Rome Testaccio And Ostiense

Testaccio is known among Roman residents as one of the best spots for high-quality, well-priced food. Its location farther from the sights means it evades the tourist crowds of the city center. Whether you want an upscale restaurant or a cheaper trattoria, you won't have any trouble finding it here.

Il Novecento, V. dei Conciatori 10 (☎06 57 25 04 45; www.9cento.com), Fresh. Homemade. Family-run. You've heard these adjectives used all too often to describe Italian cuisine, but here, they actually come to life. Watch the owner's son roll out pasta dough, cut it into tagliatelle, and dump it into boiling water before it ends up on your plate topped with their own pesto (€9). If pasta isn't your thing, then how about pizza or roasted meat—again, you can see both sliced and diced minutes before you eat them. Though the wood-lined rooms up front are especially cozy, try to grab a table in the huge dining room in back so you can take in all the kitchen action. B: Piramide. Walk down V. Ostiense and make a right onto V. dei Conciatori. Open M-F 12:30-2:30pm and 7:30-11pm, Sa-Su 7:30-11pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
Farinando, V. Lucca della Robbia 30 (☎06 57 50 674), At Farinando, you can get top-notch pizza by the kilo or pie, huge calzones, and anything from cookies to fruit tarts without having to pay for expensive table service or retreat to a park bench. Stock up before hitting the long V. Ostiense for some sightseeing. B: Piramide. Walk up V. Marmorata; turn left onto V. Galvani and right onto V. Lucca della Robbia. Calzones €3. Whole pizzas €4-7, €7-18 per kg. Open M-Th 7:30am-2pm and 4:30-8:30pm, F 7:30am-9pm, Sa 5-9pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access.
La Maison de l'Entrecôte, P. Gazometro 1 (☎06 57 43 091; www.lamaisondelentrecote.it), You don't need a plane ride or a time machine if you want to return to bohemian Paris: just retreat to Le Maison's dim downstairs, where stained-glass lamps and slow music put you at ease. The small menu lets you pair classic French dishes like cheesy onion soup (€7) with Italian staples. Try their crema gelato topped with Grand Marnier. Check out the antique mirror and the 10% discounted menu scribbled atop it, then check yourself to see if your cheeks are pink like Moulin Rouge from the wine you've been sipping. B: Ostiense. Walk down V. Marmorata away from Piramide for 5min. and turn right onto P. Gazometro. Open Tu-Th 1-3pm and 8pm-midnight, F-Sa 8pm-midnight. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
Osteria degli Amici, V. Nicola Zabaglia 25 (☎06 57 81 466; www.osteriadegliamici.info), Besides the excellent cheese-topped pasta dishes, there's nothing cheesy about this place. Enjoy hot saffron risotto sprinkled with smoked Scamorza cheese and drizzled in balsamic vinegar while downing a glass of their stellar wine (whose cork might get added to the gigantic collection up front). If the relaxed setting makes you want to linger, split a spicy chocolate souffle—almost as hot as the entrees—with your amico, who's hopefully bringing the heat as well. B: Piramide. Walk up V. Marmorata; turn right onto V. Luigi Vanvitelli and left onto V. Nicola Zabaglia. Open W-Su 12:30-3pm and 7:30pm-midnight. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has air conditioning.
L'Oasi di Birra, P. Testaccio 40 (☎06 57 46 122), Most liquor menus round off their selection at a few pages, but this two-floor mecca of food and alcohol has six pages devoted to Belgian beer alone. It requires a book to catalogue the rest of their international collection, which also includes wine, grappa, rum, and whiskey. The floor-to-ceiling bottles (both upstairs and down) probably make up less than 10% of their actual collection. The best way to tackle the menu is to order a bottle for the table (some upwards of €200) and match it up with a few six- or eight-variety plates of salumi, cheese, or bruschetta which come in nearly as many combinations as the alcohol. If you're bad at making decisions, drop in during happy hour when you can endlessly sample the goods for only €10 at the aperitivo buffet. B: Piramide. Walk up V. Marmorata and turn left onto P. Testaccio. Also carries a small selection of bottled food products. Bruschette €8. Open M-Sa 4:30pm-12:30am, Su 7:30pm-12:30am. Happy hour 5-8:30pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
Felice a Testaccio, V. Mastro Giorgio 29 (☎06 57 46 800; www.feliceatestaccio.com), Sunday, Monday, happy days..except replace happy with felice and make that every day at this place. Part of a rotating selection of seven entrees each day, the plates here are among the freshest and best in Testaccio. If you're picky, choose your day wisely: Friday is particularly fish heavy (and consequently more expensive), while Wednesday might be a good day for vegetarians given that it's the day they serve up their special rigatoni pasta and Roman broccoli (only in season; €10). You can count on finding an assortment of Roman standards—prepared far above the standard—which are made daily and are the only things served on Sunday. B: Piramide. Walk up V. Marmorata; turn left onto V. Galvani and right onto V. Mastro Giorgio. Open M-Sa 12:30-2:45pm and 8-11:30pm, Su 12:30-2:45pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
Cacio e Cocci, V. del Gazometro 36 (☎06 57 46 419), In case you didn't know you were in an hostaria, there's a 5 ft. sign hanging on the yellow walls reminding you where you are. Cacio e Cocci has been making traditional Roman dishes since 1944; pick up a menu and you'll see a 1960 (the year the sign was inaugurated) shot of the restaurant and its proud mother. Since then, specialties like the ricotta ravioli with oranges (€10) and fresh fish plates like spaghetti with clams, zucchini, and saffron keep locals streaming in. Though it could be a casual dinner spot, the best deal is the €9 lunch menu, which includes a contorno, primo, water, and coffee. B: Ostiense. Walk down V. Ostiense; turn right onto V. dei Magazzini Generali and immediately left onto V. del Gazometro. Open M-Sa noon-3pm and 7-11:30pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
Linari, V. Nicola Zabaglia 9 (☎06 57 82 358; www.pasticcerialinari.it), If you closed your eyes, the sound of clinking plates and busy counter orders might have you thinking you were in an American diner. In fact, with its small tables, counter stools, and sunny feel, Linari isn't far off. Instead of ordering a banana split or sundae, you'd be best off indulging in homemade gelato atop apple strudel or perhaps one of the fresh-made, heavenly pralines (€5 per etto). Nab a table at breakfast or lunch or stand at the bar Frank Sinatra style while sipping on a happy hour cocktail (€4). B: Piramide. Walk up V. Marmorata; turn right onto V. Luigi Vanvitelli and left onto V. Nicola Zabaglia. Seating only at breakfast and lunch. Happy hour buffet with drink €6. Gelato €2-2.50. Open M 6:30am-9:30pm, W-Su 6:30am-9:30pm. Happy hour 6-9pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.