Trastevere in Rome: What to See

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Trastevere Rome Food Tour

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Situated across the river from Rome’s historic centre, Trastevere was once the city’s working-class artisan district — a warren of narrow streets and cloistered piazzas that was home to Rome’s tradesmen, fishermen, and foreign communities from the east of the empire. Fast-forward 2,000 years and while its professional and ethnic makeup has changed its rugged, bohemian character has not.

Like the Jewish Ghetto located on the other side of the River Tiber, Trastevere is one of the few neighbourhoods that still feels authentically Roman.

During the day it’s pretty sleepy, its pedestrianized cobbled streets isolated the constant cacophony of Roman traffic whose horns permeate every other part of Rome’s city centre. This makes Trastevere the perfect place to lose yourself among the smartly dressed locals and enchanted tourists and go with the flow. Ducking into cafes or churches for coffee or culture as the mood or moment takes you.

It’s at night that Trastevere really comes to life.

Its streets swell with young Roman partygoers and in-the-know Erasmus students—with the occasional lost-looking tourist thrown in for good measure. Bar San Calisto draws in crowds of hundreds with its cheap drinks and young, beautiful clientele while Piazza Trilussa transforms into a sea of plastic cup-carrying twenty-somethings, dressed to impress and bearing accidental audience to impromptu open-mics on the piazza (invariably varying upon a theme of Oasis’ Wonderwall or Ed Sheeran’s Perfect).

Whether you want to discover Trastevere’s cultural and culinary offerings by day or join in the revelry after dark, this guide is for you.

How to get to Trastevere

Trastevere isn’t on the metro line, so the best way to get here is by foot, bus or tram.

It takes around 30 minutes to walk from the Colosseum to Trastevere via the Circus Maximus or Largo Argentina, and around 20 minutes to walk to Trastevere from the Vatican. The nicest route takes you from Campo de’ Fiori across Ponte Sisto Bridge and into the heart of Trastevere via Piazza Trilussa.

To get to Trastevere by bus, take the N8 or H Line which connects Termini to Trastevere via Piazza Venezia, or the 8BUS which runs from Piazza Venezia to Gianicolense. You can also catch the N3 night bus which runs from 0:15 to 4:45 and operates a circular route around the edge of the city centre.

You can also reach Trastevere by tram from Piazza Venezia (n8) or from the city centre (n3), although the latter can take up to 35 minutes from the Colosseum.

Taking a stroll – una passeggiata

One of our favourite things to do in Rome is to take a refreshing stroll through the romantic back alleys, cosy restaurants, cute bars and enticing gelaterias of Trastevere. As you venture further into the delightful mess of odd-shaped medieval buildings and cobblestones it’s hard not to picture yourself living the idyllic lifestyle of La Dolce Vita in Trastevere.

Whether it’s the smell of pizza dough cooking or the bitter-sweet scent of a freshly poured Aperol Spritz; Trastevere has something to stimulate everyone’s senses. We’ve included a Trastevere map below with a scenic route that covers the highlights of Trastevere, make sure to let your sense of adventure get you lost along the way!

Trastevere is where the Romans like to come on a Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon for an Aperitivo. They gather in the two most vibrant piazzas; Piazza Trilussa and Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere.

Piazza Trilussa

Piazza Trilussa, is named after a famous 19th century poet who wrote bawdy poetry in the Roman dialect. You can reach it from near Campo dei Fiori via the Ponte Sisto. This delightful bridge was the first to reconnect the two sides of the city; built by the famous Sixtus IV who also built the Sistine Chapel in the 1480s. The piazza is on the side of the river and has an ornate fountain and grand steps usually buzzing with locals and tourists. This is where the teenagers gather to meet up on a Saturday night, drinking beers and chatting for hours and of course checking each other out!

Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere

This Piazza is at the heart of Trastevere and is surrounded by bars and restaurants where you can eat, drink, and people-watch. In the evenings, street entertainers gather in the square to perform. The central fountain surrounded by steps is another meeting point, many gather to chat and drink around the fountain. On one side of the square is the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere, a fascinating and ancient church. 

Basilica Santa Maria in Trastevere

Archaeological remains date the church to the 330s AD, but tradition tells that it was built shortly after the martyrdom of Pope Callixtus in the 220s on the site of a military hospital. It is certainly one of the oldest churches in Rome and is where the first public mass was openly celebrated.

When you visit, take note of the marble plaques in the entrance, these are the gravestones of early Christians buried in the area. Inside the church, you’ll find ancient columns taken from the Baths of Caracalla and installed in the 4th century CE. The church’s marble flooring was also plundered from Rome’s pagan palaces to build the city’s first churches. 

By the sacristy is a curious little shrine called the fons olei. It recalls a legend from Roman times that one night in 38 BC a fountain of oil sprang up from the ground and for one whole day and night it ran like a river to the Tiber. Some legends say this foretold the coming of Christ.

Bar San Calisto

Come out of the church and take the first road on your right and you’ll stumble upon the historic no-frills bar of San Calisto. There’s nothing fancy about this place, but it’s one of the cheapest bars in town (a large Peroni costs €1.50; long drinks cost €2.50) and its long-standing staff and colourful clientele of all ages make it worth a visit.

San Calisto has been serving students, locals, and tourists for 50 years and is the heart of Trastevere. In days gone by it was a communist haunt which perhaps explains the prices still today. 

