a quick snack from a Michelin-starred chef, Mercato Centrale opens up a world of quality food to those passing through Termini station. Bringing the 'food court' concept into the 21st century, Mercato Centrale will definitely satisfy even the keenest foodie.
Recommended for Late Night because: Open until midnight daily, Mercato Centrale has something for all tastes and budgets.
Maria's expert tip: There is table service which is often quicker than queuing at the bar.
Trapizzino is the home to the 'trapizzino'. Created by award winning Roman pizzamaker Stefano Calegari it is a cross between a sandwich and a pizza - a pizza pocket if you like. Located also in Testaccio, the Ponte Milvio branch is the latest installment to the brand. These delicious pizza pockets are filled with all sorts of goodness from quinto quarto (the roman slang for offal), to chicken cacciatore and traditional meat balls in a rich tomato sauce. Rome's favorite street-food - the suppli (a rice ball fried to golden perfection) are also on the menu. METRO: Flaminio. BUS: 23
Recommended for Late Night because: Snack on trapizzino at any time of the day but it's proximity to the Stadio Olimpico is great for post-match or concert.
Maria's expert tip: Be sure to try the suppli - the Genovese with slow cooked beef is one of their best!
For more than 50 years, Bar Pompi gelateria and pasticceria has been a traditional Roman staple when it comes to tiramisu. Albeit, you can probably find good tiramisu around town, but nothing come close to Bar Pompi. This bar is considered the king of all tiramisu and for years Romans would travel half way across the city to get their hands on one of their decadent tiramisu from their flagship store in the San Giovanni district near Piazza Re di Roma at via Albalonga 7b-9-11. Now, locals and tourists have an even closer Bar Pompi at their fingertips with the opening of the pasticceria on Via della Croce 82 near Piazza di Spagna. METRO: SPAGNA and Via Cassia 8B
Recommended for Late Night because: Locals looking for the best tiramisu in town always head to Pompi.
Maria's expert tip: Instead of eating the traditional tiramisu, try one of their other unique flavors. Other variations of tiramisu at Bar Pompi include pistacchio, hazelnut and strawberry.
Located in the heart of Trastevere, Baylon is super popular with locals and foreigners alike. Its all-day dining format keeps it busy with people working off their free wifi during the day and buzzing with locals having aperitivo or an after-dinner drink in the evening and into the wee hours of the night. Breakfast and brunch is a super casual affair and the menu features everything from a full English breakfast with scrambled eggs, bacon and toast plus truffled roast potatoes, to more exotic treats like Moroccan style eggs. Vegans are also catered for with some items like french toast and if you have a sweet tooth, their pancakes are served with either chocolate sauce or seasonal fresh fruit. The walls here are lined with vintage and second-hand books and they are all for sale too. They have a full juice bar with whatever fruit and vegetables are in season and their friendly staff are more than happy to help you choose just the right one. BUS: H, 3, 75. TRAM: 8.
Recommended for Late Night because: Great cocktails and food until 2am daily make Baylong a great late night dining option in Trastevere.
Maria's expert tip: Late at night if the full menu isn't available, they can always whip up a cheese and charcuterie board.
A local institution, Il Maritozzaro is a bakery that is open literally all night serving the classic Roman sweet, the maritozzo (a sweet cream-filled pastry bun). A maritozzo is essentially a sweet pastry bun that has been cut open and filled to the top with fresh whipped cream. Here at Il Maritozzo bar you can order yours with coffee and do as the romans do and take a little cream from the bun and mix it in to make your coffee that little creamier. This place gets packed in the wee hours with people on their way home from clubbing. TRAIN: Trastevere, BUS: 3, H, TRAM: 8.
Recommended for Late Night because: A late night Roman insitution, il Maritozzaro serves up what many Romans say are the best maritozzi in town.
Maria's expert tip: Take some of the (ample!) cream from your maritozzo and dip it into your coffee. Delicious!
La Base is known by Romans as the place where you can dine until about 5 in the morning. It's a restaurant, pub and pizzeria all in one and located right by the Colloseum on Via Cavour. Being one of the few late night restaurants in the area, the place gets particularly busy after midnight with young Romans on their way out or home, and the kitchen remains open with the full menu available until morning. The menu features various pasta dishes, main courses, pizzas, burgers and a wide selection of wine and beer. And desserts are on their too. METRO: Cavour, Colosseo
Recommended for Late Night because: Open until 5am, La Base is a go to for Romans after dark and located in the heart of the city.
Maria's expert tip: Check out all the memorabilia of musicians and actors of years gone by!
The Kebab House is located in the heart of San Lorenzo, Rome's lively student quarter right by Termini station. This isn't just any old kebab shop. All the products are made fresh on site and there might even be a wait for your kebab with each made express with freshly carved meat. The meat is marinated and prepared with a traditional family recipe which gives it the well-deserved reputation for the best kebab in San Lorenzo. The falafels are also homemade and super tasty. They also have hot dogs, fried snacks, beers and traditional middle eastern sweets available. METRO: Termini.
Recommended for Late Night because: A cheap and delicious option for a late night kebab in the San Lorenzo area.
Maria's expert tip: Try their delicious homemade sweets too like the baklawa.
This popular pizzeria located in the heart of Trastevere is one of the best when it comes to serving up that perfect Roman pizza: light, thin and crispy crust. It's extremely sought after not only by tourists but by locals themselves. For years, Romans have been calling this pizza joint "l'obitorio" (the morgue) and "ai marmi" because of its characteristic long marble table tops. Aside from the pizza being so good, locals also come here to devour their famous suppl� and fritti as appetizers. Their pizza is certainly not the cheapest by any means, but is absolutely reliable and consistent. Rest assured, you're pizza will be great here, every single time. TRAM: 8. BUS: H.
Recommended for Late Night because: A Trastevere institution, Ai Marmi serve up Trastevere's (if not Rome's) best pizza.
Maria's expert tip: While you wait for your pizza, make sure to order their famous fiori di zucca (anchovy and mozzarella stuffed zucchini flowers) and olive ascolane (fried olives stuffed with meat).
Dar Sorchettaro is one of those city haunts that all Romans know about. It's a bakery located not far from Termini station and generally opens from about 11pm in the evenings and stays open all night. It's been around forever and a day and they bake through the night. In the early hours of the morning there's a line right up the street. You'll find anything from pizza by the slice to cornetti and sweet baked treats. Their signature dessert is the Sorchetto doppio schizzo - a flat cornetto pastry topped with fresh chantilly cream and chocolate sauce. METRO: Termini, Repubblica.
Recommended for Late Night because: Open throughout the night, Dar Sorchettaro is centrally located and a budget option for a late night sweet or savoury snack.
Maria's expert tip: Don't leave without trying the Sorchetto doppio schizzo. It's to die for!