It’s not difficult to find a good restaurant in Rome. But it’s nearly impossible to find one that’s not filled with foreigners. I arrived in the Eternal City with the dream of finding the virgin trattoria – a charming place not yet covered by tourist fingerprints. That dream, I soon realized, is mathematically improbable. With the Eternal City now clocking 100,000 daily visitors, almost every threshold, no matter how “insider,” has been crossed.
The only hope for those who yearn to eat among the locals is to walk far away from the center into a neighborhood not on most maps. San Lorenzo lies just outside the walls to the east of Termini train station. It hosts a university, affordable housing, and very few tourist attractions. It’s where we found our longed-for trattoria.
There were no guidebooks in sight when we arrived at Tram Tram for lunch. To celebrate our success in finally evading the horde, my friend and I decided to really go for it, ordering a bottle of wine and plate after plate of delicious food. The orechiette alla Norma was abnormally good, and my simple veal dish made me stammer. Even our contorni (the vegetable side) was remarkable – a puree of fava beans in grassy olive oil with the sharp taste of sautéed chicory.
This wholly satisfying feast, topped off by espresso and dessert, was ours for less than 50€. There’s no doubt I’ll be back the next time I’m in Rome, and other dreamers (who aren’t afraid to work for it) are advised to follow suit.
Tram Tram (06-490416) via dei Reti 44/46, Rome