La Carbonara

In Via Panisperna 214, this family-run restaurant opened in 1906 (more than 100 years ago) and since then it has been serving Rome’s staple dishes, including the carbonara. However, the name of the restaurant doesn’t take from the most well-known Roman dish, but from the fact that the first owner (and chef) of the restaurant was the wife of the man, who owned the coal shop right in front of the restaurant! Donna Teresa has been running the restaurant for over 30 years now. Her specialties include bollito (boiled meat); the carciofi alla giudia (artichokes stuffed with a mixture of garlic and herbs and cooked slowly until they become soft and melt in the mouth); the rigatoni pasta alla gricia or all’amatriciana; the paccheri pasta alla ciociara (with mushrooms, bacon, fresh tomatoes, garlic, chillies and pecorino cheese); the ravioli with ricotta cheese and walnuts; the mixed fried vegetables; the meat dishes such as saltimbocca alla romana or the straccetti (strips of stir-fried beef); and homemade desserts such as profiteroles and the chocolate or lemon pie.