Best Porchetta in Rome: 6 Sensational Selections

Whenever you travel to the Eternal City, you’ll never have a lack of wonderful Italian food to choose from. Among the classic Roman dishes are, of course, amazing local pastas, like cacio e pepe, carbonara, gricia, and amatriciana.

Whether you love great tomato sauce, flavorful pecorino Romano cheese, guanciale (tasty pork jowl), or all three, there’s plenty of pasta choices to tickle your taste buds. But in addition to wonderful pasta, Rome offers some amazing street food. In fact, Roman street food is not only some of the best street food in Italy, but in all of Europe.

Pizza al taglio, or pizza by the slice, differs from what you know as pizza back home and comes with a dazzling variety of topping choices. Stuffed zucchini flowers, bursting with flavor and fried to golden perfection, are another of the street food traditional dishes foodies in Rome simply shouldn’t miss.

But among all the incredibly good things that are part of the Roman food must-try line-up, you can’t pass up an opportunity for a delicious porchetta sandwich. It’s Rome’s favorite pork sandwich!

Luckily, I’ve just finished up a serious porchetta hunt that took me all over Rome, from Campo dei Fiori and all the must-explore tourist neighborhoods out to Testaccio and the still gritty but increasingly interesting San Lorenzo district.

However, I wasn’t just looking to eat any old porchetta sandwich—that’s easy to do on any foodie trip to Rome. I was looking to eat porchetta that was exceptional, the best in town—something to truly write home about. I found it! So, that’s why I’m, well, writing about it. But first things first!

Some of the best porchetta in Rome, Italy, is found at the local salumerie (delicatessens).

What Is Porchetta?

Porchetta is a wonderfully tasty roast pork that is most closely associated with the town of Ariccia, located in central Italy, just outside of Rome. The dish is traditionally made from a whole suckling pig that has been deboned and then placed on a spit for at least 8 hours.

The meat is typically salted and seasoned with black pepper. It can be stuffed with garlic, fennel and fennel seeds, or other herbs of various sorts—or not stuffed at all. The pork contains not only the fatty pork belly but leaner parts of the pig as well, and the skin is always kept on during roasting.

This way the skin keeps all the flavorful juices inside and prevents the perfect blend of fatty and lean meat from drying out while roasting. When the pork is done, the crispy skin provides the perfect crunch to compliment the tender, juicy meat within.

The inhabitants of Ariccia are justifiably proud of the renown their small town has earned for its amazing porchetta. Many Italians consider it not only the best porchetta in Italy, but the best porchetta in the world.

Porchetta is deliciously seasoned roast pork.

The Best Porchetta in Rome

In Ariccia, porchetta is eaten both as the centerpiece of sit-down dinners and used to make wonderful sandwiches. In many other parts of Italy, porchetta is thought of as more of a rare celebratory dish reserved for special occasions.

But in Rome, porchetta di Ariccia is an everyday star of the local street food scene as part of a panino (sandwich) that can be picked up at a salumeria, bar, tavern—even at some grocery stores—not only in central Rome but out in the burbs as well.

If it’s your first time in Rome, you can certainly get an excellent local porchetta as part of top-notch Roman food tour that will provide a wonderful introduction to the local specialties. These tours are lots of fun and provide plenty of amazing food.

Or, of course, you could just pick from my list of the spots where I found Rome’s best porchetta sandwiches. The following purveyors provide some of the best meals in Rome, in or out of a restaurant, that are a real joy, from the first bite to the last morsel of meaty goodness!

1. Roscioli

Our top pick for porchetta in Rome is from Roscioli.

Anyone with a keen interest in amazingly good food in Rome makes their way to Roscioli—or should I say, to some iteration of Roscioli.

The Roscioli family started with their famous bakery, Il Antico Forno. But today, they boast a salumeria/restaurant, caffè, and wine bar/restaurant as well. If you’re at any of them, you’re in one of the best food spots in Rome.

Whether you’re deciding on which ornate breakfast pastry to choose, enjoying an amazing charcuterie board, eating wonderful pasta, sipping a great coffee with a decadent dessert, or trying great wines—you’ll enjoy top-quality fare while soaking in the great atmosphere. (Their newest offering is their multi-format restaurant in New York, Roscioli NYC.)

When my husband Mike and I first visited the Antico Forno Roscioli, we weren’t even looking for amazing porchetta. We just went to check out the mouthwatering displays of pastries, breads, Roman pizzas, supplì, etc., at one of Rome’s best bakeries..

