People ask me for my favorite restaurant in Rome on an almost daily basis. This was one of the reasons I wrote the app Eat Italy. Now, instead of sending out individual emails I can just say “Buy the App.” And most people do. But you want to know something? Even though I spent an awful lot of time pulling together my list of favorites in Rome? I still get emails from people asking me to narrow the list down. What are you favorite five restaurants? What is your very very favorite place to eat?
How am I supposed to answer that? Depends on the weather, how I’m feeling, how you’re feeling, how much money you have, what neighborhood you’re in. Not an easy question, no simple answer.
That said, what with the recent Rapture and Earthquake scares, I finally got to thinking. What would my very last meal in Rome be if I had to choose? My very last meal if I would never be in Rome again? Before I got raptured up to heaven or sucked down when the Earth split open?
Well, if you put it that way, the answer’s easy: Perilli.
This old fashioned Testaccio trattoria has been going strong since 1911. And even if they recently spruced up the place, the important things remain the same. Certainly the food, and – I suspect – even some of the waiters, haven’t changed in decades.
I guess some people are a bit put off by the fact that it feels like an insider’s only-Roman place to go. And in fact, you’ll find few tourists there (especially at Sunday lunch). It always has been, and remains, a place frequented by regulars.
While I love the waiters, and the slightly frumpy over-lit, mural-covered dining room, of course what keeps me coming back is the food. My favorite dish: hands down the carbonara. This is (and you heard it here) the best carbonara in Rome. Al dente rigatoni bathed in a wet gooey coating of egg and cheese, studded with huge chewy chunks of guanciale. I could eat it three times a day, every day.
My daughter Sophie prefers (although prefers is putting it lightly – rather ‘would kill for’) the Amatriciana. This is her obsession and if she could stop by on the airport on her way back to London and fill up her suitcase with Perilli’s Amatriciana she would do so.
Their roast pork and roast lamb are both covered in crispy, salty skin, moist and tender on the inside and served with what may be the best roast potatoes in town. In spring I sometimes skip the meat, and get a heaping portion of vignarola. (ok, I never skip the meat, but get both meat and vignarola). Since this is Testaccio, there is offal galore: rigatoni con la pajata and coratella are favorites. I also love the osso bucco, smothered in fresh peas.
When you go (notice I didn’t say ‘if’) and more than one person at the table orders carbonara make sure you get the serving bowl. After serving out portions of pasta to the table, one lucky diner gets to eat their pasta straight out of the serving bowl. This means extra cheesy, eggy, gooeyness and all those stray pieces of guanciale that sink to the bottom.
Don’t wait for the next rapture.
Then again, maybe Perili is heaven and I’m already there?
Perilli
Via Marmorata 39
06 5755100
Closed Wednesday
Barring earthquakes, volcanoes and the Rapture, I have this on my must-go-to list for October when we will be in Roma!
We had to try Perilli after reading your post and oh my was it good! I have to agree with your daughter – their Amatriciana is the best one in Roma!
Goodness, I might not make it here for my last meal, but it will certainly be my first meal the next time I’m in Rome…. Oh my, the amatriciana, the carbonara and those artichokes!
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Loved this place, loved the waiters…they are hillarious!!! Thanks for the tip!
Glad you had a chance to go!
I just called them, trying to make a reservation, asking politely in Italian whether they speak English or not,
which made the gentleman on the other side hang up on me…
Do you have any tips on how to make reservations for a non-Italian speakers?
And I guess this is what I have to expect from most Roman restaurants?
I would give it one more try. It’s very possible that you called too early, and one of the kitchen staff picked up. Another option is to have your hotel call for you
Thank you so much for replying to my post! And so quickly!
I love your blog, and will keep reading it on my return from Rome as well.
🙂
I’m taking your advice: not giving up, trying again!
Thank you once more, and happy Easter to you.
Nice to know! Thanks for the tip.
Hi there,
some years ago I spent 18 months in Rome, working. One day a friend took me to Perilli and, Elizabeth, you’re right, it is the best place in Rome for me. The Payatta was the most amazing dish, I have tried!
Tomorrow I will be going back to Rome for some days with some friends, I have already done the reservation! Can’t wait to show it to my people!
Thanks for providing useful tips….
Hi elizabeth! Thanks for all the info on your blog – if we are unable to go to perilli (they are closed for the summer) where would you suggest for carbonara or pasta in general? So sad we won’t be able to try this! 🙁
I’d love to try Perilli, but I have to admit, I’m a bit cowed by the complaints on TripAdvisor that the staff is rude, dismissive and sexist. How have you been able to avoid that kind of treatment?
They are the kindest group of restaurant people I know. First of all, are all the comments by tourists? Because I think that tourists may misinterpret normal Roman behavior (which is rough and ready) as being rude. Sexist? These are all highly professional waiters, and treat everyone on a very professional level. NEVER trust Tripadvisor for restaurants. They are either written by tourists (who really have only visited a place once) or else if they are from Italians you can see that they have only written one review, after they had one bad experience.
Ooh! Good to know. Thanks for clarifying. The reviews were definitely written by tourists who said the locals got better service. We’ll give it a shot — and we’re bringing your book as our guide!
I just discovered your website, Elizabeth, and am loving it! My husband and I leave for Rome in three days and due to you, we have a reservation at Perilli the second night of our stay! I can’t wait! Re one of the previous comments here – you say to never trust TripAdvisor for restaurant reviews. Other than your site and app, of course, are there any websites you’d recommend for restaurant reviews? Thank you so very much! Amanda 🙂
I am glad to have found this post. I read this recommendation in one of your books (I had them all), but those were part of our loss due to the Christmas Day bombing in Nashville at the end of 2020. Perhaps it was a fitting ending for such a terrible year. At any rate, we are doing fine and hope to rebuild.
In the meantime, we are charging forward in our lives, and with travel opening up, we are already booked for a walking holiday in Umbria, followed by a week in a villa near Pienza and then a few days in Rome. In addition, we are booking this restaurant for my partner’s 65th birthday celebration.
I wish we could have done one of your tours while we are there, but you are all booked up and visiting a different region than where we will be located. However, we do hope to book with you in the future. I’m a fan.
-Kim
Oh no, I’m so sorry for your terrible loss in Nashville! I”m glad you are able to look towards something better. Your trip sounds lovely, and I’m so sorry I won’t be here while you are. There is a chance Sophie may be available? There are a couple of tours I’m doing with other collaborators in the fall, so she may be in Rome. sophieminchilli.com
In the meantime, thank you for your kind words!!