Where to have carbonara in Rome: the best restaurants

Carbonara is one of the classic pasta dishes of Roman gastronomy is known for, its fame has extended beyond the walls of Rome, becoming a dish of national and international intrigue. But who makes the best carbonara in Rome?

Here are the 5 best restaurants in Rome that offer this delicious recipe on their menus:

• Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina 
• Eggs 
• Pipero 
• Trecca – Cucina di Mercato 
• Flavio al Velavevodetto 

Let’s start with the 5 basic ingredients for a good carbonara which are: pasta, eggs, guanciale (not to be confused with bacon, this cured meat comes from pig cheek), pecorino cheese and black pepper. There is not one official recipe, as Italian cooking is open to creativity, and there are different methods of execution. The final result, however, is to obtain a cream made up of egg, cheese, water, and fat from the guanciale which, when combined with the pasta, the crispy bacon-like bits, and black pepper, makes this dish remarkable. These are the official Italian ingredients that we use today, however in reality, the genesis of this dish is Italian-American.

As for the history and origins of carbonara, it must be said that it’s not a very ancient recipe and is only Roman by appropriation. In fact, it seems that it was born in response to the need to stretch the rations of the American soldiers in Italy during the Second World War.

Legend has it that the Bolognese chef Renato Gualandi, in September 1944, was preparing lunch for a meeting between the British Eighth Army and the American Fifth Army in Riccione, when he reworked the ingredients available, bacon, cream, cheese, powdered egg yolk, together with the pasta and adding black pepper, to give life to this first form of carbonara. The dish was a great success and Gualandi continued to prepare it for the American troops in Rome.

Solo nel 1960 la carbonara ebbe la sua consacrazione nella cucina tradizionale, con la comparsa della ricetta ne La grande cucina di Luigi Carnacina in cui viene preparata col guanciale al posto di bacon o pancetta, e resta sempre presente la panna, che sparirà completamente solo alla fine degli anni ’80. 

A partire dagli anni ’90, tutti gli ingredienti aromatici e cremosi come l’aglio, la cipolla, il prezzemolo, il vino e la panna sono stati eliminati e si afferma la ricetta che oggi conosciamo come tipica e tradizionale: guanciale, uovo, pecorino romano e pepe. Ricetta con cui vengono solitamente conditi gli spaghetti, i rigatoni o le mezze maniche.

Only in 1960 did carbonara have its initiation into traditional Italian cuisine, with the appearance of the recipe in Luigi Carnacina’s La Grande Cucina, in which it is prepared with guanciale instead of bacon or pancetta, and cream is still a key ingredient that will disappear completely in the late 80s.

Since the 1990s, all the aromatic and creamy ingredients such as garlic, onion, parsley, wine and cream have been eliminated and the recipe we know today as typical and traditional is the accepted one: guanciale, egg, pecorino romano cheese and black pepper. The pasta of choice can vary but are usually spaghetti, rigatoni, or mezze maniche are used.

1. Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina – via dei Giubbonari, 21 – Tel 06 6875287 

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Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina is a restaurant, delicatessen, and wine bar in via dei Giubbonari 21 in the heart of the Capital, a few steps from Campo de’ Fiori. In this historic restaurant you can enjoy a carbonara centered on tradition and a meticulous search for quality ingredients. A tradition maintained even after the arrival of chef Fabrizio Di Stefano in place of Nabil Hassen, the latter at the helm of the kitchen for twenty years.

Roscioli’s famous carbonara is the dish most loved by customers because it is made to perfection: the spaghettone with artisanal guanciale, cut into cubes, is very crunchy and melts in the mouth, the trio of pepper, Paolo’s eggs Parisi and the quality certified (d.o.p.) Roman pecorino make this pasta dish one of the best in Rome.

Roscioli Salumeria is open every day from 12:30 to 16:00 and from 19:00 to 24:00.

2. Eggs – Via Natale del Grande, 52 – Tel. 06 5817281 

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Eggs restaurant is a paradise of eggs and the home of carbonara which is served in the classic style, according to one of the first recipes published in 1954 by La Cucina Italiana. Eggs is a landmark in Trastevere because it’s modern, welcoming, traditional but at the same time innovative because of the artistry of chef Barbara Agosti.

