Katie Parla Food & Drinks Tours
Katie Parla Food & Drinks Tours
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About
Experience Rome like an insider with food tours and cooking classes, led by Rome-based Italy expert, award-winning cookbook author, and Emmy-nominated TV host Katie Parla. With a BA in Art History from Yale and an MA in food history from Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Katie and her team of seasoned guides provide immersive and authentic explorations into Italy’s rich food and wine culture. What We Offer: *Customized Food Tours of Rome: Savor the flavors of the city with tailored tours through its historic markets, generational bakeries, and artisanal food shops. *Hands-On Cooking Classes: Learn the art of Roman cuisine from an expert chef and bring home culinary skills you’ll cherish forever. *Wine Tastings & Vineyard Excursions: Discover Italy’s extraordinary wines through guided tastings or vineyard visits, where centuries-old traditions meet contemporary winemaking. *Day Trips: Venture beyond Rome with curated experiences in Naples, Venice, and northern Lazio.
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Katie Parla Food & Drinks Tours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
515 reviews
Excellent
510
Very good
2
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
2
Kelly M
Rockport, TX30 contributions
Oct 2022
Katie is a true gem if you really want to understand Italian food culture, and culture in general. We had been on an extended visit to Italy that included a lot of tours, so we opted instead for her to prepare a culinary itinerary for us during our visit and just let the city and the itinerary lead us wherever. What a fabulous investment! On our previous visit to Rome, we fell in love with the city but with all of the major tourist sites (Vatican, Colisseum, etc) to see, we uncharacteristically put food to the side and powered through, stopping wherever was convenient to where we were. This time we elected to leave this in Katie's capable hands, and I honestly could not have hoped for more. The week before our visit we received an amazing briefing - not just suggestions but actual confirmed reservations and suggested itineraries and sights around each spot. She included some hidden gems and we felt like we were truly experiencing Rome and its neighborhoods as if we lived there. It was an amazing experience! Highly recommend this, and I can only imagine a tour with her would be fantastic.
Written November 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
docko1
Chicago, IL87 contributions
Feb 2020
Maria Vicari, from Katie Parla Tours, led us through the food scene in Testaccio and Trastevere. She was wonderful, not only in leading us through the terrific Testaccio Market, but also in just her coverage of local history, everything from the history of Trastaccio's now-defunct stockyards to the history of Rome's Jewish population. Lots of bang for the buck. And she's a really nice person, great to share time with.
Judging by Maria, Katie has clearly done a great job staffing her operation with good people.
Judging by Maria, Katie has clearly done a great job staffing her operation with good people.
Written February 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alex
1 contribution
Oct 2021
First and foremost Katie is the best and an incredible wealth of knowledge about all things food and drink in Rome and the tour shows is a fantastic representation and extension of that. We honestly felt like we were walking around with a pal for 3+ hrs eating food and learning more about how everyday romans would eat. Almost a month later I am still thinking about the places we ate and how its even possible to replicate it at home. Katie took the extra step to recommended AND got a reservation for us for dinner after the tour. They lit up when we mentioned her which I think it a great representation of her as well. Youre gonna have a helluva time and youre gonna try to figure out how to have a residence in Rome to enjoy all of these foods over and over. Let alone being able to go to the market we toured. This is a no brainer book it situation if there ever was one. Thanks KP!
Written November 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lindsayinnz
Toronto, Canada111 contributions
Sep 2019
My mum and I had a great time with Arianna! We booked the Centro Storico tour and were not disappointed. Arianna listened to what we were interested in and ensured we got to visit places, hear stories, and try foods that matched our interest. She was so warm and welcoming and incredibly knowledgeable - anything we asked, she had loads of information about. We easily could have listened to her all day!
We were also really pleased with the booking process and liaising with Vanessa - she was really prompt at responding and super friendly and helpful.
We were also really pleased with the booking process and liaising with Vanessa - she was really prompt at responding and super friendly and helpful.
