A woman with black hair wearing sunglasses, a black top, and black-and-white checkered pants sitting on a ledge overlooking a coastal town and hillside during sunset.

& bite curator

Your Italian Tour Guide

Woman wearing pink sunglasses eating a piece of food outdoors on a sunny day.

I host food tours and cooking classes in Rome and plan bespoke itineraries in Sardinia.

Simple, joyful, delicious.

Book With Me
A woman with dark hair, wearing sunglasses, a floral scarf, and a maroon shirt, is holding a plate of spaghetti and lifting a forkful of spaghetti in the air outside on a cobblestone street in the late afternoon or early evening.
A woman giving a demonstration about beverages at a street cart with bottles and glasses, while two people observe. A bakery shop is visible through a glass window in the background.
Person's hands with rings, holding a cup of coffee with latte art, on a table with a croissant, three slices of pizza, a glass of orange juice, and a glass of water.

Ciao, I’m Manuela.

I’m born and raised in Rome and proudly obsessed with everything edible. I studied “History and Conservation of Cultural Heritage” because I thought I would spend my life in museums… then I realized my real museum is the city itself and my favorite masterpieces are on plates.

For the last 10+ years, I’ve been showing people around Rome and planning trips across Italy, sharing the real gastronomic heritage of the country. I host cooking classes where we cook like Romans actually cook, no shortcuts, no nonsense.

Somewhere between lockdowns, homemade pasta and one too many glasses of wine, I also became a first-level sommelier (thanks, Covid).
Recently, I launched bespoke itineraries in Sardinia, where my roots and my fondest food memories live.

So, that’s me.
I feed you, I guide you, I plan for you.

You just show up hungry.

Your Italian adventure starts here

A woman with dark hair is about to bite into a croissant at a table with a cup of latte art and a slice of pizza.
Two wooden tables on a balcony with homemade pasta ready to be cooked, surrounded by potted plants, with a cityscape of apartment buildings and rooftops in the background.

  • "Our guide Manuela - we cannot say enough praise for her!! Manu is the BEST!! She is so passionate and knowledgeable about the area and food. She guided us like we were good friends and allowed us to enjoy the amazing tastes of this area and teach us the history as well. Absolutely one of the best tours I have ever been on!"

    —Mary M.

  • "A wonderful food tour in the very lovely and authentic Testaccio-neighbourhood. Manuela was a knowledgeable and very accommodating guide who oviously had an excellent relationship with all the vendors and restaurateurs we visited. Much recommended!"

    —Anna H.

  • "We love how Manuela's food tour integrated the history of Rome and the Testaccio neighborhood with local food and ingredients. Manuela also thoughtfully sent everyone a list of foods we had eaten as well as recommendations for restaurants in various neighborhoods in Rome. Food, culture, and history - what a great way to begin our visit to Rome and Italy. Grazie Manuela!"

    —Bcalcorn

  • "We had a pasta making class with Manuela and it was absolutely TERRIFIC! She was so genuine, helpful and funny and the class was both a blast and very educational! Incredible activity and value, as you get a delicious meal and several glasses of wine - as well as the fun class!"

    —Benjamin M

  • "This tour with Manuela was the best! She helped me experience places that I would have never known about or found on my own. She showed me hidden gems throughout the area and I was impressed with her knowledge of the history of the neighborhoods. Manuela is absolutely charming and the food was unbelievable!"

    —Carl Martincich 

  • "This tour was the perfect kickoff to our stay in Rome. Manuela was our tour guide and she did an amazing job sharing the history and culture of Trastevere area. The streetfood was the highlight of the tour. Definitely recommended from our group."

    —Christopher H.

  • "Manuela was a delightful guide with a clear passion for Rome, history and food! You couldn’t help be excited by her passion. The food we tasted was excellent and the history we learned amazing. Thank you!'

    —DanAppi

  • "Manuela was an amazing host, she gave us lots of fun facts about Roman food and family traditions. All the food stops were excellent, and the Testaccio neighborhood a very pleasant surprise! I would definitely recommend this tour!"

    —Francesca G.

  • "Ciao Manuela!I want to tell you how much we loved meeting you and that our time/ tour with you has been the absolute highlight during our time in Rome. It felt as though we had already knew you before we met. Spending time with Manuela was like being with a dear friend. Warm, fun , smart and full of knowledge . We wish we could have booked a second tour with her. She is the best!"

