Rome

Chinese restaurants are still quite cheap but other ethnic restaurants Thai, Indian are generally expensive think €30 upwards per person. Sushi is very expensive €40 minimum per person.

Waiters have been known to take advantage of patrons by bringing more expensive items than what was ordered or asking for a tip although it's not mandatory and should be included in the price by law.

You can get cheap food in Rome, the problem is that if you don't know the city well or are forced to eat out in the centre, the prices go up.

€20

At night you can spend about €20 at a pizza restaurant or if you have only one main course. again, if you have special wine it will cost more.

€15-20

At lunchtime if you go to a restaurant you'll be spending between €15 for a set menu not always good, try to go where you see italian office people having their lunch as your best bet and €20. for this you should get a pasta dish and a second course meat ending with coffee. obviously if you have special wine the price will increase.

€3.5

You buy the pizza and eat it walking around, since it's a bread shop with no sitting area. you can choose how much you want to eat, but you'll be spending about €2 per slice + about €1.50 for a can of soda or €1 for water.

Rome is full of good restaurants, many in attractive settings, particularly when you sit outside in the evening. 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 find a place in a more residential area or somewhere that isn't in the middle of the tourist locations.

Many of the good restaurants in Rome are hard to find, but a good tip is to go where Italians live and eat. On the top of the green, old mountain Monte Verde Vecchio there are some trattorias with authentic Italian cuisine at an affordable price. Rome also has many beautiful spots to eat, so buying some delicacies to make up a picnic can be a great experience. In Via Marmorata you find Volpetti's which is known for its amazing selection of cheese, prosciutto and delicous pastries and also for its prices!. A more affordable choice is to go to a local supermarket which will also have good fresh foods for lunch.

vegetarians

Vegetarians should have an easy time. Buffets in many restaurants usually have a good range of delicious vegetarian stuff - eg gratinated roast peppers/aubergines, etc. Vegans should do all right too; pizzas don't always have cheese - a Marinara for example, is just tomato, garlic and oregano.

ice cream

Look for a gelateria. Remember that it usually costs extra to sit inside. You pay for your ice cream first...take your receipt and go fight your way through the throng to choose your flavors. 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.

There are a few signs to keep in mind: "Produzione Propria" homemade - our own production, "Nostra Produzione" our production, "Produzione Artigianale" production by craftsmen. If the colors seem dull and almost ugly it is probably natural, the bright colors being just a mix. Keep in mind, Italians usually won't queue, but if they are in line for gelato, get in line yourself: you may have hit the jackpot. Producers to try include Gelato di San Crispino (http://ilgelatodisancrisp...); Giolitti (http://www.giolitti.it); and Fassi (http://palazzodelfreddo.it).

pizza

Most pizza restaurants serve it only in the evening. Try some of the fried things like baccala battered salt cod for a starter, followed by a pizza for a really Roman meal. Roman pizzas tend to be very thin crusted. Avoid the tourist areas where you'll often pay double the going rate just to get a badly reheated frozen pizza.

Pizza al Taglio is pizza with a thicker crust, cooked in a large pan. This 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, indicate if you want more or less than your server is indicating with the knife. It's sold by weight the listed price is usually per 100 gm, known in Rome as an etto.