A Guide to Trastevere- including food tips!

Trastevere is a historic neighbourhood of Rome, known for its charming medieval streets, vibrant atmosphere and bohemian character. The name Trastevere means ‘beyond the Tiber’, referring to its location along the west bank of the Tiber River. Despite some modern changes over the centuries, Trastevere has managed to preserve its unique identity and remains one of the most picturesque neighbourhoods of Rome.

We arrived in Rome during the early morning and checked into the Una Hotels Trastevere. Something I would recommend when travelling to Italy is to pre-book transportation from the airport to your hotel and also to ensure you have at least 200 euros with you upon arrival. We booked transportation though our hotel in which the driver accepted cash only. The transportation was $75 euro which may have been slightly higher than if we were to have booked a taxi at the airport. However, the last thing you want to be doing after taking a long haul flight is navigating dodgy cab drivers and ripped off with the terrible airport money exchange rates.

After we dropped our bags at the hotel, we headed to a nearby suburb called Testaccio to visit a restaurant called Felice which was a recommendation from the Untold Italy podcast. We had pre-booked a table which was lucky, as there was already a line of people waiting for it to open at 12:30pm and many people who didn’t make a reservation had been turned away. Kit ordered the restaurants signature dish- Cacio e Pepe, a traditional Roman dish made with just pecorino cheese and pepper. The art of this dish is the mantecatura (turning a hard pecorino cheese into a creamy sauce), in which the chef would perform at the tableside. Many places will ‘cheat’ a bit for the Cacio e Pepe dish by using cream or butter in the sauce to soften it, as it can be quite laborious and difficult to turn such a hard cheese into a smooth creamy sauce. I believe Felice made a statement to show their Cacio e Pepe was genuine by doing it tableside. For my pasta, I ordered the Spaghetti alla Felice which was a cherry tomato crudo with basil, oregano, thyme, mint and ricotta. Is was perfectly balanced and the tomatoes were full of flavour and acidity. For seconds, we shared a beef roll in tomato sauce. The beef was juicy, tender and seasoned to perfection. Unfortunately we were a bit too full to make it to dessert but we left feeling very satisfied with this experience.

Food 9/10 – Service 9/10 – Ambience 9/10

After lunch, we walked around Testaccio for a bit, checking out some of the local markets where you can fully emerge yourself in the life of the locals. I certainly appreciate the level authenticity that staying out of the centre of Rome has to offer. We went back to the hotel, checked in and had a nap- trying to catch up on some lost sleep from the night before. Unfortunately we forgot to set and alarm and slept through dinner.

The following day, we visited a local Trastevere restaurant called Checco er Carattiere. The restaurant had a warm and rustic interior design- I particularly loved the dried chilli bunches hanging from the ceiling. This restaurant another recommendation from the Untold Italy podcast. We tend not to rely much on Google and Trip Advisor reviews when in Italy and instead, try to get tips from trusted locals such as those interviewed on the podcast. The reason for this is the best Italian restaurants are the ones that don’t necessarily have the best online presence, because if the restaurant is that good- they simply don’t need it.

The Amatriciana was the recommended dish at this restaurant. It was certainly better than any I had eaten in Australia, an authentic recipe made with guanciale, pecorino cheese and tomatoes. Many Italian recipes are simple and only use a few ingredients, but the dish requires for these ingredients to be of the best possible quality. Italians have cultivated the best farming practises over the past centuries and generally keep the best produce to themselves, which is why it will be almost impossible to find a better traditional Roman dish outside of Rome. This advice can be applied to all regions of Italy- to get the best out of an Italian culinary experience, it’s highly recommended to stick to dishes that are traditional of that region. If you don’t know what these dishes are- ask your waiter. Italians are very proud of their heritage and traditions and will always happy to recommend local dishes to try.

After our pasta, we shared a Veal Scallopini which we both agreed was the best we have tried yet. This dish is a thin slice of veal topped with sage and prosciutto in a zesty sauce. I am yet to understand how they manage to make such a thin and gamey part of meal become so juicy and tender. The only let down was the wine, but since Lazio isn’t very well known for its wine so I wasn’t expecting much. Overall, the experience at this restaurant was excellent- a great way to start our trip in Italy.

Food 8/10 – Service 8/10 – Ambience 9/10