Trattoria Monti

Book by phone a few days ahead — this family-run Marche kitchen near Piazza Vittorio is popular enough with locals that walk-ins often miss out. Hand-cut pasta and fried classics worth planning around.

The cuisine here is specifically from Le Marche, the region east of Rome on the Adriatic coast, rather than purely Roman — expect more stuffed pasta and fried starters than the cacio e pepe/carbonara rotation found elsewhere in the city. It's closed Mondays and a short walk from Termini station, which makes it a useful first or last meal in Rome if you're arriving or leaving by train.