Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Cacio e pepe is Rome's three-ingredient pasta: tonnarelli or spaghetti tossed in a creamy emulsion of grated pecorino romano, pasta water and crushed black pepper. Nothing more.
Cacio e pepe predates carbonara by centuries. Shepherds in the Lazio mountains carried pecorino romano, black pepper and dried pasta on long transhumance routes from the 1700s onward; the three ingredients kept and combined into a hot meal at any inn. The Roman bistro form emerged in the 19th-century working-quarter trattorias. The dish has only three ingredients and zero margin for error: the emulsion must be glossy, not lumpy. Tonnarelli (Lazio's egg-pasta cousin to spaghetti) is the canonical shape. Da Cesare al Casaletto serves the famous fried-cup variation; Felice a Testaccio's table-side toss is the classic Roman service ritual.
5 editor picks for Cacio e pepe in Rome, ranked by editorial score. All Rome signature dishes · Cacio e pepe across every city.
Armando al Pantheon in Rome has cooked the four Roman pastas and the quinto quarto canon since 1961, a few steps from the Pantheon. Located in Centro Storico.
OrderCacio e pepe, coda alla vaccinara, and the abbacchio when it's on the carte.
TipBookings open exactly two months ahead on the website. Walk-up tables exist but only for lone diners and only at 12:30.
Roscioli in Rome's Centro Storico runs deli, restaurant and wine cellar as one room. Kitchen leans roman, salumeria. At Via dei Giubbonari 21.
OrderThe carbonara, the burrata with anchovies, and any cheese flight from the counter.
TipBook three weeks ahead for dinner. Lunch is the easier seating and the same kitchen runs both services.
Sarah Cicolini's Santo Palato in Rome reads the quinto quarto offal grammar as modern technique. Located in Esquilino. Kitchen leans modern roman.
OrderThe trippa alla romana, tonnarelli cacio e pepe, and a glass of Cesanese.
TipBook three weeks ahead; the room has 35 covers. Lunch is the calmer service.
Felice a Testaccio in Rome has served the Testaccio working-quarter cucina since 1936. Kitchen leans roman trattoria. At Via Mastro Giorgio 29.
OrderThe tonnarelli cacio e pepe tossed at the table, then saltimbocca alla romana and tiramisu.
TipBook a fortnight ahead on the website. Lunch is calmer; the 21:00 dinner sitting is the longest wait.
Da Cesare al Casaletto in Rome's western Trastevere edge, run by Leonardo Vignoli, is the locals' Sunday trattoria. Kitchen leans roman trattoria.
OrderThe fried cacio e pepe cup, polpette di bollito, and a quartino of house red.
TipTake tram 8 from Trastevere to the end of the line. Book a week ahead for Sunday lunch.
Cacio e pepe makes more sense with someone from Rome explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Guided tour · 4 hours
Taste your way around Rome's Trastevere neighborhood on a walking tour with a local guide. Try a wide variety of Italian classics including pizza, pasta, gelato, pork,...
Guided tour · 3h 30m
Explore this hidden gem neighborhood, Testaccio, home to Rome’s best eats. Take a guided tour of the traditional market, visit 8 authentic eateries, and enjoy a full l...
Guided tour · 4 hours
Taste Rome in comfort by golf cart, in a small group tour, with wine, five iconic dishes, Trastevere dining, and a Prosecco toast at Gianicolo Hill, all in one seamles...
