The old slaughterhouse quarter where the quinto quarto tradition was born; home to Mercato di Testaccio, Flavio al Velavevodetto and Da Felice.
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.
Signature: Tonnarelli cacio e pepe, Saltimbocca alla romana, Tiramisu
Order: The tonnarelli cacio e pepe tossed at the table, then saltimbocca alla romana and tiramisu.
Tip: Book a fortnight ahead on the website. Lunch is calmer; the 21:00 dinner sitting is the longest wait.
Flavio al Velavevodetto in Rome's Testaccio is built into Monte dei Cocci, the ancient amphora mound. The rigatoni alla gricia and polpette al sugo run the menu since 2008.
Signature: Rigatoni alla gricia, Polpette al sugo, Coda alla vaccinara
Order: The rigatoni alla gricia, polpette al sugo and a half-litre of Cesanese del Piglio.
Tip: The amphora-walled back rooms are the spot to ask for; the terrace fills up first in summer.
Checchino dal 1887 in Rome's Testaccio is the dynastic temple of the quinto quarto. The Mariani family has cooked rigatoni con la pajata and coda alla vaccinara for five generations.
Signature: Rigatoni con la pajata, Coda alla vaccinara, Animelle
Order: Rigatoni con la pajata, coda alla vaccinara, animelle and a glass from the historic Lazio cellar.
Tip: The cellar tour before lunch is worth booking. Closed Sunday and Monday all day.
Piatto Romano in Rome's Testaccio is the small-room trattoria where the Cocco family cooks the four Roman pastas exactly as the rulebook says. No fusion, no twist.
Signature: Cacio e pepe, Gricia, Carbonara
Order: The four Roman pastas tasting if it's offered, otherwise the gricia and cacio e pepe.
Tip: Closed Wednesday all day. Book a week ahead; the dining room holds 30 covers.
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.
Pizzeria Da Remo in Rome's Testaccio is the classic Roman pizza room with paper-thin crusts, the city's busiest suppli counter and a queue that wraps the piazza nightly.
Signature: Roman pizza, Suppli, Bruschetta
Order: Roman pizza margherita, suppli al telefono, and the bruschetta with anchovies.
Tip: Cash only. No bookings; arrive 19:00 or after 22:00 to skip the queue. Closed Sunday.
Volpetti in Rome's Testaccio is the 1973-founded salumeria counter with 300 Italian cheeses, a salumi case stocked from every region and a takeaway pasta lunch for €8.
Signature: Cheese flight, Salumi platter, Pasta lunch
Order: The cheese flight tasting at the counter and a salumi board with prosciutto di Parma.
Tip: Open Mon to Sat 08:00 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:15. Closed Sunday. Cheese tour by request.
Tram Depot in Rome's Testaccio district is the 1903-built tram-yard cafe with outdoor tables, the all-day espresso-and-aperitivo bar and live music at sunset on summer evenings.
Signature drink: Aperitivo, granita di caffe
Tip: Open daily 07:00 to 02:00. The 19:00 aperitivo with a granita di caffe is the summer ritual.
Mordi e Vai in Rome's Mercato di Testaccio is Sergio Esposito's market-counter sandwich stall, with the slow-braised allesso di scottona (beef shoulder) sandwich the unmissable order.
Try: Roman braised-meat sandwich
Tip: Closed Sunday all day. The allesso di scottona with chicory is 5 euros; queue forms 12:30 onward.
Mercato di Testaccio in Rome's Testaccio district is the 1907-founded covered market (moved to the new building 2012), with 100 stalls, plus Mordi e Vai and the Roman lunch counters.
Tip: Closed Sunday. The lunch counters (Mordi e Vai box 15) get busy 12:30-14:00; arrive 12:00 for the queue.
Mordi e Vai in the Mercato di Testaccio in Rome sells Sergio Esposito's slow-braised allesso di scottona (beef shoulder) sandwich for €5, the city's defining market lunch.
Try: Roman braised-meat sandwich
Tip: Closed Sunday all day. The allesso di scottona with chicory is 5 euros; queue forms 12:30 onward.