As you probably already know, Rome is a foodie’s paradise, boasting some of the world’s finest restaurants and a food culture that is unmatched. But the humbler delights of the Eternal City’s rich culinary heritage are just as worthwhile: yes, we’re talking street food! And more specifically, the panino. Forget pretentious gourmet trends: Rome’s sandwich culture is all about tradition, high-quality ingredients and affordability, making a panino stop an everyday pleasure. From bustling market stalls to hole-in-the-wall delis and historic bakeries, this week we’re off in search of the 10 best places to get a sandwich in Rome.
I’ve personally sampled sandwiches at each and every entry on this list many times over, so can vouch for the quality of their offerings. Let’s dig in!
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Mordi e Vai
Magic-making hands at work at Mordi e Vai
Considered by many to serve the best sandwiches in Rome, this much-loved institution in the brilliant Testaccio food market specialises in panini with an array of elaborate cooked fillings - “nonna’s cooking in a sandwich” as founder Sergio Esposito eloquently puts it. The only problem here is choosing what to order - lesso di scottona (slow cooked beef), picchiapò (a meaty tomato casserole) and polpette di bollito (Roman-style meatballs) are each unmissable. For more adventurous palates, you can try out offal-based sandwiches inspired by the local zero-waste tradition of the quinto quarto - think tripe, tongue or even kidney. If you come at lunchtime, especially on weekends, prepare to queue.
Mordi e Vai, Box 15, Nuovo Mercato di Testaccio, Testaccio
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Pane e Salame
Elegant Pane e Salame is a great city-center option
Maybe our favorite sandwich place in downtown Rome, Pane e Salame is a classic go-to destination for a quick and good value lunch near the Trevi fountain - not an area of the city generally known for such things. The generous panini run the gamut from pitch-perfect simple classics like prosciutto crudo and pecorino to more innovative gourmet offerings like capocollo, stracchino, tomato, rocket and truffle paste all accompanied by a good selection of wines by the glass and bottle if you’re feeling thirsty.
Pane e Salame, Via Santa Maria in Via 19,Trevi
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Il Panino Divino
Look for the lion's head to find this great sandwich spot
It can be a challenge to work out where to have a decent budget lunch near the Vatican after a morning spent exploring the museums - given the number of visitors passing through the area, tourist traps and high-end options abound. That’s where Panino Divino comes in. We’ve been recommending this friendly sandwich shop to clients for years, and the offerings here are as good as ever. Try one of the gourmet panino offerings like the Cirò, featuring grilled guanciale, sheep’s cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and spicy chili jam.
Il Panino Divino, Via dei Gracchi, 11a, Prati
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La Porchetta di Arsenio e Ivo
Arsenio e Ivo are located in the bustling Trionfale market
Another brilliant market-based sandwich joint (starting to see a theme here?) childhood chums Arsenio and Ivo have been serving up porchetta sandwiches for decades from this stall in the Trionfale Market, just north of the Vatican. Porchetta is one of the great delicacies of the Lazio region, a slow-roasted pork made with aromatic herbs and wild fennel kept beautifully tender by a thick ribbon of fat and crackling. The heart of porchetta country is the town of Ariccia in the countryside to the south of Rome, and that’s where Arsenio and Ivo come from - look out for a black and white photo above their stand of the duo slicing up porchetta in their hometown way back in 1975!
Arsenio e Ivo, Box 102, Trionfale Market, Prati
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Lo Zozzone di Porta Maggiore
A must for hungry night hawks in Rome
One of the city’s great late-night refuelling stops, this retro sandwich truck is strategically located on Porta Maggiore, the gateway that leads to nightlife hotspots San Lorenzo and Pigneto. After an evening dancing the night away at the innumerable bars, clubs and live music venues that dot this area of eastern Rome, you’ll be grateful for the massive panini con salsiccia (Italian sausage) that are served up here alongside cheap beers and music until the dawn. Choose from a wide variety of toppings including cicoria, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes and aubergines.