Old fashioned medicine

Another curiosity, not far from the church is an old pharmacy dating back to the 1600s – Antica Farmacia Santa Maria della Scala. Historically, this was the Pope’s pharmacy and the Carmelite monks based here prepared poultices and medicines here. You can go in just to take a look (it is still a functioning Pharmacy) or take a short tour of the ‘spezeria’ or ‘spice shop’ led by the Carmelite monks who explain apothecary through the ages and the history of the building.

The monks are still based here and continue to produce creams and homoeopathic remedies.

La Farnesina and the sensual frescoes of Raphael.

Trastevere also boasts the beautiful villa La Farnesina, which is considered the ultimate in Renaissance art and architecture. It is best known for its erotic frescoes painted by Raphael for the Pope’s banker Agostino Chigi. Often overlooked by tourists, this small villa is an absolute gem, set in gardens by the Tiber. Here you can marvel at the frescoed rooms and the loggia of Cupid and psyche by Raphael. The villa has hosted many famous visitors to Rome throughout its history including Queen Christina of Sweden who renounced her throne and moved to Rome in the 1600s.

The Janiculum hill and a panoramic view of Rome 

Between the low-lying streets of Trastevere and the Vatican is the Janiculum Hill (Gianicolo in Italian). Often called the eighth hill of Rome, it was not part of the ancient city. It is one of the highest hills in Rome and the view from the top of the hill is breathtaking. It is a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and has several interesting things to see.

Historically the hill played an important role in the defense of the city against French troops in 1849 led by General Giuseppe Garibaldi (better known as a fruity biscuit in England). A grand bronze statue of him on a horse crowns the hill and numerous sculptures remembering the fallen heroes are dotted around the winding paths. The Italian army to this day commemorates the battle for the Republic by firing a canon daily at noon.

You can marvel at the Fontana dell’Acqua Paola an imposing fountain built in the 1600s to celebrate the repair of an old Roman aqueduct bringing water back to the Trastevere district by pope Paul V.

The church of San Pietro in Montorio houses the tomb of Beatrice Cenci (the most famous ghost in Rome). Attached is the Tempietto del Bramante, a treat for architecture fans. There is even a beautiful lighthouse (the Manfredi Lighthouse) given to the city in 1911 by Italians who migrated to Argentina. 

Where to eat in Trastevere

Trastevere is one of the best neighbourhoods in Rome for good, honest food from traditional trattorias. You’ll find plenty of places to go for aperitivo beforehand, from Bar San Calisto for something cheap, cheerful, and usually pretty crowded to Freni e Frizioni for something a little more chic and classy.

But as with all areas of Rome, there are a few tourist traps in Trastevere. Here are our favourite restaurants, pizzerias, and trattorias for guaranteed good eating.

Ristorante Popi Popi

The entertainingly named Popi Popi is a great place for first-time visitors to Rome. It boasts a vast menu of reasonably priced pastas (primi), mains (secondi) and pizzas and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. You can normally turn up and get a table pretty quickly, though booking in advance is always advisable.

La Gattabuia

Tucked away off the beaten path, La Gattabuia is a lovely small restaurant with an old-worldy feel and a loyal local clientele. It specializes in the big four Roman pasta dishes (carbonara, amatriciana, gricia and cacio e pepe), traditional main courses, and grilled meat platters. Its pizzas are good too, although it’s the meaty mains you’ll want to prioritize.

La Gattabuia counts among its illustrious guests Dustin Hoffman and esteemed Italian food critic Alessandro Borghese. Make sure to reserve a table in advance as space is at a premium.

Spirito Di Vino

Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Trastevere’s centre, Il Spirito Di Vino is a must-visit for food and history lovers. Its wine cellar incorporates the remains of Rome’s oldest synagogue, which predates the Colosseum, while the kitchen above recreates traditional Roman recipes which date back to the time of Julius Caesar.

It was in the restaurant’s wine cellar that the famous Apoxyomenos sculpture was discovered, a Roman copy of a Greek original by Lysippus, which was brought to Rome in the second century BC following Rome’s conquest of Greece and Macedonia.

Its owners, the Catalani family, are both eccentric and exceptional. Head chef Eliana Catalani started her career as a virologist who worked alongside the Nobel Prize winner Rita Levi Montalcini before transferring her scientific knowledge to the kitchen to recreate traditional Roman recipes

She is joined by her husband Romeo, whose description of the daily menu straddles the boundaries of performative art, and her son Francesco, whose amicability and love of conversation (especially on the English Premier League) make for an unforgettable experience.

Carpe Diem Trastevere Food Tour

Why risk wasting your time and money eating poorly when you could leave it to the experts! Join our Trastevere Food Tour and we will guide you through an Italian menu and share the best of Roman cuisine. What makes our Trastevere Food Tour is our rapport with traditional family-owned establishments passed down for generations.

You won’t just be eating the food; you will meet the chefs and learn their stories. Need more convincing? Here’s what people are saying about our Rome Food Tour.

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Alexander Meddings

Alexander Meddings is a professional copywriter and postgraduate in Roman history from the University of Oxford. After graduating with his MPhil, he moved to Florence and then Rome to carry out his research on the ground and pursue his passion at the source. He now works in travel, as a writer and content consultant, and in education as a university lecturer and translator.