Katie Parla's Rome app for iPhone and iPad

A hugely useful tool for anyone wishing to get the most out of their trip to the Eternal City. Everyone goes to Italy to eat great food, but in cities full of tourist traps, it can be really difficult to find the places where you can best achieve that goal. Katie Parlas wonderful blog has long been my guide to the culinary pleasures of Rome (and elsewhere), so I was thrilled to be able to download her honest and discerning advice right to my iPhone for ease of consultation while Im on the go and my stomach is grumbling! It will respond to any criteria you throw at it - your location, your route through the city, your budget, your desired indulgence. I simply cant recommend downloading this application enough - you will congratulate yourself for doing so with every bite of the heavenly gelato, pizza, pasta Katie has guided you toward!

The first version of this app was an indispensable aide that helped us discover some great places to eat and shop on our recent trip to Rome. The changes that have taken place for the latest version have only improved the app. Even though I was back home by the time the update came out I had to purchase the upgrade. The design is approachable and better suited to the subject food and drink and the photography is dangerously hunger inducing. The navigation works well, the reviews are concise but informative and overall the product feels more like you are getting a personal tour of what Ms. Parla regards as the highlights of the Roman food scene. Im already campaigning for a return trip to see the spots that we missed.

As a regular return traveller to Rome, I was so happy to see Katie Parla release this app. I found the content excellent. A word of caution … this app is not for people who want to come to Rome for any period of time and not venture out of their own backyard. Exploring food options in Rome leads you to exploring the Eternal City itself. I loved that this app guided me to neighbourhoods and establishments that I had never been to. It gave me a reason to explore new places … with delicious rewards! Rome for Foodies also let me go back to places Id been years before, to experience them again and to see how theyve changed. The app took me back to an enoteca in the Monti neighbourhood that had been a little dusty (for lack of a better word) back in the day. I found it again on my last trip – via the app – now with an even more impressive wine selection, a tricked-out kitchen and re-designed interior. What a sweet find! Katies experience as an expert guide in Rome truly shines through in the apps interface. An intelligent "Near > Far" distance filter and "High > Low" price filter right up front let you drill-down ASAP without wasting time. Dont be shy … buy this app and youre sure to put on a pound or two ... like I did. BRAVA!

This was my third trip to Rome and this app helped make it awesome! Every restaurant recommended by the app that we tried out hit it out of the park. I loved that a lot of the recommendations were places typical tourists might not notice. The only aspect of the app that I didnt love was the map. I wish I could have redirected to Google Maps as I did have a data plan. The map had a slightly cluttered look.

I love this app. I just got back from 1 week in Rome and this app was essential for finding the hidden gems where locals go. I had great food, wine and service in all the places I visited from this app. Cant wait to go back to Rome and try some more places.

This app is a fantastic introduction to eating ones way through Rome. It has a simple interface that is both attractive and informative. Each restaurant entry is concise and is a good example of Katies skill as a reviewer. Katie is opinionated and well educated which makes for a formidable combination and is absolutely necessary when tackling a city like Rome. It represents a well curated collection of 175 restaurants, craft breweries and cocktail bars. It will take you all over the city (not just the centre, touristy areas) and allow you to spend as little or as much as you want. Of the restaurants we went to that she suggested, every review was bang on. Sadly we didnt have enough time for all 175! It functions offline to avoid roaming charges which is useful and convenient though the map feature could be better - it pixelates when zoomed. My last complaint is that I wished there were a note taking feature, someway to quickly add my own photos and thoughts, right at the table. A simple star feature isnt enough for some eaters... Interestingly, the FAQ section is one of the best Ive ever come across, it has Katies bio but also covers how to tip (for North Americans this is an invaluable bit of info), where to eat on Sundays and the Italian holidays, and even which cab companies are worth their salt. Best of all, the app links to Katies excellent blog, and suggests other ways to experience the food and wine of Rome through tours ( like her own), cooking classes and wine tasting courses. Ive heard that Romans appreciate value for money, well then Katies app is very Roman. It is worth every penny.

I instantly regretted buying this app as soon as I saw the pixelated, blurry offline app. There is a selection of tips in here, its not bad, its just not easy to navigate and the price point of suggestions is on the high scale. Its really not worth your money. I bought this as I made a last minute trip to Rome and wasnt prepared, this didnt help me but sadly, just wasted my time.

When in Rome...use this app! Aesthetics aside (this app IS beautiful), the app contains a plethora of information. Toss aside your guidebooks, they are likely outdated anyway. On my recent trip, I visited at least 5 establishments that Katie recommended and I have to say that her descriptions were spot on. Do yourself a favor, put in the extra effort and savor the REAL Rome, and avoid the over-priced, low quality, tourist traps. Check out her blog as well. Thanks, Katie! Cant wait for you to tackle more cities. :)

Invaluable resource. We frequented a Katie recommendation each evening during our week in Rome. The recommendations and the app did not disappoint. Five stars! The mapping was outstanding. Saved us lots of headaches and time. We are walkers and used the navigation to eating and drinking spots extensively.

We have spent the last 2 weeks in Roma and have enjoyed wonderful meal after even more wonderful meal thanks to the recommendations provided in this Roma focused app. Along with a good GPS app, Parla Food is indespensible for Roma visitors. Reliable guidance to great eating experiences in every neighborhood is just a few taps away on your iPhone. Best $2 youll ever spend. Brian Carter, Boston

This app saved me hours of research on the Rome food scene. Since there are so many tourist traps in Rome, you need to get this if you visit. The few bucks for this app is well worth it.

I am that crazy person who makes it a point to visit 20 or so sites -- and by that I mean restaurants, food shops, bakeries, gelaterie, ecc.. -- in just 4 days. Every single one of those recommendations came from this app, and every single one of them was a hit. Ive been to Rome many time but never with a resource so incredibly helpful as Katie Parlas Rome. I cant let anyone I know and care about visit the city without it now. It is simply a must.