Supplì Roma, Trastevere
Supplì are Rome's answer to arancini — oblong fried rice balls with a molten mozzarella centre — and Supplì Roma on Via di San Francesco a Ripa in Trastevere makes the definitive version. The queue snakes onto the pavement most evenings, the price is under €2 a piece, and eating one standing on a cobbled Trastevere street is a perfect Roman moment.
What to Order
The classic supplì al telefono (named for the 'telephone wire' of cheese that stretches when you pull it apart) is the one to start with — a rich ragù-laced risotto encased in a shattering breadcrumb crust. From there, the menu ventures into cacio e pepe, amatriciana and seasonal specials that rotate on a chalkboard above the counter.
Order two at minimum — they are small, devastatingly good and you will immediately want more. Pair them with a cold Nastro Azzurro from the fridge or, better, walk 200 metres to one of Trastevere's wine bars and eat them on the go, which is entirely acceptable behaviour here.
Trastevere After Dark
Supplì Roma is best visited between 6 pm and 9 pm when the neighbourhood is at its most alive — market workers heading home, students settling into bars, tourists discovering that Trastevere at dusk is everything the guidebooks promised. The shop closes when the supplì run out, which can be as early as 9:30 pm on busy nights.
The surrounding streets — Via della Lungaretta, Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere — are ideal for an after-snack wander. The illuminated golden mosaics of the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere, flooding the piazza with warm light after dark, are one of Rome's most beautiful night-time sights and completely free to admire from the square.
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