Testaccio: Rome’s Food-Loving Neighborhood You Should Explore

Testaccio is a Rome neighborhood that has been on the up in recent years, offering a different and authentic experience. If you want to find a hotel in Rome in a quiet area, away from streets packed with tourists, you're in the right place.

What to see in Testaccio

It isn't the prettiest or most picturesque neighborhood, and it still feels a little rough around the edges, but it's where some of the city's most interesting new scenes are taking shape.

This is home to a curious Rome monument that was once simply a terracotta dump: Monte Testaccio.

Also known as Monte dei Cocci, it's an artificial hill made up of millions of broken amphorae. This unusual site has taught us a great deal about trade between Rome and other parts of the Roman Empire.

More things to do

If you want to eat well without any fuss, the trattorias in this neighborhood serve generous portions that are good and cheap.

If you love cooking and decide to stay in an apartment in Rome, be sure to visit the Nuovo Mercato di Testaccio. It's always full of locals, with fresh ingredients and stalls selling flowers and crafts. You'll find it between Via Galvani and Via Alessandro Volta. 

This part of the city still has the warehouses and industrial buildings that once operated here, and today many of them are being put to use as cultural spaces. One example is the MACRO Museum, a contemporary art museum housed in a former slaughterhouse.

Nightlife in Testaccio

Some parts of the neighborhood have plenty of nightlife, with bars and clubs on the more alternative side and parties that draw big crowds. These places are mostly clustered around the Ostiense Station area.

How to get there

Piramide metro station