City Guide: Rome
Mercato Testaccio
Red alert culinary travelers: The Testaccio market is not to be missed.
After more than a century, Rome’s old Testaccio food market was given an overhaul in 2012 when it was moved to its current, covered location. Despite initial grumblings about the new, modern building, the “nuovo” Mercato Testaccio has since evolved into one of the hottest food destinations in Rome.
Traditional family-run produce stalls and butchers dating back three or four generations are now interspersed with funky new offerings opened by some of Rome’s top young chefs. A few notables include Romeo, Tricolore Panini and Cups, and Artenio’s (Box 90) which offers incredible pizzette and “lingue della suocera” or “mother-in-law’s tongues”, batons of focaccia bread dotted with olives. Be sure to stop off at retired butcher Sergio Esposito’s Mordi & Vai for a Panino ‘Allesso’, a true Roman sandwich of slow-cooked beef with greens on a soft bun, then head off to grab Italian fried street food and local craft beer at FoodBox.
Mordi & Vai (Box 66)
- Metro: Piramide
Ideal for:
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