Where to Eat Authentic Italian Carbonara in Rome

When choosing where to eat dinner in Rome, you’re sure to find some epic Italian pasta options, but it’s not just food and wine. An authentic Italian carbonara is one culinary constant in the Eternal City, whether at a trattoria in Trastevere or a ristorante by the Vatican. You haven’t done culinary travel if you haven’t relished the real deal; until you’ve eaten authentic Italian carbonara, the best carbonara in Italy. So, where can you eat the best carbonara? You won’t find it in northern Italy or Southern Italy. If you want this pasta dish, it’s in Rome!

Italian cooks in Rome have raised this comfort food to a marvel that rivals the Colosseum. Roman carbonara combines humble ingredients, including: 

• Salt pork (guanciale)
• Fresh eggs (uova) 
• Cracked black pepper (pepe nero) 
• Grated aged cheese (pecorino romano)

This creamy classic of Italian cuisine makes carbonara pasta one of the best things to order in Rome — blending pan-crisped pork, nutty cheese, and spicy black pepper.   

Here are our Italy travel experts’ tips on where to find the best carbonara in Rome—including an overview of the dish’s history and origins:

What Are the Origins of Carbonara Pasta?

Funnily enough, the roots of this “typical” Roman dish are relatively recent. Carbonara doesn’t appear on menus in Italy until the late 1950s and early 1960s. It’s a decidedly post-war “classic.”

Legend claims the dish satisfies American soldiers’ craving for bacon and eggs. Others argue that coal miners –Carbonari in Italian— would prepare it over a wood fire. Whatever its origins, carbonara somehow became ubiquitous in Rome.

What’s Carbonara Like in Rome, Italy?

For Roman cooks, the ingredients are as simple as they are non-negotiable – crisped guanciale (cured pork cheek—tasting close to pancetta), grated pecorino romano (a salty sheep’s milk cheese), and raw eggs. While pancetta is often used in this dish in other areas of Italy, cooks in Rome and Lazio scoff at this—relying solely on guanciale for the pasta’s piggy goodness.

What Kind of Pasta Pairs with Carbonara?

The creaminess of the carbonara sauce comes entirely from the fluffy eggs, melted cheese, and rendered pork. No heavy cream allowed. In Rome, the most common kinds of pasta crowned in carbonara are: 

• Rigatoni 
• Tonnarelli
• Bucatini 
• Spaghetti

Although carbonara’s components don’t change in Rome, the ratio of ingredients will vary widely from cook to cook, trattoria to trattoria. Some chefs prefer a dish studded with tons of fresh-cracked pepper. Others favor a velvety sauce made with rich egg yolks instead of whole eggs. Is your mouth watering yet?

Where Can I Find the Best Carbonara in Rome?

Here are our Italy travel experts’ tips for where to eat the best carbonara in Rome, Italy:

#8: Hostaria Romana

Hostaria Romana is an authentic eatery beloved by locals – serving up old-school Roman dishes cooked with care since the 1950s. Diners in-the-know head here at lunchtime for the “l’antipasto” – a buffet of Roman-style artichokes (carciofi alla romana), crispy fried bites (fritto misto), savory grilled veggies, and mountains of cured meat (salumi). The house spaghetti alla carbonara is divine, featuring handmade egg noodles. Be sure to order your carbonara”Originale”- it’s the only way to order your authentic pasta in the tossed bowl.

#7: Checco Er Carettiere

Located on a cobblestone street in Rome’s scenic Trastevere quarter, Checco Er Carettiere has been run by the same family for three generations. Checcho Er Carettiere prides itself on crafting classic fare – dishes like abbacchio (slow-roasted lamb), ossobuco (braised beef shank), and fried Fiori di Zucca (squash blossoms). You can dine al fresco on a warm night in the quiet ivy-clad courtyard here. Checcho’s addictive carbonara shines a brilliant orange hue—studded generously with pan-crisped guanciale d’Amatrice. 

#6: Taverna Romana

The area by the Colosseum isn’t your best friend when finding authentic eats—filled with some seriously skippable tourist traps. Food-loving travelers near the Roman Forum and Colosseo should head to the adjacent Monti neighborhood instead. 

Monti’s neighborhood has many wine bars and local-beloved trattorias. One such eatery is Taverna Romana—tucked on the corner of a cobblestone street. This restaurant in Rome crafts thick egg noodles by hand—including classics like cacio e pepe, gricia, and —of course— carbonara.  

#5: Tavernaccia da Bruno

While countless tourists flock to Trastevere at dinner daily, few foreigners know that Romans prefer other districts.  The neighboring Monteverdi or Testaccio districts. They’re just as delicious but lacking Trastevere’s big tourist crowds. 

Open since 1968, Tavernaccia Da Bruno is housed in an exposed-brick cellar just south of Trastevere. House specialties here span handmade egg kinds of pasta — including epic lasagne baked in a wood-fired oven and pecorino-dusted tonnarelli alla carbonara.

#4: Renato al Ghetto

Kosher carbonara sounds like a bit of an oxymoron, right? Well, in Rome, it’s not! Rome has been home to an active Jewish community since ancient times. Instead of pork, Jewish cooks in Rome, at restaurants like Renato al Ghetto, use smoked beef. 

To this day, you’ll find numerous kosher-style eateries in Rome’s Ghetto Ebraico (historic Jewish quarter)—dishing out Roman-Jewish classics like carciofi alla giudia (olive oil fried artichokes) and, yes, even kosher carbonara. 

#3: La Carbonara

Despite having the word “carbonara” in its name, La Carbonara’s origins predate the creation of our beloved piggy pasta. Since 1906, Roman diners have been noshing—with abandon—at this neighborhood trattoria; coincidentally, its name comes from the fact that the first owner was married to a coal seller—or carbonaro. Must-try dishes include the namesake spaghetti and creamy tiramisù. One of the best parts of the dining experience is La Carbonara encourages you to leave a review about your meal on their wall.

#2: Armando al Pantheon

Run by the Gargioli family since 1961, Armando al Pantheon invites diners on a journey through the time-honored flavors of Roman cooking and, most importantly, authentic Italian carbonara. Whether you’re seated in a comfy booth or sipping a glass of wine at a tiny table, the management here treats you always like one of their famiglia.

Each bite has been honed to perfection by Armando himself—the chef-founder of this typical trattoria. You should order drool-worthy delights here—like coda alla vaccinara (wine-braised oxtail), puntarelle (sautéed chicory greens), and classic Roman pasta, real italian food. 

#1: Ristorante Roscioli

You’ll find Ristorante Roscioli tucked inconspicuously behind a street-facing deli counter and wine shop; this is authentic Italy. Part restaurant and part food store, Roscioli is famed throughout Rome for its vast wine list (2,800 labels!), hand-carved salumi, oven-fresh focaccia, and classic Roman pasta. Finish it all off with some Italian ice cream, gelato. 

All the food here is shaped —with amore (love)— by hand. You can opt to dine at the informal bar or a table in the convivial back room. Either way, Roscioli gives you a real taste of Cucina Romana (authentic Roman cuisine). The chef’s take on carbonara even relies on three varieties of cracked pepper for its piquant punch. Be sure to pair it with some white wine and you will have a meal you’ll never forget.

Understanding Dinner Etiquette for Travelers to Italy

Learn how to order authentic Italian carbonara in this helpful article for travelers to Italy, or join us for one of our food tours. We specialize in many tour offers, including culinary tours and cooking classes. Buon appetito a tutti!