Lo Zozzone di Porta Maggiore, Porta Maggiore
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Er Buchetto
Time stands still at Il Buchetto, in the same family for 6 generations
Take a step back in time to a Rome that’s been all but lost at this hole-in-the-wall stop between Termini Station and Piazza Repubblica. On the go since 1890, practically nothing has changed at Er Buchetto (which literally means ‘the little hole’) since the 1950s - and why change a winning formula? Things are very simple here: get yourself a crusty roll stuffed with porchetta, a mercifully cheap glass of wine from the Castelli Romani, and settle down at one of the rickety wooden tables to watch the world go by. Service is brusque but friendly, as only Romans can be. Here’s hoping Er Buchetto resists the winds of change for another few decades!
Er Buchetto, Via del Viminale 2F, Repubblica
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L’Apulia
A taste of Puglia in Rome's San Lorenzo neigborhood
Octopus sandwiches are a street-food staple in southern Italy, but not so easy to come by in the capital. Head to Apulia in San Lorenzo to get your fix, a little slice of Bari in the Eternal City where a variety of pucce (a typical Puglian roll) grace the menu. Our favorite is the Torre dell’Orso, which features seared octopus alongside creamy burrata cheese and pleasingly bitter cime di rapa greens. Mouthwatering!
L’Apulia, Via degli Umbri 12, San Lorenzo
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Zia Rosetta
You can’t go wrong by stopping off at ‘Auntie Rosetta’ for a snack if you find yourself exploring the lovely Monti neighborhood. A rosetta is a traditional Roman kind of bread roll, so-called because of its resemblance to a rose. At Zia Rosetta you’ll find them stuffed with all manner of fillings, from meat and fish to vegetarian options. Oh, and if you’re looking for gluten-free choices, you’ll find them here too. For something a bit different, try the Elisabetta - salt cod, raisins, pine nuts and cicoria.
Zia Rosetta, Via Urbana 54, Monti
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Trapizzino
Part sandwich, part pizza, the hybrid street-food phenomenon trapizzino was invented by Stefano Callegari in 2008. The word is a portmanteau of tramezzino - an Italian triangular-shaped sandwich - and pizza, and is exactly what it sounds like - a triangular pocket of pizza bread stuffed with an array of delicious fillings. From its local origins, trapizzino has become well known across Italy and beyond, even opening an outlet in New York. But it remains a quintessentially Roman snack, and the most-loved fillings are resolutely Italian - pollo alla cacciatora, polpetta al sugo, melanzane parmigiana, Roman tripe and tongue in salsa verde.
Trapizzino, various locations including Piazza Trilussa 46 (Trastevere) and Mercato Centrale (Termini)
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Il Fornaio di Via dei Baullari
If you spend any time in Rome you’ll soon learn all about pane e mortazza, one of the great street-food staples of the Eternal City. Mortazza is Roman dialect for mortadella, in this case stuffed between two slices of pizza bianca (like focaccia) in a combination that’s as mouth-watering as it is simple. You’ll find pitch-perfect examples in bakeries all across the city, but our favorite address is this historic spot just steps from Campo de’Fiori, where a truly massive mortadella stands guard in a vetrine by the entrance.
Il Fornaio, Via dei Baullari, Campo de’Fiori
We hope you enjoyed our guide to the best panini stops in Rome! If we’ve whetted your appetite for Roman cuisine, why not check out Through Eternity’s Rome food tours where we head off in search of the most authentic and delicious expressions of the Eternal City’s culinary landscape?
MORE GREAT CONTENT FROM THE BLOG:
- 7 Traditional Pasta Dishes in Rome
- The Best Wine Bars in Rome
- The 10 Best Places to Get Gelato in Rome
- A Guide to Rome's Trionfale Market
- 10 Traditional Dishes You Need to Try in Rome
