Rome’s Best Food Neighborhood Is San Lorenzo—Here’s Where to Go

There’s a lot to love about Rome. All the textbook cacio e pepe. More silky gelato than you can eat. But I’m constantly wandering back to San Lorenzo, the trapezoidal wedge along the east side of the city. Located outside of Rome’s ancient walls, it’s just beyond reach for travelers squeezing their visit down to a few days. But after living in the city for the last 16 years and becoming obsessed with its food and drink culture, I now make regular treks across town to visit this district, which happens to be named after Saint Lawrence, the patron saint of chefs and cooks.

San Lorenzo has been one of Rome’s liveliest (and most delicious) districts for the past century and, unlike sleepier nearby hoods that feel like you’ve stepped into a museum, it’s still going strong, thanks to the abundance of natural wine bars, busy trattorias, and on-point pizzerias. Visit the neighborhood any night of the week and you’ll find its streets, sidewalks, and squares flooded with diners and drinkers (and more than a few hash dealers) late into the night.

But San Lorenzo has much more than just nightlife. In fact, you can spend a whole day grazing. Case in point: Just look at my recent cross-town trips. Here’s how to map out a perfect day of eating, drinking, and wandering through the area. Maybe just wear some stretchy pants.

10:30 a.m. – Caffeinate the Italian way at Bar Marani

I kick off the day with an espresso (or as they say in Rome, caffè), cappuccino, or caffè corretto (that’s espresso spiked with a shot of grappa or amaro, you’re welcome). It feels like you’ve gone back in time at this time capsule of a cafe, where a zinc bar, formica floor, and dusty pennants are straight out of the ’60s. But you feel it even more so when ordering a drink: Make sure you follow the proper protocol by paying for it at the register first, then taking your receipt to the barista who will hook you up. You can stand at the counter, but my move is to sip my drink in the pergola-covered courtyard, with its view of the bell tower of Santa Maria Immacolata church.