A Roman celebrity chef's guide to the best carbonara in his hometown

Chef Max Mariola believes the sound of pasta being flipped in a pan is the "sound of love". Here are his favourite carbonaras in Rome to enjoy on National Carbonara Day and beyond.

Mixing yolks, guanciale (pork cheek) and pecorino, carbonara is a carb-heavy take on eggs and bacon, and the true Holy Grail of Rome's cuisine. It towers over its sibling Roman pasta dishes – cacio e pepe, gricia (pasta with pecorino and bacon) and amatriciana – as the incarnation of all the heart (and heartiness) that goes into Roman cooking.

From the touristy trattorias of the mediaeval Trastevere neighbourhood to the kitchen tables of working-class Ostiense, carbonara can be found as a fixture in any Roman meal – so much so it has even earned itself its own "Day", celebrated on 6 April. But, for all the love it elicits, the dish can also stir the pot; as is widely known, Romans don't take kindly to foreigners meddling with the recipe.

"We get very jealous over our food," says Max Mariola, a born-and-bred Roman chef whose breathlessly exuberant cooking videos have led his millions of online followers to herald him as one of the city's leading culinary experts. "As Romans, we get presumptuous about this sort of thing. You make a dish a certain way, and it becomes the rule of the land."

But on this Carbonara Day, Max has a secret for the culinary puritans of this world: "it's a dish whose recipe has changed, and there's no one way of making it".

Indeed, while carbonara may have been elevated to culinary sainthood, it's not quite as eternal as the city itself. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the recipe's first appearance in an Italian cookbook, in which the listed ingredients – including Gruyère cheese – looked rather different to those used today 

"Some people just add the yolks, others the whole egg. Some mix it all on the heat, some off the heat," Mariola stated. "Every household has their own way."

And there's no shortage of places in Rome to savour such diversity in its full glory. In honour of the city's most iconic and controversial dish, here are Mariola's top picks for where to savour a carbonara as la cucina comanda (willed by the kitchen gods).

1. Best for a gourmet dish with the finest ingredients: Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina

Roman cuisine, with its medley of rustic flavours and artery-clogging ingredients, isn't typically associated with fine dining. But at bakery-turned-restaurant Roscioli Salumeria con cucina, even the city's most unsophisticated dishes take on a gourmet form.

For Mariola, Roscioli has mastered the art of carbonara to produce Rome's very own finest spin on the dish.

The key behind its success? A meticulous attention to sourcing the highest-quality ingredients.

"Alessandro [the owner] is an expert in finding the best natural produce," says Mariola. "He won't just talk to you about guanciale or pecorino. He'll list five types of guanciale, or tell you about the pecorino from Rome, from Amatrice, or another town."

All of this translates to a carbonara made with what Mariola calls the "top range of pastas". Roscioli's dedication to satisfying Rome's gastronomes started in 1972 with a bakery, which later evolved into a complex of boutique grocery stores and the Salumeria restaurant. But its roots may even date back to two centuries ago, as a Papal census testified to the existence of a bakery as early as August 1824. Its unique layout – part delicatessen, part eatery – is a "feast for the eyes" as well as the palate, as Mariola says.

Its model has clearly appealed to an international clientele, with Roscioli opening a branch in New York City in 2023.

Website: https://www.roscioli.com

Address: Via dei Giubbonari, 21, 00186

Phone: +39 06 687 5287

Instagram: @rosciolisalumeria  

2. Best for giant portions and a historical experience: Flavio al Veloavevodetto

Being served a carbonara inside a literal pile of Ancient Roman trash seems like the setup of a joke. But at Flavio al Veloavevodetto – a cellar-osteria buried inside a 2,000-year-old mound made up of discarded amphora (ceramic pot) fragments – the carbonara is certainly no joke. Indeed, the restaurant's namesake chef, Flavio De Maio, has been crowned the city's very own "Carbonara King".

"Flavio is a madman," says Mariola. "He's someone who goes around hunting for the best ingredients, talking to farmers and families. He'll even go all the way to Abruzzo".

And at the hands of carbonara royalty, Flavio's dishes are aptly king-sized. "The portions are huge," Mariola says, adding in Roman dialect: "You leave feeling che hai magnato [like you've eaten]".

Located in Testaccio, a scruffy, yet lively, neighbourhood whose working-class roots trace back to its Ancient Roman history as an important river port, Flavio al Veloavevodetto is a welcome departure from the centre's touristy trattorias.

