A supplì is rice and ragù packed round a core of mozzarella, crumbed and fried, and Daria Reina queues for one at Forno Campo de' Fiori the way other people queue for coffee. Gambero Rosso makes the case for the thing by pointing at who sells it: Arcangelo Dandini, who cooks at L'Arcangelo, opened a second room that sells almost nothing else. The rest of the fried course is cod fillets, baby squid and stuffed zucchini flowers in paper cones, and at Cesare al Casaletto Katie Parla rates a sphere of pulled braised veal above all of them.
Supplì and the fritti.
product · Counters in the centre, and the first page of every trattoria menu
What it is
Rice and ragù packed around a core of mozzarella, crumbed and deep-fried. Daria Reina, who co-founded the Chez Dede boutique and is a Roman rather than a cook, defines it in passing on her way to recommending one: "a Roman fried rice ball stuffed with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella". 6 Sarah Cicolini adds the part that matters when you bite it: "all encased in a golden breadcrumb crust. It's to die for." 8 It is sold off bakery counters all day and it arrives at the start of dinner in a pizzeria, which is two different jobs for one object.
Why it matters here
Gambero Rosso makes the case for the supplì by pointing at who bothers with it. Arcangelo Dandini cooks at L'Arcangelo in Prati and opened a second room that sells almost nothing else: "If even a chef of Arcangelo Dandini's standing decided to open a room given over to the supplì, it means this fried thing plays a fundamental part for Romans. 3 That room is Supplizio, and the guide's order there is the classic first and then the arrabbiata.
How it is done
The fried course is wider than the rice ball and the trattorias take it seriously. Katie Parla's account of Cesare al Casaletto is the clearest picture of what arrives: "Crisp cod filets, anchovies, baby squids, and squash blossoms filled are served in paper cones. Golden gnocchi nuggets are strewn atop a thick cacio e pepe sauce." 2 Her own top of that genre is not the fish: "Perhaps the greatest expression of the fried genre is achieved in the form of polpette di bollito (spheres of pulled braised veal) and poplette di melanzane (eggplant croquettes)." She sells paid walking tours in Rome. 2 Fiori di zucca with anchovy inside them is the one to ask for in season, and at Da Enzo al 29 Gambero Rosso calls ordering it a duty: "You are duty-bound to start with the excellent carciofi alla giudia, or with the zucchini flowers and anchovies." 11
Who does it
The counters and the kitchens do it differently and both are worth a stop.
Antico Forno Roscioli and Forno Campo de' Fiori are the two Daria Reina
calls the classics, always busy, and worth the line
.
6
Among the sit-down rooms, The Infatuation rates the supplì at L'Elementare
against the whole city and names the one filled with fior di latte and 'nduja.
4
180g Pizzeria Romana is where Sarah Cicolini orders hers after the marinara.
Gambero Rosso credits Stefano Callegari with rethinking the object entirely,
alongside the street food he invented, and his trapizzino has its own page here.
3
On the list
best version at
SupplizioA chef with his own restaurant opened a second room given over to one fried thing, which is the argument for taking it seriously.
“If even a chef of Arcangelo Dandini's standing decided to open a room given over to the supplì, it means this fried thing plays a fundamental part for Romans. At Supplizio you can choose among many good things: the classic is not to be missed, nor the arrabbiata.”
Gambero Rosso, Dove mangiare i supplì a Roma, 1 October 2023 [3]
best version at
Forno Campo de' FioriDaria Reina's own quick bite is a supplì or a slice off this counter, and she says the line is worth it.
“Now, when it comes to quick bites, you've got your classics—Forno Roscioli and Forno di Campo de' Fiori. Both are well-established, always busy, and worth the line—especially for a supplì (a Roman fried rice ball stuffed with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella) or a slice of pizza.”
Daria Reina, co-founder of Chez Dede, interviewed in The Relisher, 2 October 2024 [6]
best version at
Antico Forno RoscioliThe other half of Reina's sentence, and the supplì comes off the same counter as the pizza bianca.
“This must-visit bakery turns out fresh-from-the-oven pizza, crispy supplì, and an irresistible selection of baked goods, from crusty loaves to rustic pastries.”
The Infatuation, The 24 Best Restaurants In Rome, Annie Replogle [7]
best version at
L'ElementareThe Infatuation rates the supplì here against every other sit-down pizzeria in the city, and the one to take is filled with fior di latte and 'nduja.