However, we happened to spot an employee cutting pieces from a giant porchetta roast on a back table, it was nearing lunch time, and our decision was pretty much made for us.

The best porchetta sandwich in Rome starts with fresh baked bread. — The best porchetta sandwich in Rome starts with fresh-baked bread.

The delicious Roman porchetta at Roscioli can be served between two pieces of Roman pizza crust or on a roll. Since they expertly bake all their own breads, both are delicious. It’s one of the best bakeries in Rome after all!

The person assisting you will ask whether you’d like the sandwich heated, and the answer is “absolutely.” It’s truly great!

The meat is deeply flavorful and perfectly moist with a blend of fattier pieces and lean cuts complemented by a generous portion of crackling skin interspersed throughout. After having our extraordinary porchetta, it took everything in us not to go back in and order another one—but there was still a lot of eating to be done that day.

We did, however, come back a week later for Round 2 after trying a bunch of other porchetta panini elsewhere. After trying the Roscioli porchetta once again, we left with our opinion intact: This is the best porchetta sandwich in Rome!

Address: Via dei Chiavari, 34, 00186 Roma RM

2. La Vita è Un Mozzico

Don’t forget to take a ticket when you arrive at this salumi and sandwich shop.

We got lucky with the location of our 2nd-most-favorite porchetta panino. It was just a block and a half away from the great apartment in Rome we rented for the first part of our stay in the Italian capital.

Although just steps from the Piazza del Popolo and a short walk from the highly touristed Spanish Steps, La Vita è Un Mozzico still caters to a primarily local clientele. We never heard anything but Italian from anyone else waiting in line or in the tiny sandwich shop itself.

When you come, you grab a number outside, wait for it to flash on the display inside, then describe how big you’d like your Roman roast pork sandwich when you get to the counter. The porchetta is served on tasty focaccia bread, and you’re charged by the weight of your delicious pieces of pork.

Most Roman porchetta is sold as street food.

We saw someone ahead of us ask for a concoction of greens on their sandwich, so we followed suit. The greens were basically broccoli rabe, also known as rapini (a leafier relative of regular broccoli), that is sauteed in olive oil and garlic and is a delicious companion for the porchetta.

Again, the key here is flavorful, moist pieces of pork accompanied by crispy skin that adds another dimension of flavor and texture. We also loved how friendly the guys behind the counter were, and how they recognized us on our second visit.

It’s definitely a great feeling when “the best porchetta near me” ends up being one of the best porchettas in all of Rome!

Address: Via Angelo Brunetti, 4, 00186 Roma RM

3. Er Buchetto

Er Buchetto keeps its authentic porchetta di Ariccia in a sealed glass case.

Among lovers of porchetta, Er Buchetto needs no introduction. This little sandwich shop just steps away from the Piazza della Repubblica has been a revered longtime favorite.

And the owner definitely takes his craft seriously. The porchetta is sequestered in a glass case in the front of the shop designed to keep the roast pork nice and fresh. We were delighted to make the pilgrimage to try this famous version of one of the beloved Roman classics—and it was well worth it!

One of the best ways to eat porchetta is with greens on a sandwich.

The glass case performed its duty well: The meat tasted incredibly fresh and moist, and we opted for the broccoli rabe topping that was a hit in its own right. In addition, the shop was so incredibly old school, it almost seemed like a movie set. It was definitely the right place with a unique feel to enjoy a terrific porchetta sandwich!

Address: Via del Viminale, 2f, 00184 Roma RM

4. Prosciutteria di Enzo e Lina

The cheapest porchetta sandwich is at the Testaccio Market—and it’s really good!

Testaccio Market is another must-visit spot for those who love the food of Rome or want to learn why they should. This Roman food market is fittingly located near the archeologically interesting Monte Testaccio, which is a giant mound of broken amphorae once used to store olive oil in the times of ancient Rome.

Today in Testaccio, among the small shops and booths, you’ll still find excellent olive oil, a staggering array of diverse produce, fresh fish, and other ingredients characteristic of Rome. What’s more, this spot is also a street food market that provides one of the best ways to sample a wide variety of authentic Roman dishes.

Many of the best porchettas are served with nothing more than the pork and bread.

Although Enzo and Lina specialize in a wonderful variety of prosciutti and cheeses, they also serve up a delicious porchetta sandwich among their wide offerings of panini. Every sandwich is made to order, and it was nice to get such a delicious porchetta at a place where porchetta was not even the main claim to fame. It’s one of the best cheap eats in Rome!

