This long-established restaurant behind Piazza Navona in the heart of Rome specializes in delicious, classic Roman cuisine, which is generous, seasonal, and of excellent quality. House specialties include cacio e pepe tonnarelli pasta and Roman-style lamb.

Grappolo d’Oro is a great restaurant almost exactly in front of the Leonardo Museum, one of my favorite kids’ attractions in Rome, and close to Campo de’ Fiori, one of the city’s most famous piazzas. The restaurant made a name for itself for its choice of locally sourced ingredients and it is a great place to taste local cuisine in a relaxed yet pleasant environment. Both indoor and outdoor seating available but make a reservation (by phone) as this place is very popular!

Dine on Roman pasta, antipasti, meat, and fish, which are served alongside regional wines at Hosteria Grappolo d'Oro. If you are able to get a lunch table here, you’ll want to choose the Roman menu to enjoy a variety of dishes to get you ready for the rest of your day of sightseeing in the city. Our favourite options on the menu here include roast lamb, salted cod, and cacio e pepe pasta, which you must try at least once when in Rome.

You wouldn’t know it from the light, airy interior, but Grappolo D’Oro has been around long enough that your great grandfather could have eaten here, had he traveled to or lived in Rome. The restaurant, around the corner from Campo de’ Fiori, uses spaghetti in its carbonara recipe. They also do something different here: they dice the guanciale and then saute it until it’s super crispy, adding a lovely textural crunch to the mix.

Unlike the tourist traps around the Campo de’ Fiori area, this little restaurant is always bustling with tourists but locals love to come here. Grappolo D’Oro Zampanò is a little trattoria that underwent a major overhaul in 2003, expanding its restaurant location and menu as well. For starters, you should order the ‘Antipasti della Casa’ which includes: Burratina cheese, salami, and eggplant pudding, zucchini flowers.

At Hosteria Grappolo D’Oro, located at Piazza della Cancelleria 80, Chef Antonello Magliari crafts a carbonara that stands out for its authenticity and rich flavors. Using medium-sized spaghetti, this dish features perfectly al dente pasta tossed with crispy guanciale, egg yolk, and Pecorino Romano cheese. Finished with a light sprinkle of pepper and extra cheese, this carbonara is well-balanced and utterly delicious.

The one of Hosteria Grappolo D’Oro is considered one of the best carbonara in Rome because of the top quality of the guanciale and the pecorino cheese used. Their version has it with spaghetti and the al dente pasta is placed on the pan to mix with the chunks of guanciale crunchy enough, the cheese, and the egg yolks. This carbonara is served with a final addition of grated Roman pecorino and little black pepper.

If I had to pick just one favorite trattoria in Rome, Grappolo d’Oro would be it. Friendly, reliable, well-priced, and located around the corner from Campo de’ Fiori, it’s una certezza as we say in Italian — a guarantee. One of the city’s “slow food restaurants”, it uses quality ingredients to create excellent Roman classics, from cacio e pepe and carbonara to seasonal dishes with artichokes and foraged greens.

Antonello Magliari chef e patron del ristorante utilizza uno spaghetto medio di Giuseppe Cocco che viene scolato al dente e messo a mantecare in padella con il guanciale di Re Norcino rosolato e tagliato in pezzettoni quadrati ben rosolati a cui aggiunge il solo tuorlo e Pecorino Romano Dop Deroma. Poco pepe e una spolverata finale di formaggio per una carbonara gustosa, ben amalgamata ed equilibrata.

When it comes to carbonara, if you’re after the real thing (get on with it already!) then Hosteria Grappolo d’Oro, close to Piazza Navona, does arguably the finest carbonara in Rome. Another popular choice among the food cognoscenti of the city is Da Gino al Parlamento, not far from the Pantheon. While the alla gricia here is certainly good, their bucatini amatriciana is particularly revered.

The consolation of finding true, warm, passionate cuisine in this heavily touristed area would be priceless in itself. But it rises again, and by quite a lot, when you check out the menus and dishes at Grappolo d'Oro. Roman course (and not imposed: first and second courses to choose from three options, with three starters to precede, side dish and house dessert) at 34 euro.

While this is Alessandro's favorite restaurant in Rome for trippa alla Romana (tripe cooked in tomato sauce), it's mine for other reasons, namely their carbonara. But as with all excellent Roman restaurants, I love everything on their menu (I'm just not an offal person so I leave those reviews with Alessandro). They also have a good wine list and excellent desserts.

Grappolo D’Oro: A traditional restaurant specializing in slow food and authentic Roman dishes, their carbonara is among the best in town. It is highly suggested to book a table before the visit because it tends to be full. The restaurant is at 80, Piazza della Cancelleria Square, near the Campo dei Fiori area; you can book a table at +39 066897080.

Believe it or not, in and around the centro storico being in the heart of it all doesn't always gaurantee you'll find a good restaurant. One exception though is Grappolo D'Oro. Unlike the slew of tourist traps around the Campo de' Fiori area, this little restaurant is always bustling with tourists but locals especially love to come here to.

This tavern in the centre of Rome is found amongst the hustle and bustle of tourism and is very popular with visitors to the city. For carbonara, it's been a reliable restaurant for decades and has not surprisingly been mentioned by Michelin. The carbonara here is tasty, sinuous, based on spaghetti, and abundant in all the right ways.

A friend took me to Grappolo d’Oro for the first time last year, and I’ve been back several times since then. I love their mixed appetizer, pastas, and wine list. Their delicate carbonara is a standout for me – sometimes the dish made elsewhere is way too salty, but at Grappolo d’Oro the balance is just right.

P.za della Cancelleria, 80 (Campo de’ Fiori)06.6897080hosteriagrappolodoro.it. Located between Piazza Navona and Campo de’ Fiori, this osteria serves authentic Roman cuisine in a warm, welcoming setting, with the option to dine outdoors. The carbonara is a must-try — one of the best in Rome.

De allerlekkerste carbonara van heel Rome eet je bij Hosteria Grappolo d’Oro (op het Piazza della Cancelleria 80, vlak bij Campo de’ Fiori), met op de kaart veel Slow Food. Meteen de eerste hap is al een sensatie. De smaak is ongekend, romig en vol, niet te zout, niet te vet.

Grappolo d’Oro – lovely restaurants specializing in locally produced ingredients and with indoor and outdoor seating. Special mention to their tasting menu featuring Rome specialties. Reservation recommended (only indoor area, the outdoor tables are first come first served).

Where to eat Amatriciana in Rome: Grappolo d’Oro; Trattoria Vecchia Roma (which does a smokey flambe version that involves lighting a wheel of pecorino cheese on fire).