This old favorite was as good as ever, in fact better as now there’s no smoking.
We both ordered the rigatoni alla carbonara (€13 x 2), so as is their practice they brought both orders in a single bowl, served half on a plate, and gave the other person the bowl. This is still my gold standard: al dente, guanciale ranging from chewy to crunchy, salty and creamy sauce.
Abacchio alla cacciatora (€13 or €14): gamy lamb shoulder sautéed with vinegar, garlic, and rosemary. Looks like a lot but minus the bones it’s a very modest portion, which is perfect after a big helping of pasta. My companion got the scottadito, which I wasn’t crazy about (maybe not the best place for grilling).
They had run out of puntarelle so I got the romanesco in olive oil and lemon. Nice foil to the fatty lamb.
If you want the old-school Roman dishes, I don’t think you can do better than this. Might not be a good place for tourists who don’t speak Italian or know the local restaurant etiquette. Two pastas, two secondi, a liter of Pellegrino, a liter of pleasant house red, one dessert, Averna, pane e coperto, total came to €86, a serious bargain compared with what a similar meal would cost at home.
Lunch and dinner, closed Wednesdays.