Da Bucatino – in Rome

When I was in Rome in March, I asked my friends to recommend a good restaurant serving traditional Roman food. Despite having lived there for 25 years, I don’t know many places to eat out in my hometown (I usually get spoiled by my mum and eat at home)! I decided to try Da Bucatino in Testaccio.

Located in an old working class neighbourhood of the city, Da Bucatino serves dishes typical of the Roman cuisine. Their most famous dish on the menu is of course the one that gave the restaurant its name: “Bucatini all’Amatriciana”.

Coming from Amatrice in the Lazio region, the recipe of Amatriciana has developed over the years to include bucatini (instead of spaghetti) and tomato sauce (in addition to the other two ingredients of guanciale and pecorino). It has since become one of the trademark dishes of Rome.

At Bucatino they will even provide you with a bib, as dribbling tomato sauce all over you is part of the pleasure of eating this pasta!

My fiancé looked for a vegetarian option and ordered Fettuccine al Tartufo: homemade thick egg noodles with truffle sauce. It was creamy and very tasty!

I ordered a Grilled Pork Steak with Roasted Potatoes and one portion of Carciofi alla Romana: artichokes cooked in Roman style, with parsley and parmesan. Absolutely delicious, I loved dipping fresh focaccia bread in the artichoke-infused olive oil!

I could not resist trying the Millefoglie for dessert: crumbles of puff pastry over a delicious homemade custard cream. And a good Italian espresso to finish the lunch!

The waiters were extremely friendly and helpful, the price affordable (I think we spent only 15€ each)! We had a great lunch and I will definitely go back. If you are planning a trip to Rome, don’t miss this place!