“Pizzeria L'Elementare sets the benchmark for Roman-style pizza. It strikes that perfect balance of soft, airy dough with a crispy, cracker-like crust.”
The Infatuation, The 18 Best Pizza Spots In Rome, Annie Replogle, 12 September 2024 [4]
best version at
180g Pizzeria RomanaSarah Cicolini orders the marinara and then the supplì, and it is the second thing she names in the whole interview.
“I also absolutely love their supplì, a classic Roman dish. These crispy deep-fried rice balls are filled with rich tomato sauce and mozzarella, all encased in a golden breadcrumb crust. It's to die for.”
Sarah Cicolini, chef-owner of SantoPalato, interviewed by Tyla Shur in The Relisher, 1 April 2025 [8]
best version at
Da RemoThe rice supplì and the potato croquettes come before the pizza here, which is the Testaccio order of service.
“The bruschette al pomodoro are the finest in Rome.”
Time Out Rome, the best pizza spots in Rome, Livia Hengel, 17 August 2025 [9]
best version at
Cesare al CasalettoKatie Parla calls these some of the lightest fried foods she has eaten, and the best of them is a sphere of pulled braised veal.
“Crisp cod filets, anchovies, baby squids, and squash blossoms filled are served in paper cones. Golden gnocchi nuggets are strewn atop a thick cacio e pepe sauce.”
Katie Parla, Cesare al Casaletto, The Perfect Roman Trattoria, 30 August 2024 [2]
best version at
Domenico dal 1968Dissapore calls the fritto here exuberant and files it with the broccoli and skate soup as the room's two real specialities.
“The real specialities are the broccoli and skate soup, or the exuberant fritto.”
Dissapore, 3 December 2015 [10]
best version at
Da Enzo al 29Gambero Rosso says starting with the zucchini flowers and anchovies here is a duty rather than a choice.
“You are duty-bound to start with the excellent carciofi alla giudia, or with the zucchini flowers and anchovies.”
Gambero Rosso, Dove mangiare a Trastevere, 24 January 2024 [11]
best version at
Seu Pizza IlluminatiGambero Rosso calls the fritti here compulsory before the pizza arrives.
“One of Italy's best pizzerias is to be found near viale Trastevere.”
Gambero Rosso, Dove mangiare a Trastevere, 24 January 2024 [11]
best version at
Nonna BettaThe Ghetto's fried course is pezzetti fritti and concia, and Katie Parla says stick to those.
“Stick to the the pezzetti fritti, concia (fried and marinated zucchini), carciofi alla giudia (in season in the winter), and spaghetti con bottarga e cicoria.”
Katie Parla, Where to Eat & Drink & Shop for Food in Rome, 6 June 2024 [1]
Where to get it
Supplizio on via dei Banchi Vecchi, standing, shut on Sunday, and Katie Parla's advice is to finish with the fried pastry cream; she sells paid walking tours in Rome. 1 Da Remo in Testaccio, where the rice supplì and the potato croquettes come before the pizza and the whole evening runs ten to fifteen euros. 5 Domenico dal 1968, where Dissapore's two real specialities are "the broccoli and skate soup, or the exuberant fritto", in a room with no printed menu. 10 Nonna Betta in the Ghetto for the pezzetti fritti and the concia, and Katie Parla's instruction there is to stay inside that short list. 1
Sources & mentions
- [1]Katie Parla, Where to Eat & Drink & Shop for Food in Rome, 6 June 2024, on Supplizio
“The supplì, potato croquettes, and fried pastry cream at Supplizio are super tasty.”
- [2]Katie Parla, Cesare al Casaletto, on the best of the fried things there
“Perhaps the greatest expression of the fried genre is achieved in the form of polpette di bollito (spheres of pulled braised veal) and poplette di melanzane (eggplant croquettes).”
- [3]Gambero Rosso, Dove mangiare i supplì a Roma, 1 October 2023, on Stefano Callegari
“Stefano Callegari needs little introduction. Besides inventing a new street food, by now iconic, in Rome, by putting the sauces of the tradition into a pocket of pizza, the craftsman is also owed the credit for having rethought the very idea of the supplì.”
- [4]
- [5]Time Out Rome, Livia Hengel and Federica Bocco, 15 May 2025, on Da Remo
“Traditional Roman pizza is served paper-thin with charred edges and fragrant ingredients in the heart of Testaccio.”
- [6]
- [7]
- [8]
- [9]
- [10]
- [11]