The Detour Diaries

This post is intended to be a guide to Testaccio, my favorite neighborhood in Rome. It includes what to do, where to eat, and what to avoid.

Testaccio vs Trastevere: Where should I stay?

As two neighborhoods right across the river from each other, people visiting Rome often decide between the two on where to stay. In my mind, there is no debate, I would choose Testaccio over Trastevere every time.

First and foremost, Trastevere is crowded. I have been there for aperativo or to have walk around, and I immediately felt claustrophobic by the number of people in the streets. Trastevere is pretty and has a very old school and charming vibe, but in the past several years this has been bringing huge Instagram-focused crowds.

Second, with the increase in crowds, I feel like there has been a parallel increase in “tourist traps”, including restaurants, bars, and shops that aren’t really that great. And so your chances of getting a bad meal are much higher in Trastevere than in Testaccio.

That’s not to say all of Trastevere is bad. As I said, it’s really a beautiful neighborhood and there are some good bars and restaurants in the area. But it is much more pleasant to visit than it is to have as your base.

There are also negatives to Testaccio. The primary drawback to using Testaccio as your base is that there is no metro stop (and Rome’s buses are notoriously unreliable). So if you are trying to pack a bunch of tourist things into a short trip, maybe you’re better off staying in a more central neighborhood. However, if you have a bit of time or you’re okay with some walking, Testaccio is the best choice.

What to do in Testaccio

Testaccio is definitely not one of Rome’s tourist highlights, so it’s better as a base than as your main neighborhood of exploration. But with that being said, there are some great things to do in your time there.

• Visit Mercato Testaccio: I talk about this more at length below, but Mercato Testaccio – a former slaughterhouse for Testaccio’s butchers – now holds one of the best food stall markets in Rome. It’s definitely worth a walk through (and a lunch).
• Have a coffee/aperativo in Piazza Testaccio: The piazza in the middle of Testaccio is always full of life. Around it, there are a ton of cafes or restaurants, with most of the cafes (like L’Oasi della Birra) allowing you to take drinks and have them in the piazza itself.
• Visit the Basilica di Santa Sabina: Directly north of Testaccio (and up a hill for warning) there is the Basilica di Santa Sabina and the Giardino degli Aranci. There isn’t anything particularly special about this basilica, except that there is a beautiful view from the gardens over the river and across Testaccio and Trastevere. Would highly recommend taking a drink or just sitting up there for the view during sunset.

• Check out the showtimes at Cinema Greenwich: If you want to switch up your tourist activities, there is a great independent theater in Testaccio that shows some current hits, but mostly has arthouse films. Most of the films they screen are really wonderful and interesting, but check the languages (audio and subtitles) before booking!

Where to eat in Testaccio

Testaccio is known as the food neighborhood of Rome, and there are definitely a lot of options (good and bad). Here are some of my favorites:

• Mercato Testaccio: This is a huge food attraction in Testaccio, a whole warehouse structure in the middle of Testaccio that has food stalls/restaurants, clothing stores, and a bunch of other stores with random stuff you can get. But the main attraction is really the food. There are a ton of options, but the one you absolutely need to go to is Casa Manco. Casa Manco is a small storefront with a bunch of different (both traditional and creative) pizza types that are all incredible. The place can get swamped so be ready for a line if you come during prime lunch hours, but definitely go a bit earlier or later because it’s worth it. One note that I would have is on the famous Mordi & Vai. I think famous from Anthony Bourdain, I went there several times and was not that impressed. I definitely did not try everything they had, but I found it a bit overrated.

• Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio: I love amatriciana and I had one of my best amatriciana’s in Rome at Angelina a Testaccio (pictured below). The overall vibe of the restaurant is great and I have only eaten well here.

• CONCIABOCCA: This restaurant is tucked a bit away in Testaccio, almost near the bridge toward Trastevere. I have been here three times and, in all transparency, two of those times were amazing and one was not that great. However, overall I really enjoyed the first times I went there so I still want to include it on my list of places to go. The supplì, pictured below, were also great.

• Pasticceria Linari: This is an iconic pasticceria in Testaccio, one which we had pastries every morning for almost two weeks when we were working remotely in Rome last year. It can be a bit chaotic and I wouldn’t necessarily recommend staying here to have your pastry and coffee, but they are amazing pastries to bring to the park next door. By far the best pasticceria I have been to in Rome.
• Futura Gelataria: An amazing gelateria in Testaccio that has some unique and delicious flavors. One of my two favorite gelateria’s in Rome (the other is Come il Latte for those who are in neighborhoods near Termini).

Where not to eat in Testaccio

I don’t love highlighting places I didn’t like when writing on a location, but I also think it’s important to separate some of the tourist trap or overhyped restaurants from really high-quality places.

These are some restaurants in Testaccio that I did not love:

• Mordi & Vai: As mentioned above, I found this place to be overhyped. The sandwiches I had were fine, but nothing special.
• Flavio al Velavevodetto: A famous chain restaurant that I wasn’t blown away by. It was fine, but just not that great.
• Da Bucatino: Really did not like my food at Da Bucatino, and they were also quite rude when we were there, which normally isn’t something that bothers me.