Rome is full of good restaurants, many in attractive settings, particularly when you sit outside in the evening. Many of the restaurants will have high chairs however, many of these will only be suitable for older toddlers as they just have a bar across the front rather than a buckle or harness so a fold away high chair is a must to ensure comfort at meal times.

No one location can be recommended to search for a good restaurant: some of the best places to eat are in the most unpromising locations while well-situated restaurants can often live on their reputation rather than the quality of their food. Restaurants in guidebooks can be good but prices can be inflated because it is more than likely a “tourist trap.” To find an authentic restaurant that wont break the bank try to move away from the historical centre – a good tip is to go where Italians live and eat. For example, beyond the Janiculum (in the Monteverde vecchio district) there are some trattorie with authentic Italian cuisine at an affordable price. Eating near Rome’s most famous sights is an expensive affair and a gelato near the Vatican can set you back €10.

Roman pizzas are very thin crusted, crunchy  and many have sparse pizza toppings. Most restaurants serve pizza only in the evening. Pizza al taglio is pizza with a thicker crust and cooked in a large pan. It is served by the piece – usually to take away – and is a good, cheap way to get something to fill you up: point to the one you want and indicate if you want more or less than your server is indicating with the knife. Pizzas come in a variety of flavours and are great finger foods for older toddlers.

If you want ice cream, look for a sign saying gelateria. You pay for your ice cream first, then take your receipt  to choose your flavours. You will be asked “Panna?” when it’s almost made – this is the offer of whipped cream on top. If you’ve already paid, this is free. Some gelaterie require a small additional charge in order to get your cream — mostly 50 cent or one euro.

Most restaurants serve bottled water with your meals; it comes usually in 1 litre bottles and can be had normale/liscia/naturale (still water) or gassata/frizzante (sparkling water). No ice is usually served in the water and it is not free. Also, if there is bread placed on your table, you will be charged so if you don’t want bread, let your server know.