Roscioli is the kind of authentic local eaterie that you dream of finding but never actually do. It is a bakery with a 150 year history (on a separate site) and delicatessen, but also has a few tables serving simple Roman food. Its current format stems from 2002, when Alessandro and Pierluigi Roscioli added a restaurant to their bakery and delicatessen. The narrow dining room has some exposed brickwork, tightly packed tables, a tiled floor and jazz playing in the background. Surprisingly high quality wine litters the shelves (on the way down to the toilet you pass display cases with magnums of Yquem amongst many others). Indeed the menu seems to offer just a few wines, but if you ask for a list then two huge books appear. Vintage Tunina 2004 at EUR 50 is only a little more than retail price, while Antinori Tignanello 1998 at EUR 95 is very fair for a wine that will cost around EUR 65 in the shops. Downstairs there is an extensive wine cellar, with a few tables if you fancy dining amongst the fine wine collection.
The bread was a treat, a mix of rustic brown slices with lovely crust, and in particular some superb buttery focaccia (17/20). The local speciality spaghetti carbonara was a delight, with lovely texture, high quality bacon, good egg and fine Parmesan cheese (16/20). Amatriciana was also excellent, with a rich tomato sauce (15/20). Ice cream is as good as you might hope, with vanilla, hazelut and chocolate all having smooth texture and deep flavour.
We were so impressed with the food here that we came back the next day and had a lengthier meal. Pata negra is top of the range, with two varieties: Romero Sanchez and the Joselito Gran Reserva. Some mozzarella cheese offered with the bread was the best I have eaten anywhere. Cod with a topping of olives with spinach was nicely cooked, though it was a mistake to fry the radicchio leaves (14/20).
Tuna arrived as a vast slab, making it hard to cook through consistently, but though the presentation was rustic the flavour was good, served with a few correctly cooked vegetables: courgette, carrots, cauliflower (14/20). Fettucine with white truffles was simple but let the truffle fragrance speak for itself (15/20). Finally a tiramisu had very strong coffee flavour, was creamy but not too rich, with a sprinkling of good chocolate on top (16/20). Service was relaxed and friendly.
Although this is not fancy food, ingredients are terrific and there is a real honesty about the cooking.
Further reviews: 18th Feb 2014
jeffrey
I think the Carbonara here is one of the finest examples anywhere in the world.
Nic Moga
Greetings from Rome Andy, I literally just ate here less than an hour ago. I came pretty close to replicating your meals with spaghetti carbonara, amatriciana, and tiramisu in addition to an appetizer of tomoato caprese. I don't pretend to have as fine a palate as yours but I can compare so I ate a spaghetti carbonara at a street cafe by the Vatican for lunch, then had it for dinner here. It was almost like two different dishes! A superb experience overall at Roscioli, absolutely sublime. As always thanks for the tip I would highly recommend this place for anyone interested in casual but quality Italian food in Rome. Thumbs up!
LORENZO COLI
I've been with friends and wife a couple of days ago and... I must say that it was a delightful experience! We kicked off with a selection of black pig hams (one from Pyrenees and a Sanchez Romero), rare alp cheeses and "vintage" 2006 blue fin tuna from Sardinia: all was accompanied with sottoli (baby artichokes, taggiasche olives, baby red Piedmontese peppers stuffed with capers and anchovies), impossible to do without if you eat charcuterie and preserved tuna! Bread plays a terribly important role in starters: focaccia must be the best I ever had: soft crunchy top and bottom, bubbly moist and light middle, not too oily or salty. To follow we had: carbonara which was made with organic eggs from a farm in Tuscany (Parisi), and guanciale bacon from monte Conero served crunchy, not chewy at all. Outstanding. amatriciana which was made with tomatoes "lacrima di San Gennaro" and the same guanciale of carbonara. For me this was the best amatriciana ever had and among the best pasta dishes of my life! I found wines fairly priced. We drunk a bottle of Weinback Sylvaner Grand cru "Clos des Capucines" 2005 for only 24 euros, and a beautiful Lagrein Reserve 2006 (cannot remember the Winery) for 35. I suggest anyone who goes to Rome to try Trattoria Felice a Testaccio, for the best tonnarelli cacio e pepe in town, and beautiful traditional roman dishes. Regards Lorenzo Coli