Akropolis: original greek flavours in Trastevere!

We are almost talking about a neighbour here, and what a neighbour! Akropolis is probably one of the best greek tavernas in Rome, and it is so close to Trastevere Bed and Breakfast you will be there before you know it. Owned and managed by Antonios, a Greek guy from Crete, and his son Gabriele, Akropolis will satisfy both light appetites and night cravings. Have a seat at one of its simple tables, surrounded by every greek item you can conceive and actual greek music – not the touristic kind.

Our advice is to start with a selection of the world-famous Greek dips: tzatziki (yoghurt and cucumbers), melintzanosalata (aubergine dip), tahini (sesame paste) and taramosalata (fish eggs paste), accompanied by the mouth-watering pita (greek bread). Then you can go straight for the meat (souvlakia or gyros), served in pita bread with delicious fries on top, or pick other greek specialties as the dolmades (stuffed vine leaves) or the melintzanokeftedes (amazing aubergine croquettes). This is just a first idea of what you will find. Add greek wines and spirits and desserts, and you will find a place that will make you come back. You can also choose take away.

Akropolis is open Tuesday to Sunday, evenings only, 19:30 to 23:30. Reservations are usually not accepted, so make sure to be there early, especially on weekend when finding a table can be a mission impossible.

The open-air market of San Cosimato: fresh, genuine food daily a few meters from Trastevere Bed and Breakfast

We think that an Italian holiday should be your occasion to reconnect with true flavours. So say goodbye to frozen foods and chemical stuff and step into a world where food is fresh, genuine and local like it used to be. Take a short walk from Trastevere Bed and Breakfast and you will end up right into the heart of Trastevere, Piazza San Cosimato. Here you will find one of the most beloved open-air markets of Rome. Monday to Saturday, both locals and visitors come here from the early morning to pick the best grocery, meat, fish and flowers. Fruits and vegetables are usually grown locally by the very people who will sell it to you. This means the taste is rich, the quality is great and unaltered. Plus, it has a low carbon footprint!

If you are a carnivore, go for some gorgeous cuts of tasty meat. If you prefer fish, you will find it a stall for it, too: fresh fish arrives here every day. So fresh that you will normally see one or two seagulls patiently waiting on a nearby wall to get their “share”. Never mind them: they have their own deal with the stall owner. The San Cosimato market is not huge, and it’s probably less frantic than the one in Campo dei Fiori. The square has been recently renovated, thus giving the market too a tidier look. Remember that the market closes after lunch, so you’d better set your alarm if you want to get the best stuff!

Where to eat and drink in Trastevere: restaurants, trattorie, bars

As a guest in a Bed&Breakfast in Trastevere, you have to fear no hunger: Trastevere could be one of the neighbourhoods in Rome with the biggest amount of restaurants and bars. Here is a selection of the food-and-drink offer of the neighbourhood, sorted by the kind of meal you have in mind,

For a quick lunch

If you are thinking about a quick meal to eat on the fly, Via San Francesco a Ripa – where the Bed & Breakfast is located – is a great starting point: here you will find Sandwich House “Fame Nera”, several pizzerias and the Antica Caciara, a store with cheeses, hams and other specialties where you can get gorgeous sandwiches.

Just around the corner – in  Via Natale del Grande – you will find another “norcineria” (cheese and ham shop), Iacozzilli, as well as Planet Kebab, maybe one of the best kebab houses in Trastevere.

For a typical roman meal

Trastevere abounds with tipical restaurants and trattorie, often family run, esssential to the eye but absolutely genuine when it comes to the flavors. Two of these restaurants are located in Piazza de Renzi, few steps from Vicolo del Moro and 5 minutes from Via San Francesco a Ripa: Corrado and Augusto. In both these placese you will find a very simple aestethics, but a rich cuisine. It’s adviceable to show up early, as queues form quickly here.

Not far from Piazza De Renzi, in Vicolo del Moro 53 you will find Mario’s, another trattoria where you will taste the best of roman cuisine, alongside with a nice rosetta bread.

For an ethnic meal

Even though Trastevere is a strongly roman neighbourhood, it has its share of ethnic cuisine. If sushi is tickling  your fantasy, then head for TakeSushi (Viale Trastevere, 4), not far from Via San Francesco a Ripa. Otherwise you can enjoy a dinner in Miyabi 2, serving japanese cuisine (also kaiten) as well as vietnamese.

Strolling on Via Francesco a Ripa you will first find yourselves in India, with the indian restauran Jaipur (Via San Francesco a Ripa, 66), then in Greece with greek restaurant Akropolis.

For an aperitif

Trastevere offers you a wide choice for the aperitif, too. First of all, it is definitely worth to take a short walk to Freni e Frizioni (Via del Politeama, 4), one of the most loved bars for the aperitif people.

Ombre Rosse, with its tables in the very pictoresque Piazza Sant’Egidio, is another favourite of Trastevere’s people.

Plus, for the pub lovers: choose Big Hilda, Vicolo del Cinque, 33.