Santo Palato is an italian restaurant in Esquilino, Rome.
Sarah Cicolini's San Giovanni trattoria from 2017, Abruzzese cooking forequarters and offal; trippa alla romana, NYT-praised; moved to bigger room in 2025.
Editorially verified May 19, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Why locals love it: Off the Re di Roma metro stop in the Esquiline edge, Sarah Cicolini's modern Roman kitchen runs trippa and pasta under most tourist itineraries.
Tip: Closed Sunday all day, Monday dinner. Book three weeks ahead for the 35-cover room.
Address: Via Gallia 28, 00183 Roma, Rome
Pinsere is hidden in the castro pretorio working-quarter on via flavia, this pinsa romana counter feeds offices and few visitors at lunchtime.
Why locals love it: Hidden in the Castro Pretorio working-quarter on Via Flavia, this pinsa Romana counter feeds offices and few visitors at lunchtime.
Tip: Closed Sat and Sun. Lunch crowd peaks 13:00-14:00; arrive before then for the freshest pinsa.
Enoteca Corsi is a french bistro room in Centro Storico. Cash only. Open lunch only; closed Sunday. The 12:30 seating runs busiest; arrive 12:15 for a table.
Why locals love it: Lunch-only and cash-only since 1937, this working-day trattoria runs the city's most traditional bistro lunch in the Centro Storico but stops at 15:00.
Tip: Cash only. Open lunch only; closed Sunday. The 12:30 seating runs busiest; arrive 12:15 for a table.
Trattoria Monti is off the termini-edge san vito axis, the camerano family cooks le marche regional dishes alongside the roman pasta canon for 30 covers only.
Why locals love it: Off the Termini-edge San Vito axis, the Camerano family cooks Le Marche regional dishes alongside the Roman pasta canon for 30 covers only.
Tip: Closed Sunday dinner and Monday all day. Book three weeks ahead.
Pinsere is hidden in the castro pretorio working-quarter on via flavia, this pinsa romana counter feeds offices and few visitors at lunchtime.
Why locals love it: Hidden in the Castro Pretorio working-quarter on Via Flavia, this pinsa Romana counter feeds offices and few visitors at lunchtime.
Tip: Closed Sat and Sun. Lunch crowd peaks 13:00-14:00; arrive before then for the freshest pinsa.
La Tavernaccia da Bruno is on the western trastevere edge with its wood-fire spit roasting porchetta, this trattoria's thursday lasagna books two weeks ahead.
Why locals love it: On the western Trastevere edge with its wood-fire spit roasting porchetta, this trattoria's Thursday lasagna books two weeks ahead.
Tip: Thursday lasagna sells out by 14:00 and books up two weeks ahead. Closed Wednesday all day.
Il Tiaso is on pigneto's quieter via ascoli piceno corner, this natural-wine cellar runs late nights for the local pigneto crowd and few tourists.
Why locals love it: On Pigneto's quieter Via Ascoli Piceno corner, this natural-wine cellar runs late nights for the local Pigneto crowd and few tourists.
Tip: Open daily 18:30-02:00. The Tuesday and Thursday wine-flight tastings cost 15 euros for three glasses.
Da Cesare al Casaletto (Italian) in Rome: Book a week ahead for Sunday lunch. Tram 8 from Trastevere terminates 200m from the door; cab back is 12 euros.
Why locals love it: Twenty minutes from Trastevere by tram 8, this Sunday-lunch trattoria stays off the tourist circuit while running the city's most-discussed fried cacio e pepe.
Tip: Book a week ahead for Sunday lunch. Tram 8 from Trastevere terminates 200m from the door; cab back is 12 euros.