Even the least intrepid of visitors will feel any doubts, about leaving their comfort zone, quickly vanishing upon devouring a carbonara this supreme. The restaurant's own moniker says it best – "ve lo avevo detto", or "I told you so". 

But for those still unwilling to venture too far outside the historic centre's Aurelian walls, Flavio's carbonara can also be savoured at another branch, located in the posh, Vatican-adjacent Prati district.

Website: https://www.ristorantevelavevodetto.it

Address: Via di Monte Testaccio, 97, 00153 / Piazza dei Quiriti, 4-5,

Phone: +39 06 574 4194 / +39 06 3600 0009

Instagram: @alvelavevodetto

3. Best for a hearty carbonara: Da Teo

Going to Da Teo feels like being invited to a Roman family's house for dinner. Inside an ivy-covered trattoria in the romantic Trastevere neighbourhood, the conversations are loud, food portions substantial, and you can even spot chef Teodoro Filippini walking around, talking to customers.

"The carbonara is just like the one you have at home," says Mariola.

Indeed, the trattoria's flagship dish is hearty, rich and creamy – with a "sapid" touch of grated pecorino providing the "perfect balance of flavours" – as Mariola says.

And the ingredients are fresh and top-notch. "I would bump into [Teodoro] every morning at the market, buying and checking out what produce was on offer," he says. "Rather than ordering it in like many others do."

Website: https://m.facebook.com/Trattoria.da.TEO/

Address: Piazza dei Ponziani, 7A, 00153

Phone: +39 06 581 8355

Instagram: @trattoriadateo

4. Best for a creamier sauce: Armando al Pantheon

In a city chock-full of historic landmarks, being labelled an "institution" is no small feat. And that's exactly what 63-year-old restaurant Armando al Pantheon is for Mariola, not unlike its neighbouring ancient Roman temple whose name it takes.

"[Armando al Pantheon] is a history in and of itself, a family restaurant," says Mariola. And it isn't hard to tell why: its convivial atmosphere and warm interior is covered in old photographs showing different episodes of the very Roman history to which the restaurant itself belongs.

As for Armando's carbonara, it has become particularly distinctive for its creaminess. The secret ingredient behind its texture may, however, come as a surprise to traditionalists: parmesan.

Indeed, while the ovine, central Italian pecorino has become the standard addition in carbonara's preparation, Armando al Pantheon uses the northern Italian cow's cheese to enhance the dish's flavour and consistency. And for Mariola, this has been its key recipe for success.

"Adding parmesan is an intelligent choice," he says. "It makes the sauce softer, less aggressive. It just feels right".

Website: https://www.armandoalpantheon.it

Address: Salita de' Crescenzi, 31, 00186

No phone number, only online bookings

Instagram:@armandoalpantheon

5. Best for a more traditional recipe: Checco er Carrettiere

Tucked away in a quaint Trastevere alleyway, Checco er Carrettiere is a true time capsule, imbued with a hefty dose of mid-century nostalgia.

Its oak-panelled walls are covered in sepia photographs, featuring a pantheon of local pop culture deities – from footballers to film stars – accompanying you all the way to a cosy Roman courtyard.

"It's an iconic place, one that makes you feel at ease," says Mariola. "It's like taking a dive into history."

And Checco's decidedly robust carbonara has also stood the test of time: a heap of Lagano brand spaghettoni, thick and al dente, coated in a velvety sauce, with a lightly cooked guanciale that maintains its chewiness – "the old way" of preparing pork cheek, says Mariola.

"At [Checco], they haven't followed trends," Mariola adds. "They use the region's classic ingredients."

Of all the restaurants on this list, Checco er Carrettiere is the oldest, having opened in 1935. It has hosted an impressive array of celebrity icons – including La Dolce Vita director Federico Fellini – and has remained unapologetically "true to itself" throughout the decades, as Mariola notes.

"As soon as you walk in, it has a certain scent, a historical scent if you will," Mariola says. "It's the sound of love."

Website: https://www.checcoercarettiere.it/en/checco-er-carettiere

Phone: +39 06 581 7018

Address: Via Benedetta, 10, 00153

Instagram:@checcoercarattiere

BBC Travel's The SpeciaList is a series of guides to popular and emerging destinations around the world, as seen through the eyes of local experts and tastemakers.

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