From flea markets to trinkets and indoor street food, Rome's markets have it all on offer
Photograph: Kate Zagorksi for Time Out
Written by Elizabeth Heath & Kate Zagorski
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Come Saturday, Sunday and sometimes weekdays in this wonderful city, you’ll find everything fromflea markets for nabbing designer clothes and antiquesto indoor food markets for cheese, meat, fish and more.
Some of the markets in Rome are touristy, some only locals know.But all of the markets on this list are well worth checking out. For everything from fresh groceries to secondhand furniture, here are the greatest markets in Rome, well worth your dough.
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This guide was recently updated by Kate Zagorski, a writer based in Rome. At Time Out, all of ourtravel guidesare written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see oureditorial guidelines.
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Best markets in Rome
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- Markets and fairs
It would be simply wrong for the top spot on our list to be given to a market that wasn’t food related. You’re in Rome, after all. AndMercato di Campagna Amica, a farm-to-table market near Circus Maximus, is everything you’ve dreamed of and more, selling cheeses, meats and charcuterie that will make you sing with happiness. And it’s all local from Lazio, the region surrounding Rome.
Hours:Saturday and Sunday, 10:30am-7pm
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More than any other, this covered market near Termini Station best typifies the city’s burgeoning multiculturalism. In a cavernous industrial building a block from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, Nuovo Mercato Esquilino is a noisy, colourful smorgasbord of international foods and world languages. Need a jackfruit, a little Chinese five-spice or a still-wriggling eel from the fishmonger? You’re in the right place.
Hours:Monday-Thursday, 5am-3pm, Friday and Saturday 5am-5pm
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If you’re looking for some posh second-hand rags or baubles, head to this flea market just north of Piazza del Popolo. The Borghetto Flaminio is one of the best markets in Rome for used designer clothes, furs and handbags, and antiques. After all, a pre-loved Prada is better than no Prada at all.
Hours:Sunday, 10am-7pm
4.Mercato di Testaccio
This enclosed market in the slightly gritty Testaccio neighbourhood, just a ten-minute walk from the Piramide metro stop, is the best of Rome under one roof, with stands offering clothes, handbags, varied and vibrant produce, and some of the city’s best street food. Buy the makings of a gourmet picnic, or get in line for a panini from the Testaccio’s much-revered Mordi & Vai.
Hours:Monday-Saturday, 7am-2:30pm
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5.Mercato di San Cosimato
Follow the trolley-tugging grannies to Trastevere’s quaint morning market where locals gather to shop and socialise, but are mostly there to pick up the neighbourhood gossip. Although the number of stalls has dwindled since the market’s century-old beginnings, there is still plenty of gleaming fruit and veg, super-fresh fish and a friendly family-run kiosk with a great selection of excellent cured meats and top-quality cheeses from Italy and beyond.
6.Mercato dell'Unità
If you find yourself peckish in Prati (the neighbourhood north of the Vatican), consider this historic food market for the makings of a gourmet picnic. With a handful of street food vendors inside, Mercato dell'Unitàis also a great pit stop during a day of shopping on Via Cola di Rienzo.
Hours:Monday-Saturday, 7am-6pm
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- Markets and fairs
You have to wade through a lot of junk to find the good stuff at this sprawling, super-crowded flea market in Trastevere. With more and more stalls selling new, cheap clothes and souvenirs, it takes some dedication to seek out the real flea flair, such as used housewares, antiques and vinyl. Prepare for a swarm of people and watch your purse or wallet here.
Hours:Sunday, 7am-2pm
8.Mercato Trionfale
This sprawling indoor market near the Vatican Museums is Rome’s biggest and busiest, with nearly 300 stalls selling produce, cheeses, meat and fish, as well as sundries and household items. You’ll find a lot more locals than tourists at Mercato Trionfale: it’s a neighbourhood institution.
Hours:Monday-Saturday, 8am-1:30pm
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9.Campo de’ Fiori
We’ll be real: this long-time produce market in the heart of the historical centre caters more to tourists than it does to locals (who are dwindling in this part of town, thanks to Airbnb and the like). Arrive at Campo de’ Fioriearly in the morning, when vendors are still setting up, and local chefs are shopping for the day’s menu, and glimpse at the market of yore.
Hours:Monday-Saturday, 6am-2pm
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- Markets and fairs
This hip market in even hipper Monti typifies everything special and edgy (spedgy?) about the neighbourhood. For handcrafted fashions, jewellery and accessories, vintage wear, and designer sunglasses come here to mingle with the cool kids while shopping.
Hours:Saturday and Sunday, 10am-8pm
Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.
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