Written January 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tori C
Columbia, SC23 contributions
Apr 2022
We spent the afternoon with Katie doing a food tour around Trastevere and the the Centro Storico. Katie is so incredibly well versed in Rome's food culture, but also just the history of the city as a whole. She led us through the cobblestone streets and made every corner come alive with her stories, and helped us understand why Rome is what it is today, and how far the food culture in Rome has come. We tried so many different delicious Roman foods, and heard the stories of how each thing came to be. It was so neat to spend our first day in Rome with a local, someone who not only knows the stories, but knows the people and the best places to go for food. Katie helped us plan out some of the places we would eat for the rest of our trip and gave us honest advice about each restaurant. She let us ask all of the questions we could think of and knew the answer to everything. By the end of the tour it felt like we were hanging out with a dear friend, she was so kind and such a joy to spend the day with. She even signed my copy of her cookbook. We will do a tour with Katie whenever we return to our new favorite city! Thank you Katie!
Written May 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kasey M
1 contribution
Jan 2023
We had a fantastic tour of Centro Storico, the Jewish Ghetto, and Trastevere with Maurizio. We had been warned that there may not be much open on a Sunday so this was a great way to get to see the city with a local. It was also our first day in Rome so it gave us a good understanding of how to navigate the city as well as how to eat (norms, types of places to eat at, traditional foods of different neighborhoods). Maurizio was so personable and used historical context of the areas to explain how they had influenced the food. He also provided us with recommendations for the rest of our trip. We'd recommend this to anyone visiting and were suggested to do this by friends who had previously done a tour with Maurizion!
Written February 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
krpletzer
3 contributions
May 2022
My wife and I spent the afternoon with Katie exploring the Centro Storico. Katie is a fountain of knowledge about not only Rome’s food offerings, but also the culture and history of Roman cuisine. What we didn’t expect was her vast knowledge of Rome and the many stories and facts of the various sections of central Rome and how Rome has evolved over the centuries to be what it is today. We sampled several different foods, all delicious and were amazed at the simplicity of most of the offerings. I mentioned early in our tour that I hoped to try some Roman artichokes and Katie went into one restaurant and arranged for them to prepare a fried artichoke for us. Based on her book Eating & Drinking in Rome, which, I had read prior to our trip, I had made reservations at two restaurants listed in her book, Armando de Pantheon and Salumeria con Cucina Roscioli. Katie offered menu suggestions which led to a couple of the best meals ever. Katie was very friendly and relatable. The tour was truly amazing and was a great way to begin our Roman holiday! Highly recommended.
Written June 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
g r
St. Louis mo2 contributions
May 2024 • Friends
Our personal Venice History, Culture and Food tour with Katie was Awesome!
Katie is so personable, knowledgeable, and fun. Katie conductor our tour with enthusiasm as she took us through the narrow streets of Venice. Experiencing the tastes of Venice while hearing the history which makes Venice a wonderful destination. The walk through the produce market, Fish Market was vibrant with color of vegetables, fruit and the variety of fish was overwhelming. The story of the Grand Canal, the smaller waterways off the Grand, History of the families which lived and help develop the city we found interesting. Our group of 6 was excited to learn, experience the feel of Venice and Katie provided all we could have wanted. It was such a pleasure to meet Katie, share time with her and hear about the culture. We had a blast! We highly recommend if you are visiting Venice for the first time or your 5th time, reach out to Katie’s team of assistants to get you set up with her personalized tour. It’s a win-win!!!
Thank you to Katie and to your team for quick responses and feedback!
Gayle
Katie is so personable, knowledgeable, and fun. Katie conductor our tour with enthusiasm as she took us through the narrow streets of Venice. Experiencing the tastes of Venice while hearing the history which makes Venice a wonderful destination. The walk through the produce market, Fish Market was vibrant with color of vegetables, fruit and the variety of fish was overwhelming. The story of the Grand Canal, the smaller waterways off the Grand, History of the families which lived and help develop the city we found interesting. Our group of 6 was excited to learn, experience the feel of Venice and Katie provided all we could have wanted. It was such a pleasure to meet Katie, share time with her and hear about the culture. We had a blast! We highly recommend if you are visiting Venice for the first time or your 5th time, reach out to Katie’s team of assistants to get you set up with her personalized tour. It’s a win-win!!!
Thank you to Katie and to your team for quick responses and feedback!
