Osteria Bonelli — Restaurant in Rome

Food in Rome is mostly targeted at tourists and is just ok. To have a good experience you need to know where to eat and as a general rule the further you get from the center, the more likely you will enjoy your meal.

I had a some recommendations obtained from a foodie authority however most restaurants are closed on Mondays and the ones that were open did not have free tables until Osteria accepted my reservation for a single table at 21:00.

It is located in Torpignattara around 15 bus stops from the center. I had no idea what to expect and by the looks of the the shabby run down area where I got off the bus I thought it was going to be a small hole in the wall that serves nearby residents. However after entering the side street the landscape changed to a much nicer neighbourhood with villas and good looking buildings and there it was a big restaurant with a terrace under a good looking building and facing a square.

The terrace was full and the empty tables had reservation cards. You could tell that all the patrons were local except for on clueless middle eastern tourist, a very good sign. A sweet young lady asked me for a reservation and I confirmed. I requested to sit outside and she directed me to an empty table. After ordering water I saw some dispute between the manager and her. He came to me and said that is ok now but I did not reserve outside and should have specified that. Apparently he thought I misled the hostess or something. I simply said I had no idea about that and merely stated my preference. He was not very smiley and it was kinda of an unnecessary move from his side which made me uncomfortable during the meal but what was to come was much better.

The menu was listed on a black board only in italian so have your google translation ready with you. They specialize in Roman cuisine with dishes like beef tripe and horse meat. I ordered a pasta dish that I saw being served frequently followed by veal brisket with porcini mishrooms.

The pasta was tonnareli alla grecia. A thick variant of egg spaghetti with cured meat and peccorino cheese. It was absolutely heavenly. Very creamy, the salt from the cheese was not overpowering and it was of course al dente without being starchy. The veal was very tender and the sauce was excellent.

Although I was full even after the pasta, I couldn’t resist ordering a dessert and had a caramel panna cotta which was also super delicious.

The check was 27 Euros with two coffees and a large bottle of water. I paid 30 for their trouble.

Overall an excellent meal. If you decide to go, make sure you make a reservation for a table ON...

We heard of this place as a real Roman restaurant outside of the city centre, and since it was close to where we were staying we decided to go for it. Remember to book in advance! We booked a table one day early and when we got there at opening time, all the tables were full within 45mins. The service itself was great, our waitress took the time to translate the menu and describe the food. We made up our mind and didnt have to wait long for the food to come along. Honestly I was full just from the starter. Food was great and there was plenty of it, I seriously could not eat another bite, and the portions were all meat; if you ordered calamary, you get just a plate full of calamary, veal is also a plate of veal. The price was also fine, we got a bill for 42 euro for two people which definitely does not break the bank, don't be afraid of the fact that there are no prices listed, they are very fair (10- 12 euro for a main course dish). It was nice to go to a place that locals visit and have people speaking Italian all around us. If you happen to be near, consider booking a table and going for a nice evening meal. Will return when I come to...

Our favorite restaurant in Rome and I am assuming for a lot of locals as well. We were very sad it was fully booked when we tried to go again before we leave. It was proper local, delicious, reasonably priced and oh so memorable.

The menu is a chalk board (that's usually a good sign in Rome 😉) The server literally went through every item in details and answered all our questions without rushing. (mind you this place was fully packed and we don't speak a lick of Italian)

My absolute favorite at this restaurant was their amatriciana, it was absolutely mind blowing. Perfectly al dente pasta, crispy and flavorful guanciale, and the entire dish just poped.

My girl friend loved the roasted pork hock, she was mind blown by it, I too liked it but was to mesmerized by my pasta.

They set the bar for...