The must-order street food. Carnaroli rice cooked in tomato, filled with beef ragù and fresh mozzarella, fried until golden. The exterior crackles, the inside stays warm. Ai Marmi's supplì are among Rome's best. Eat them immediately while still hot.
Tips from diners
Order supplì to start while you wait for your pizza. Buy at least two—the first one will make you want a second.
The template Roman pizza. Thin crust that crackles when you bite it, tangy tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella added after baking, basil, olive oil. Nothing more. The simplicity means technique is everything. Ai Marmi's version is consistently good.
Tips from diners
Roman pizza should be thin enough to fold. If it's floppy, it's too thin. If it's stiff, it's too thick. Ai Marmi's is exactly right.
Cauliflower pieces in a light batter, fried until golden and crispy outside, tender inside. Simple preparation lets the vegetable shine. This is the vegetable option for fried food lovers. Eat immediately while hot.
Tips from diners
If you're not ready for offal-heavy Testaccio Market, order fried vegetables here. The technique is sound and the flavor is clean.
Late spring through early summer, zucchini flowers appear. They're stuffed with fresh mozzarella and a fillet of anchovy, lightly breaded, and fried. The flower is delicate, the cheese creamy, the anchovy salty and briny. One of Rome's seasonal specialties.
Tips from diners
These are only available late May through July. If you're visiting in these months and they're on the menu, order them. They disappear fast.
The savory alternative to red pizza. Thin dough brushed with good olive oil, sprinkled with rosemary and sea salt. Sometimes topped with thin sliced potatoes. It's light, crispy, and the quality of the olive oil matters. This is comfort food for Romans.
Tips from diners
The flavor of bianca depends entirely on the olive oil. Ask what oil they use—good pizzerias will tell you proudly.
Ai Marmi opened in 1933 and is a Trastevere institution. The name comes from the long marble-topped tables where Romans sit elbow-to-elbow, family-style. The pizzeria is zero frills: thin-crust Roman pizza, fried foods, no reservations, no fancy service. Locals call it 'the morgue' affectionately for the marble tables and walls. Open only evenings and late night (6 PM to 2 AM), it's where Romans eat pizza after a night out.
Ai Marmi doesn't take reservations. You queue outside and wait. Dinner wait is usually 30-45 minutes (18:00-20:00). Late night (after 22:00) is faster.
If you hate waiting, go after 23:00. The queue disappears after midnight. You'll eat immediately, though the atmosphere is different (younger, louder).
The marble tables are long and communal. Expect to sit next to strangers. Locals don't mind; they consider it part of the vibe. You can also take pizza to go.
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