Gayle
Written May 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ecs5105
Boston, MA9 contributions
Mar 2022
Recently went on the Rome Centro Storico food tour with Katie Parla with my husband and my two children, age 11 and 12. Katie was absolutely wonderful with my 2 children, engaging them in discussions of Roman History as well as Roman food. Both kids said it was their favorite part of our stay in Rome!! Katie took us to a number of great local spots where we tasted pizza, sweets, delicious pastries from the Jewish section of the city, porchetta sandwiches and even some local beer/wine tastings. She also talked about the history of Rome and it's people as we saw interesting sites along the way. The tour was an absolute pleasure and I highly recommend it!
Written April 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah L
2 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
Our tour, "Roman Cuisine in the Centro Storico," with Andrea was one of the highlights of our week in Rome. The day of our tour there were torrential downpours (many locals told us they hadn't seen rain like this in years). So, when we first met with Andrea, he gave us the option of rescheduling to later on in our trip if that would work better for us. He said he just wanted us to be happy and enjoy the tour. We really appreciated this offer and were impressed that he was meeting with us on our original scheduled date either way just to have a coffee and get to know us even if we ended up rescheduling. We told him we brought rain gear and were happy to continue as planned and just walk from place to place in the rain. The plus side of this decision is that there were much fewer crowds out and about and fewer/no lines at some of the likely more popular places.
Despite the weather, we had an amazing time on our tour. Not only were we able to try a wide variety of food and drink, we were able to see the markets where many local chefs shop daily, try "hole-in-the-wall" locations that we never would have found on our own, learn the history of many dishes and the "why" behind how some ingredients (like potatoes on pizza) found their way into various dishes.
There was flexibility in our tour. Andrea asked what we were most looking forward to trying and what our food interests were. He personalized the tour based on that and also made suggestions of things not to miss. He also helped me navigate my nut and shellfish allergies when ordering.
During our conversations, we came to realize a shared passion for the art and history of cocktails. Andrea is also very well versed in this aspect of Rome and I'd highly recommend not only a food tour, but a cocktail tour with him.
It was obvious that Andrea has a passion for what he does and that he loves the city of Rome. Andrea was very sociable, engaging the kids and us throughout the day. We left the tour feeling like we had made a friend in Rome.
If you are looking for an amazing food tour in Rome...look no further. This is the one!
Despite the weather, we had an amazing time on our tour. Not only were we able to try a wide variety of food and drink, we were able to see the markets where many local chefs shop daily, try "hole-in-the-wall" locations that we never would have found on our own, learn the history of many dishes and the "why" behind how some ingredients (like potatoes on pizza) found their way into various dishes.
There was flexibility in our tour. Andrea asked what we were most looking forward to trying and what our food interests were. He personalized the tour based on that and also made suggestions of things not to miss. He also helped me navigate my nut and shellfish allergies when ordering.
During our conversations, we came to realize a shared passion for the art and history of cocktails. Andrea is also very well versed in this aspect of Rome and I'd highly recommend not only a food tour, but a cocktail tour with him.
It was obvious that Andrea has a passion for what he does and that he loves the city of Rome. Andrea was very sociable, engaging the kids and us throughout the day. We left the tour feeling like we had made a friend in Rome.
If you are looking for an amazing food tour in Rome...look no further. This is the one!
Written April 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can someone tell me the cost of touring with Katie??
Written January 3, 2018
We paid €250 for a 3 hour food tour. It was a private tour, with just our group. Other tours could vary. It wasn't with Katie, but a colleague, as she was out of the country.
Written January 4, 2018
Dear Katie,
I' m interested to find out the .costs of a tour
We'll be in Rome during 30.9 till .3.10
We are looking for a one half day tour.
Will you be available during these days?
Thank you,
vicky
Written September 24, 2015
Hi Vicky, please follow the email contact link in the right hand column of the listing or visit my website contact page for info on availability. Thanks! Katie
Written September 24, 2015
Liza d
London, United Kingdom
Hi Katie! I know that to guide in Rome there is a really hard exam to pass and that it is compulsory to own an official license to guide in Rome. Are you an official tour guide of Rome? I know that it is illegal taking tourist around without that license… and that in most sites (Colosseum, Vatican, etc) you need to show your license, is that right?
I didn’t see you in the official list of tour guides of Rome (which is edited by the Province of Rome).
Are you a licensed tour guide? or not?
Written April 9, 2015
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