Modern Italian fine dining€€€€ostiense
Marco Martini's Aventino-edge room holds a Michelin star for the chef's modern reading of Roman pastas, with a tasting menu that runs both omnivore and vegetarian tracks at the same length.
Signature: Carbonara reinterpreted, Pigeon, Tasting menu
Order: The carbonara reinterpreted with smoked egg, then any of the seasonal pigeon courses.
Tip: Lunch tasting is €95 vs €150 dinner. The vegetarian carte runs the same number of courses.
Seafood€€€€centro-storico
Il Sanlorenzo in Rome's Centro Storico is the Michelin-starred seafood-only room. The crudi platter and the spaghettone alle vongole set the city's seafood pasta benchmark for 2026.
Signature: Crudi di mare, Spaghettone alle vongole, Scampi
Order: The crudi platter and the spaghettone alle vongole with the daily catch.
Tip: The €85 lunch tasting is the more accessible entry; dinner runs €150 carte. Book a fortnight ahead.
Roman trattoria€€trastevere
La Tavernaccia da Bruno in Rome's western Trastevere edge has a wood-fire spit roasting porchetta and a Thursday-only lasagna that locals book three weeks ahead for in 2026.
Signature: Lasagna del giovedi, Porchetta, Tonnarelli cacio e pepe
Order: The Thursday lasagna if you can land a table, otherwise the porchetta and tonnarelli cacio e pepe.
Tip: Thursday lasagna sells out by 14:00 and books up two weeks ahead. Closed Wednesday.
Roman trattoria€€testaccio
Perilli in Rome's Testaccio has cooked the rigatoni con la pajata and the bucatini all'amatriciana since 1911. The pajata is the dish that defines the room and the quarter.
Signature: Rigatoni con la pajata, Bucatini all'amatriciana, Coda alla vaccinara
Order: Rigatoni con la pajata (the dish of the house), bucatini all'amatriciana and a glass of Frascati.
Tip: Closed Wednesday all day. Cash and card; cover charge is €2 per head.
Modern Italian€€€trastevere
Antico Arco on Rome's Gianicolo hill is the modern-Roman dining room with a panoramic terrace. The carbonara and the chocolate tortino have been on the menu since 1996.
Signature: Carbonara, Filetto al Barolo, Tortino al cioccolato
Order: The carbonara, filetto al Barolo, and the molten chocolate tortino with vanilla gelato.
Tip: Book a sunset table on the terrace three weeks out. Tram 8 from Trastevere drops at the foot of the hill.
Italian, wine-led€€€centro-storico
Rimessa Roscioli in Rome is the wine-tasting dinner format from the Roscioli family. The €95 four-hour set includes salumi, cacio e pepe, carbonara and seven wines across Italian regions.
Signature: Wine tasting dinner, Salumi flight, Pasta carbonara
Order: The full tasting dinner; the wine flights are the experience, not optional add-ons.
Tip: Single seating at 20:00. Reserve a fortnight ahead; the salumi flight alone is worth the ticket.