Roscioli, Rome

Address

Via dei Giubbonari 21, Rome

Book

3–6 weeks ahead

Budget

€55–€80 pp

Best seat

Counter, first sitting

Why it's on Larry's list

Roscioli is a shop first. You walk past hanging culatello and wheels of Parmigiano to reach a table, and that order of operations is the whole point — the kitchen cooks with the same product it sells over the counter, so the raw ingredient always outranks the technique. That's Larry's rule in a Roman accent: buy better pork, then don't ruin it. The carbonara gets the headlines, but the reason to book is the sourcing behind everything else on the plate.

What to order

• Carbonara

  Egg-rich, aggressive pepper, big cubes of guanciale. Order it first, before anything sweet or acidic resets your palate.

• Burrata with Sicilian anchovies

  The house calling card. Cream, salt and bread from the family bakery — a three-ingredient argument for good shopping.

• Cured meat board, cut to order

  Ask what's best that day rather than reading the list. Culatello and 24-month prosciutto rarely disappoint.

• Amatriciana

  If the table splits two pastas, make this the second one. Sharper and simpler than the carbonara.

Getting a table

Reservations open online and the good dinner slots go three to six weeks out. Lunch is easier, the first evening sitting is easier still, and solo diners can often get a counter seat with a day's notice. If you're shut out, the family's other addresses — Antico Forno Roscioli for pizza bianca and Roscioli Caffè for espresso and maritozzo — are a five-minute walk and take no booking at all.

Larry's rule

"If a restaurant sells you the ingredient over the counter and cooks it in the back, believe the counter. That's where the honesty lives."

Make a weekend of it

• Campo de' Fiori, early. Market stalls before the crowds, then coffee standing up.
• Antico Forno Roscioli. Pizza bianca by weight, eaten on the street like a Roman.
• Testaccio night. Cross the river for cacio e pepe and see how the cheaper version compares.

Questions people ask