    —Gene Lupo

  • "We had never done a food tour before so we weren’t sure what to expect. Manuela was outstanding! We had two seniors with us and Manuela was able to adjust to help accommodate them. She took us to some really nice and interesting places and provided historical information on the locations we visited. Based on our senior’s limitations, Manuela was prepared and adjusted when necessary. Everything was delicious and we enjoyed ourselves. Make sure to come hungry! We highly recommend Manuela!"

    —Gilberto

  • "We are very lucky to met Manuela in this ancient and big city of Rome. A little, tiny treasure which we will keep in our hearts forever . I'm sure we will meet again, because the people like her are the real soul of this city."

    —Ivaylo Millev

  • "The Testaccio neighborhood food tour was the highlight of every member of my family's trip to Rome this past June. Our tour guide, Manuela, was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and we loved spending time with her. The food that we tried was outstanding and the planning and organization of the stops was brilliant. We learned a ton about lifestyle and customs around food and the history of Testaccio. We all want to return as soon as we can and spend more time eating there."

    —Jackie D.

  • "We had a wonderful time with Manuela in Testaccio, learning about history of the area and sampling delicious pastry, coffee, sandwiches, cheese and wine. She was friendly and accommodating, we didn't want our tour to end. She shared her own restaurant and ordering favorites list which we took advantage of durign our last days in Rome. Grazie Manuela❤️"

    —Juliet

  • "We so enjoyed our evening with Manuela. She was charming, knowledgeable and very well connected to the local merchants. It was a lovely evening! We loved the food and the information!"

    —Kelly & Frank

  • "This is the best food tour I’ve done. Manuela was so much fun and energetic. She gave a nice history of the area, but most importantly a great selection of food. We met various local vendors that had a selection of items ready for us to try. I can’t recommend this tour enough. I don’t think we saw another tourist the whole time, and the experience felt truly authentic!"

    —Kayle B

  • "Manuela was an incredible guide, she made us feel so welcomed and part of the Testaccio community. We loved meeting the locals in the market and trying all the delicious food. We would highly recommend this tour to everyone! Thank you Manuela!!"

    —Madeleine S

  • "Manuela was incredible. First she was considerate to our slow moving group. Second she adjusted her original plan based on what our groups preferences were. She was kind, friendly, very knowledgeable, and overall just a how to spend the tour with. She also included some incredible history bits throughout the tour that added to the food portions. Our group was introduced to some of the most unique and authentic foods to Rome! I would recommend her every time!!"

    —Meredith

Taste & Travel

A woman with long dark hair, wearing sunglasses, a maroon shirt, and a patterned scarf, is smiling while eating a plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce outdoors at sunset with graffiti on a brick wall in the background.

  • Walk, taste, laugh, repeat. Discover Rome’s hidden culinary gems. No tourist traps, just real Roman flavor.

  • Get your hands messy, your taste buds dancing, and learn to cook like a true Roman.

  • I design your Sardinian adventure from start to finish. Beaches, villages, food, culture: all custom, all unforgettable, all with a sprinkle of my family memories.

Book with Me

Let’s Plan Your Italian Adventure

Ready to taste Rome? Let’s plan your food tour or cooking class.

Fill out the form and send me a message. I’ll get back to you within 24–48 hours on weekdays to confirm the details and make it all official.

Heads up: Sending this form doesn’t mean you’re booked… yet! I’ll get back to you within 24–48 hours on weekdays to confirm and finalize the details.

One of the perks of my job? Getting to work with an incredible bunch of professionals in the food and travel world. If you have requests or ideas that aren’t listed here, don’t be shy: I’d love to connect you with the right people.

Networking is one of my favorite ingredients!

Featured In

EPISODE 307

A Perfect Day in Rome with a Local - Untold Italy Podcast

Let's take a walk around Rome with local food tour guide and one of the most fun people we know - Manuela! This episode is for you if you have ever wondered how a local Roman would spend the day exploring the Eternal City if they were a visiting traveler. 

Listen Here

EPISODE 10 | ROME

Cooking Italy with Chefs Rob Rossi & Craig Harding

The final day of the cooking adventure begins at a local pastry shop, followed by a walk through the ancient Testaccio neighbourhood, and finally to a market where the chefs guide, Manuela, shows off the amazing produce and products at each stall.

Watch here