Saltimbocca alla romana is Rome's veal scaloppine: thin veal escalopes layered with prosciutto crudo and a sage leaf, pan-fried in butter and finished with a white-wine pan sauce. The dish jumps in the mouth.
Saltimbocca (literally jumps in the mouth) appears in Pellegrino Artusi's 1891 cookbook as a Roman dish, though the technique of veal-with-prosciutto pan-fried under sage is older and likely Lazio-rural in origin. The 20th-century trattoria form sets the recipe: thin veal escalopes (about 80g each), a slice of San Daniele or Parma prosciutto, a single sage leaf pinned with a wooden toothpick. Butter pan, brief cook, white wine deglaze. Felice a Testaccio, Armando al Pantheon, Matricianella and the city's bistro canon all serve the dish; the no-flour version (avoiding the saucy gravy) is considered the canonical Roman form.
4 editor picks for Saltimbocca alla romana in Rome, ranked by editorial score. All Rome signature dishes · Saltimbocca alla romana across every city.
Armando al Pantheon ★ 4.6
centro-storico · Salita dei Crescenzi 31, 00186 Roma
Armando al Pantheon in Rome has cooked the four Roman pastas and the quinto quarto canon since 1961, a few steps from the Pantheon. The Gargioli family still runs the dining room.
Felice a Testaccio ★ 4.5
testaccio · Via Mastro Giorgio 29, 00153 Roma
Felice a Testaccio in Rome has served the Testaccio working-quarter cucina since 1936. The tonnarelli cacio e pepe is tossed table-side; the saltimbocca alla romana is the late-lunch order.
Matricianella ★ 4.3
centro-storico · Via del Leone 4, 00186 Roma
Matricianella in Rome's Centro Storico runs the canonical Roman trattoria carte: amatriciana the dish that named the house, saltimbocca alla romana, and Lazio wines by the carafe.
Trattoria Da Teo ★ 4.2
trastevere · Piazza dei Ponziani 7a, 00153 Roma
Trattoria Da Teo in Rome's Trastevere is the family-run pasta-and-pizza room with a piazza-side terrace, classic Roman primi and a quiet wine list of Lazio reds.