Address: Nuovo Mercato Comunale di Testaccio, Via Beniamino Franklin, 12/E, 00153 Roma RM, Italy (Stall 89)

5. Vox Populi

Vox Populi in San Lorenzo has table service inside and outside.

This paninoteca (sandwich shop) and bar has a very dedicated following and even gets great reviews from people who just happen to find it and pop in for a sandwich. Luckily, the hype is justified!

This spot has an extensive menu of panini with lots of inventive combinations, and although their wine list might not sport the best wines of Italy, you’re not expecting them to. There’s plenty of good red and white wine choices, and tasty cold beer, both draft and bottled. At night, there’s also an enthusiastic crowd and lively music.

But on this porchetta hunt, the sandwiches were a bigger highlight. There are currently 7 types of porchetta panini to choose from—and that doesn’t even count the traditional porchetta with no accoutrements, which you can ask for as well.

On our visit, we ordered the “Superbo,” which comes with porchetta, nduja (a soft, spreadable, spicy salami), and friarielli—one of the names for the broccoli rabe topping and vegetable side dish (contorno) so popular in Rome.

Vox Populi offers lots of variations on the traditional porchetta sandwich.

The sandwich was, indeed, superbo! We tried a little of the porchetta all on its own just to make sure our judgement of the sandwich wasn’t too swayed by the accompaniments—and it wasn’t.

The pork was moist, delicious, and had a good ratio of fatty and lean meat and crackling skin. The nduja and friarelli were a great addition that didn’t overwhelm the porchetta but instead provided a rewardingly spicy alternative to the conventional preparation.

Michael and I also shared one of the specialties of Bologna, a mortadella sandwich with grilled artichokes and tasty cheese. Yum! This place does indeed know how to make excellent sandwiches, and they have plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, which is far from a given at good porchetta spots.

The only thing that I would also advise you of is that San Lorenzo, the neighborhood in which Vox Populi is located, is just a touch edgy although on the ascent, with tons more graffiti than even Trastevere and a somewhat dispiriting number of empty storefronts. However, we never felt the least bit unsafe, and it’s fun to catch a neighborhood making a positive transition before it’s over-discovered and clogged with tourists who didn’t know it “back when.”

If you happen to love books, pair your visit with a stop at Giufà, an incredibly cute bookstore with a caffè that also features good beers and wines with indoor and outdoor seating. It’s only a short walk away. By adding Giufà to your itinerary, you’ll have two great places to check out during your trek through San Lorenzo.

Address: Via degli Equi, 59–61, 00185 Roma RM

6. La Norcineria di Iacozzilli

La Norcineria Iacozzilli is known for the best porchetta in Trastevere.

This is not your hole-in-the-wall porchetta stop. On the contrary, it’s a relatively spacious and generously stocked salumeria and cheese shop with lots of old-world charm and a great selection of meats and cheeses backed by a long history of pleasing customers.

A stop here is a staple of many Trastevere food tours, including this wonderful choice. In addition to its great charcuterie and amazing selection of Italian cheeses, this norcineria serves a delicious porchetta. In fact, this spot consistently gets raves for having the best porchetta panini in Trastevere and perhaps the best porchetta sandwich Rome has on offer—period.

Trastevere's “King of Porchetta” also has a wide selection of Italian salumi.

On the day we went, Mike and I both thought the porchetta we had was quite good, but it didn’t make it to the top of our list. To us, on that day, the porchetta was flavorful but not quite as moist or as interlaced with crunchy skin as our higher-ranking choices. However, I certainly wouldn’t dissuade anyone from giving this legend a try in this well-traversed and highly appealing part of town.

Pro Tips for Ensuring a Delicious Porchetta Sandwich

Even though pre-made porchetta sandwiches may look tasty, they will most likely be dry :(

The first and easiest tip: Choose any spot on this list, and you’ll be satisfied.

If you want to branch out, remember that porchetta sandwiches are street eats. You won’t find them at fancy restaurants, or, likely, at any restaurant at all. Go for the sandwich, and don’t expect any frills at all from the purveyor.

Be prepared to just take your sandwich with you and maybe find a ledge, overturned barrel, or some small surface just outside the maker’s location at which you can enjoy your sandwich. Otherwise, you might have to look for a bench or stairs nearby for make-do seating and eating.

Most importantly, don’t buy pre-made sandwiches. You might see some pretty displays of porchetta panini that look really enticing, but the longer those pretty sandwiches sit and wait for a customer, the more likely they’ll have dried out at least a bit. That means you’re missing your opportunity for a peak porchetta experience. And a peak porchetta panino is a truly lovely Roman treat you don’t want to miss out on!

Buon appetito!