Itineraries for Your Trip to Lazio
3 Days in Lazio for Foodies
Rome is famous for its traditional cuisine, but many dishes we recognize as “Roman” are rooted in the surrounding region of Lazio. These hills host the sheep responsible for sharp pecorino romano cheese, farms producing salty pork guanciale and whole roasted porchetta, and vineyards producing crisp white wines. On the coast, fleets of fishers bring in the day's catch to supply Rome’s many restaurants.
To fully appreciate Roman cuisine, you must explore Lazio’s countryside and coastline. I have nibbled and sipped my way through this little-visited corner of central Italy for decades and fallen in love with its no-frills, authentic cuisine. Here’s how to explore Lazio’s best food and wine over three days.
Lazio’s coastline is balmy for most of the year, while the inland hills can be cool even in summer.
If you only have time for one thing, make it sampling the mineral-forward white wines in Frascati.
Roman gourmands have been visiting the nearby Castelli Romani since ancient times. Begin with a wine tour through the Frascati hills, where boutique cellars produce crisp white and bold red wines in the volcanic soil south of Rome. Take the train to Frascati, but you’ll need private transportation for the outlying wineries.
In the afternoon, hop among the pretty historic towns that dot the Castelli Romani hills and sample the local specialties in each. Ariccia is famous for porchetta (whole roasted pig), Nemi for strawberries, Genzano di Roma for traditional bread, and Castel Gandolfo for peaches.
Head to Lake Bracciano, about an hour north of Rome, by car or train for a morning truffle hunt through the wooded hills surrounding this volcanic lake. Join a local forager and dogs on the hunt and feast on a family-style, truffle-laced lunch. Walk through the villages lining the lake and see the famous 15th-century Orsini-Odescalchi Castle.
Afterward, head to historic Cerveteri (home to ancient Etruscan ruins) to connect with a home cook. Enjoy a demonstration or a hands-on cooking lesson to learn the secrets of Lazio’s most traditional dishes. Finish with dinner.
Lazio's long stretch of coastline has been the region's source of fresh fish and seafood for thousands of years. Experience the coastal cuisine first-hand on an excursion to the Tyrrhenian Sea, beginning with fishing in the port town of Ostia. Cast your lines to snag bluefish, bream, and more with a local fisher.
Afterward, head north for a food tour through the historic port city of Civitavecchia. Sample some of the best sweet and savory specialties with a local foodie guide as you learn more about the area’s culinary culture, and linger after the tour for a fish and seafood dinner overlooking the water.
