Mercato Centrale Roma

Train stations aren’t typically places you’d associate with a gourmet food experience, but Rome is here to prove us all wrong. Located right inside the bustling Roma Termini (the central train station), you’ll find Mercato Centrale Roma, a true foodie lover’s market that completely changes the game for travel day meals. This vibrant market features a huge array of food stalls serving up everything you could possibly crave: fresh coffee and pastries, handmade pastas, Roman-style pizzas, and so much more. If you have a stop at Roma Termini, whether you’re coming to and from the airport or using the train to travel around Italy, this station is absolutely elite thanks to this market.

My husband and I found ourselves with about four hours to kill here after landing at the Rome airport before catching our train to Bari. It was that perfect gap of time—too long to just sit around, but not quite long enough to comfortably go out and explore the city. Mercato Centrale ended up being the perfect pitstop. It allowed us to hang out, relax, and try so much incredible food.

We started our culinary tour with much-needed cappuccinos and a classic Roman maritozzi—a sweet, soft bun filled with whipped cream. After a long flight, the caffeine and sugar hit the spot perfectly. Next, we grabbed some pizza al taglio (pizza by weight), which was absolutely phenomenal. The crust was perfect, and the toppings were fresh and flavorful. We then had to try a Trapizzino, a famous Roman street food that consists of a triangle-shaped pocket of bread stuffed with all sorts of delicious fillings.

Honestly, everything we ate was super tasty, and we were pleasantly surprised that the prices weren’t marked up too much more than what you’d find on the street. We were so stuffed from everything we tried, but I would go back in a heartbeat to try a few more of the places that weren’t open yet while we were there.

So here’s my advice: if you’re already at the train station, you should absolutely spend some time exploring the market. However, if you’re not passing through Termini, I wouldn’t plan a special trip just for the market. Rome has so much incredible food all over the city that’s worth discovering. But for a layover? It doesn’t get any better than this.