The Testaccio Market is a Rome foodie adventure, only a short metro ride from the Centro Storico. I love getting off the beaten path when traveling, but especially when food is involved. It's a thrill to wend your way through the Testaccio Market shopping for dinner ingredients, but even the most casual walk-through will provide food lovers with an immersion in Rome's local produce and artisan food scene. Definitely go hungry so you can graze the prepared food stalls.
And once you’ve made your way to this quintessential Roman working class neighborhood, there is plenty to see and do by way of architecture, art, and dining & imbibing to make Testaccio a memorable day-trip (see my map below).
I couldn't wait to check out Testaccio. And on a rainy Saturday morning, my traveling companion and I jumped on the Metro B-Line near our cozy Monti apartment, and disembarked at the Pyramide station. Emerging from the Metro we were immediately confronted by the 2,000 year old tomb of the Pyramid of Cestius, which was ultimately incorporated into the Aurelian Wall.
We still had a several block walk to reach the Market, so we huddled under our umbrellas and passed through the Roman wall porticos.
We zig-zagged our way through the quiet residential streets of this modern, working class neighborhood. While the area is not dense with historical sights, you get a more local experience of contemporary, every day Roman life. And we were rewarded with some compelling street art.
A leisurely 15-minute stroll later, we arrived at the Testaccio Market. It was fairly quiet by noon on a Saturday, with some market stalls already showing signs of slowing for the mid-afternoon closing time. The austere modern market feels a bit anti-septic under its harsh bright lights in its still new setting.
This version of the Testaccio Market opened in 2012, which replaced the original market in its long-standing home on the Piazza Testaccio.
Till the mid-1970s, Testaccio was known for its slaughter houses and employed many of the neighborhood’s residents.
Slaughterhouse workers reaped the benefits of taking home lesser cuts of the butchered meats for family meals, and became expert at turning these cast-off ingredients into now classic rustic Roman dishes.
Testaccio restaurants are destinations for these famous offal dishes that came out of this tradition, despite the slaughter houses have long-since moved out of the city.
One of my favorite pieces of trivia from the district is that Monte Testaccio is composed of millions of ancient broken pottery – a graveyard of the amphorae that were used to store wine.
The Testaccio Market is comprised of a nearly-overwhelming amount of food options. In addition to the amazing local produce, this massive urban market is filled with mouth-watering delis, freshly prepared meals, bakeries, and even a wine bar.
We were on a mission to experience as many of the food stalls as possible before we embarked on grocery hunting. Everything looked so compelling at the Testaccio Market that it was difficult to know where to begin as we got the lay of the land at the delicious-looking food stalls.
Next we sampled beverages from first grape pressings, a simple local wine that was light and effervescent.
I can never resist cannoli. These miniature versions were constructed to order as we chose the shell and fillings we wanted.
Feeling the pressure from the looming early Market closing time, we segued from eating to shopping.
Vendors at each stall were extremely friendly and helpful with recommendations, many speaking English and making it very easy for us to learn more about the stunning local produce. Our dinner haul included a wide variety of produce, beans, cheese, and fresh pasta.
From the outset, we had our eyes on Torrefazione - a piccolo wine bar stall - as the perfect way to end our Testaccio Market adventure. How could we resist this adorable little bar situated in the midst of this food oasis.
Stools surround the lively box of a wine bar. Even as the Market approached closing time, the bar was full. But that was no problem – we just followed the lead of resourceful locals who created make-shift seating and tables in the aisles around the wine bar.
Torrefazione serves lovely wines by the glass at a nominal cost - our glasses of Trebbiano cost us a whopping 2.50 Euro each. Torrefazione also serves small plates.
I left the Testaccio Market wishing that this is where I did my regular grocery shopping. I loved our laid-back market experience, but weekday morning are probably the time to come for more bustle. From the friendly service to the astounding array of delicious food options, when in Rome... the Testaccio Market is a quintessential local foodie experience.
TIPS for the Testaccio Market…
Have a plan if you're headed to Testaccio – this will allow you to take full advantage of your Market experience as well as the surrounding area...
- If you want the full market experience, consider arriving early on a weekday, as on Saturday by noon many stalls were closed.
- The Market is open early morning till about 2 pm, Monday through Saturday.
- Get the lay-of the-land before you purchase, but near closing time if you see something you can't live without, grab it – don’t count on that stall still being open, as the market begins to wind down for the day.
- Interact with friendly vendors who are happy to educate you.
- Take advantage of free samples.
- Check the Scavi Market page to see if the excavation below Testaccio is open for tours (special occasions).
After you’re done with the Market consider some other sights and food activities in the area...
Tour the Pyramid of Cestius: Possible the 2nd and 4th Saturdays each month.
Wander a museum...
- Montemartini Museum: This is a cool museum set it a former power plant, uses its industrial backdrop to feature ancient statuary - a cool juxtaposition.
- MACRO Testaccio: Continue your celebration of Rome's slaughterhouse past with the conversion to contemporary art space. Romans are clever at reusing their architectural spaces, and this Testaccio outpost of MACRO gives a nod to its history.
Have a Traditional Meal in Testaccio: If you’re adventurous, indulge in one of the Offal restaurants in the neighborhood. As a pescatarian, I have no personal recommendations. So I would recommend using great resources such local bloggers Katie Parla and Romeing for recommendations.
Expand your Rome Wine Bar Repertoire: As you may know from my Rome Wine Bar post, Rome has some of my favorite wine bars anywhere. When in Testaccio, consider adding: Oasi della Birra, Enotecca Palombi, and Taverna Volpetti all look compelling for an interesting glass of wine…and more.
Grab a Craft Beer: Craft beer is getting big in Italy, including an up & coming indie brewing community. In my post on Rome Craft Beer spots, I described my awakening to the possibilities of Italian beer during my last trip. In the future local beer spots that will compete for my attention with wine bars. In the Testaccio area and adjacent, there are some craft beer venues that look fairly compelling, including Oasi della Birra, Brasserie 4:20 across the river in Portuense, and Queen Makeda in nearby Aventino.