At Eggs you can taste both the classic version of carbonara with mezze maniche from the Mancini agricultural pasta factory, eggs from Arianna Vulpiani’s BioFarm, Campofelice guianciale, Pecorino Romano d.o.p., and wild pepper from Madagascar, as well as the 1954 version of the recipe published by Cucina Italiana. On the menu you will find the first Carbonara List in Italy, with variations for the most loyal customers, such as the addition of caramelized onions, pumpkin, truffles, or even ‘nduja and stracciatella.

Eggs is open every day from 12:00 to 23:00.

3. Pipero Roma – Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 250 – Tel. 339 7565114 – 06 68139022 

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If you want to enjoy a stellar and starred carbonara, Pipero in the center of Rome, with its Michelin star, is the restaurant for you. Here you can taste a carbonara made with pasta from Pastifico Graziano, guanciale from King Norcino, and Pecorino Romano d.o.p. in elegance and sophistication. In addition to the excellence of the cuisine, admire the general beauty of the dining room, its tasteful design completes this starry reality.

Pipero Roma is one of the select restaurants to be awarded the prestigious gastronomic star and its dishes have a decidedly higher price than the average, but it is worth it. Thanks to the young chef who originated from Campania, Ciro Scamardella, you can taste how an everyday dish can be transformed into something outstanding by a careful choice of high-quality ingredients and attention to the smallest detail.

Pipero is open Tuesday through Friday from 12:00 to 15:00 and from 19:00 to 23:00. Mondays and Saturdays from 19:00 to 23:00.

4. Trecca – Cucina di Mercato – Via A. Severo, 222 – Tel. 06 88650867

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Trecca is a typical Roman restaurant located in the south of the city in the Ostiense neighborhood. This trattoria with pop influences, found between viale Cristoforo Colombo and Garbatella, uses local and high-quality ingredients as much as possible. The interior is marked by wooden tables and chairs, straw paper placemats, white dishes with hand-painted floral motifs, and a blackboard with the day’s menu listings, providing a warm and homey atmosphere.
This place is praised by the Gambero Rosso guide for the excellent quality of the ingredients used in the creation of its carbonara. Trecca is famous for its cream made with a skillful mixture of egg whites and yolks, as well as a locally produced pork guanciale and pecorino d.o.p. mixed directly in the pan with the cooked pasta.

Trecca is open Monday through Friday from 20:00 to 23:00. Saturday from 13:00-15:00 and 20:00-23:00. Closed Sunday.

5. Flavio al Velavevodetto – Via di Monte Testaccio, 97 – Tel. 06 574 4194

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If you want to eat a good carbonara in an authentic Roman tavern, it’s worth your while to stop by Flavio al Velavevodetto. This tavern, located on the urban hillside of Monte Testaccio, has by now become an institution in Rome, despite having only opened in 2009. Thanks to the Roman chef Flavio De Maio from the Garbatella neighborhood, you can taste the smoothest carbonara in the whole capital. What’s the secret? The egg, water and guianciale sauce is prepared separately and poured into a pan so that it mixes with the mezze maniche pasta cooked to a perfect al dente. Then it’s off the heat, before it becomes an omelette, to be doused with a generous handful of pecorino cheese! This perfected process makes this pasta dish a true legend.

Flavio al Veloavevodetto is open every day from 12:30 to 15:00 and from 19:30 to 23:00.

To Roma with Italo  

Is your mouth watering yet? Come to the capital to taste the best carbonara while discovering the sights of Rome! Together with your foodie friends, get on board any of the numerous trains headed to Rome every day from all the main Italian cities. Traveling by Italo’s high-speed trains, you can arrive at either Roma Termini or Roma Tiburtina station, which are connected to the subway (Metro) lines and other urban transport services to take you to every part of the city. Italo has so many Milan-Rome trains scheduled daily that you can arrive in the capital in under 3 hours, at a moment’s notice! Buy your modifiable, Low-Cost ticket by logging in to your Italo account to also take advantage of the Italo Più exclusive offers and rates for members. If you haven’t already done so, you can register for free for the Italo Più Loyalty Program and you will immediately get a 5% discount on your first trip. You also accumulate points with your train trips to earn free rewards tickets.