Centocelle is one of Rome's emerging neighborhoods, having undergone a cultural revolution in recent years, along with neighborhood gentrification. The district's 1960s and 70s architecture offer a stark juxtaposition to the cobbled streets and paint-peeled centuries-old buildings that render Rome such an Instagram darling. Regardless, Centocelle teems with charm and character as well as being home to some of the city's best destinations for eating and drinking. Book a table at one of these restaurants.
Dol means Di Origine Laziale, or of Laziale origins. Despite being born in Basilicata, Vincenzo Mancino, a champion for Laziale products opened Pro Loco Dol. (He opened two additional outposts in the Pinciano and Trastevere neighborhoods.) Tagliere boards are topped with excellent cheese and salumi and the pizza focaccia is excellent. Typical Lazio recipes or more creative versions are available as well but strictly based on local products.
Proloco DOL
Among the first to see the neighborhood's potential, Marco Baccanelli and Francesca Barreca opened this restaurant after closing their previous bistro Mazzo and taking a break. Wings, thighs, strips – at Legs, everything, or almost everything, is made with breaded (but not battered) Italian chicken. The excellent potatoes contributed to Legs' popularity while the sandwiches are created by Gabriele Bonci, the esteemed pizzaioli behind Rome's beloved Pizzarium.
Legs
This former martial arts gym is a Japanese restaurant – but don't expect to find sushi. It was one of the first ramen bars in the capital, born from Maurizio Di Stefano's passion for Japan. Here you can always find two broths, one meat-based, and one 100% vegetarian, for the ramen or udon noodles. Okonomiyaki, a sort of Japanese omelet, gyoza, and so on, are always available, depending on the chef's fantasy.
Not only is Geppy Sferra a good gelato maker (he has two shops in Rome), but he's also a generous person, teaching middle school kids how to make gelato. He recently launched an ice cream restaurant. Not just a place offering savory flavors, but rather crafting a menu by combining savory dishes with both sweet and savory ice cream flavors. The menu has featured pumpkin soup, crispy speck, and croutons with chestnut ice cream and sweet and sour pork stew with pineapple sorbet.
Gelato d'Essai
There are no rude people at Ru.De, which stands for Rumors Delete, and this establishment has revolutionized the concept of well-drinking in Centocelle with a vast selection of gin and whiskey. A considerable study has been done on dilution and ice, and the results can be seen on a list comprising pre-batched homemade cocktails. Attention to details is not lacking, nor is the selection of accompanying dishes.
Ru.De
Maulbeere means mulberry in German, for which the Italian word is gelso. It's located on Via dei Gelsi, but the association with beer certainly influenced the name. Three friends with restaurant industry experience and a great love for craft beer and the neighborhood run the show. They have dedicated a beer to Centocelle, a pale mulberry ale with a label designed by cartoonist Franzine, who portrayed an unmistakable streetcar 19 that runs along Via Prenestina. Choose from six options on tap, plus a card of countless bottled craft beers. Pair it with a cheese and cold cut platters, or a dish from the meat-centric menu.
Maulbeere
The Camponeschi brothers run Menabò: Paolo cooks in the kitchen while Daniele focuses on the wine. The menu changes practically every day and arrives at the table written on a blackboard. They respect Roman tradition, but the menu extends beyond the typical fare found at the city's restaurants.
Menabò
The restaurant serves mainly Apulian fare as three of the partners hail from Bari. The young and talented chef Daniele Colace has Apulian heritage as well, along with a penchant for Asian cuisine due to his work experience. Classics are prepared masterfully such as the focaccia barese, which can be combined with platters of cheese and cold cuts that come directly from Puglia. Pasticciotti pastries are available at breakfast while there's an a la carte menu in the evening.
The Snap
Have you ever eaten meat sushi? Fassangue in Centocelle is ideal for the die-hard carnivores - or Dracula wannabes because, yes, everything is raw, not just rare. Tartare, raw meat panini, diced pork, sushi are all raw, the only exception being the steak fillet that is cooked at the table. The Caputo family guarantees quality since this bistro is a direct descendant of the nearby Macelleria Caputo, which sources its meat from strictly non-intensive Italian breeding farms, with a preference for pork tenderloin and a few deviations depending on availability.
Fassangue
Yes, in Centocelle, there is a real Venetian-style bacaro – so much so that they call it Il Veneziano. Spritz and cicchetti is the best combo. University students like it so much because of its low prices and abundant taglieri. Drinks range from a classic Spritz to Hugo. Or a glass of wine.
L'Ombralonga
Editors' Note: This article was originally published in February 2021 and has been updated.