The foodies guide to Rome’s best fresh produce
Dive into the Roman food market scene to surround yourself with fresh, locally-sourced vegetables, seafood, meat, cheese and much more. While supermarkets are where the majority of Italians get their food, Rome still has a variety of great neighbourhood food markets you must put on your list (especially if you want to get top-quality products).
CONTEMPORARY FOOD MARKETS
Eataly
Piazzale XII Ottobre, 1492 (Ostiense)
Daily 9am-12am
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Eataly is a multi-level gastronomic center in the Ostiense neighourhood where you can discover Italian cuisine in all its forms. Their philosophy centers around the Slow Food approach, raising awareness of quality produce and making it accessible to all. There are four floors where you can dive into the Italian culinary world, four floors with 13 different eateries, rooms for cooking courses, their very own market with fresh seasonal produce coming in from top-quality producers in Italy, and even a travel agency specializing in culinary holidays! Have a stroll through the market to get top-notch ingredients to cook up at home. Walk through their wine department which stocks over 25,000 Italian wines, including 1,500 organic and biodynamic wines.
Plebiscito
Via del Plebiscito, 104 (Piazza Venezia)
Daily 7.30am – 11pm
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Footsteps from Piazza Venezia, a new food market has opened offering the best of Italian flavours. The location is unbeatable, in the heart of Rome, on the ground floor of the iconic Palazzo Doria Pamphiji. It’s comprised of twelve “posti” which include pop-ups, restaurants and stalls, each bringing a different taste to the table of Italian cuisine. When you walk in, you’re greeted with a delicious array of street food, with a stall selling classic Roman Supplì, a pastel Vespa truck of ice cream and a typical Italian coffee bar with an irresistible array of sweets from Torrefazione Toraldo. You’ll also find a display of traditional cold cuts of ham and cheese and a truffle room. Not to mention home and kitchen design items for sale! Make sure to place Plebiscito on your itinerary, you’ll thank us later!
TRADITIONAL FOOD MARKETS
Mercato di Piazza Vittorio (a.k.a. Nuovo Mercato Esquilino)
Via Principe Amedeo, 184 (Metro A Vittorio)
Open 5am – 3pm every day except Sunday
Not far from Termini, this covered market is one of Rome’s oldest. Offering flavours that reflect the multi-ethnic area, the mercato is the perfect place to look for anything other than run-of-the-mill Italian fare. You can find produce from all corners of the world, including an incredible array of loose grains, nuts and spices at bargain prices. Expect it to be loud, chaotic a little grimy; the kind of place where bartering is fine and where yelling seems to be the customary form of communication. The atmosphere is much like the food, a vivid, mismatched mesh, and gives the market a unique charm.
Mercato Garbatella (Roma Farmer’s Market)
Via Francesco Passino (Metro B Garbatella)
Sat 8.30am – 6pm
Sun 8.30am – 2.30pm
A recent transplant from nearby Testaccio to the more low-key, residential Garbatella, this market adheres to a 0-km policy. The market ensures that the amount of travelling the food does before ending up on the stall tables is basically nada. In addition to being local, the products have to be seasonal. Located in a community centre, the market has a great laid-back feel, perfect for slow Sunday shoppers.
Piazza dell’Unità Market
Piazza Unità, 53 (Metro A Ottaviano)
Mon – Sat, 6.30am – 19.30pm
Each market has it’s own history in Rome, and this covered market in Prati is no exception. Built in the 20’s, the historical neo-classical building was not only a place for Romani to get their fruit and veg, but also housed a rooftop skating rink and large fountains between its stalls prior to renovation. Fun facts aside, its central location, late opening hours and underground parking, make this is a popular market for locals and tourists alike.
Mercato Campagna Amica di Circo Massimo
Via di San Teodoro, 74 (Metro B Circo Massimo)
Sat-Sun 8am – 3pm
Housed in what used to be an ancient Jewish fish market, this is a great weekend mercato. Its prime location allows you to go grocery shopping amidst the fairly stunning surroundings of Circus Maximus and the Palatine Hill. This farmer’s market has a strong focus on local produce, so you can count on getting typical Roman products such as artichokes, chicory, pecorino and olives. The farmers of Campagna Amica are farmers who stubbornly refuse to use Genetically Modified Seeds (GMOs) and are committed to produce quality at fair prices, with products that represent an important tangible and intangible heritage of an entire country. You can also find vendors selling fresh meats, flowers, honeys, jams and truffles.
Nuovo Mercato di Testaccio
Entrances from Via Galvani, Via Franklin & Via Manuzio (Metro B Piramide)
Mon – Sat, 7am – 3.30pm
The Testaccio market is not just a practical spot to get your groceries, but also a staple hangout amongst locals. The covered stalls are well organised in a bright and spacious structure with a modern vibe. This is the kind of place you can come to grab an espresso, lunch or a fresh cannolo while browsing the selection of fruits, vegetables, meats, and cheeses. It also teeters over into the flea-market category as you can find vendors selling kitchenware, clothes and general knick-knacks.
Mercato di Campo de’ Fiori
Piazza Campo de’ Fiori
Mon-Sat, 7am-2pm
Campo de’ Fiori is one of Rome’s best-loved squares. By night, the piazza functions as a riotous watering hole, but during the day it is a traditional mercato in the heart of the capitol. Each morning the stalls get filled with fresh meats, cheeses, fruits, veggies, and of course, flowers. The prices are a little above average, as to be expected in the historic centre. However, the intimacy of the piazza and the picturesque setting make the market a great spot for people watching or just weaving through the stalls, soaking up the hustle and bustle.
Nuovo Mercato Trionfale
Via Andrea Doria
Mon, Wed-Thur and Sat 8am – 3pm; Tue and Fri 8am – 6.30pm; Sun closed
TrionfaleFoodMarket
Located in the Prati neighbourhood, the Trionfale Market is considered the first food market of Rome, with its 275 food stands. It’s also one of the major Italian and European food markets, and caters to local Romans. First opened in the 19th century on Viale Giulio Cesare, it was then moved on Via Andrea Doria in the 1930s. On March 2009, the Nuovo Mercato Trionfale moved indoors into a glass and concrete structure, also boasting an internal parking lot. The market is divided into corridors packed with color-coded boxes. Each color represents a food category: the green boxes are for fruits and vegetables, the light green are for farmers selling their own produce, the blue for seafood, the yellow for dry foods and bakeries, and the red boxes for meat. In the central corridors, you’ll find the most ancient stands of the market.
Città dell’Altra Economia Bio Market
Largo Dino Frisullo (Metro B Piramide)
Every Sunday, 9am – sundown
cittadellaltraeconomia.org
In the restored spaces of an ex-slaughterhouse in Testaccio, you will find La Città dell’ Altra Economia, an events venue and community space dedicated to promoting “an alternative economy” in the form of agriculture, fair trade and sustainability. With independent vendors and quality organic fare, the weekly “Bio Market” is a mellow, environmentally conscious and friendly shopping experience.
Farmer’s Market San Paolo
Via Alessandro Severo, 48
Sat 8.30am – 6pm; Sun 8.30am – 2pm
RomaFarmersMarketSanPaolo
Housed in a former Atac bus depot, this farmer’s market gives visitors the chance to purchase fresh seasonal food directly from farmers of the Lazio region. It’s your chance to purchase 0-km food in Rome! You’ll find a variety of foods from the Lazio countryside and the possibility of tasting them. From fruits and olive oil to cheeses and fresh meat, from eggs and and honey to cured meats and legumes, there’s something for everyone. As you’d expect, quality is top notch.
