Trattoria Perilli Luigi e Bernardino

We came here based on the reco of our tour guide as we wanted some pasta and were planning to go see the Pyramid of Cestius (which is just down the street from the restaurant). We walked in thru the non-​descript glass doors. It was the only door that didn’t have a message on it Although it does say Perilli in large letters about 15 feet up on the wall, which we didn’t notice until afterwards. We were the only people in the restaurant who didn’t speak Italian and maybe the first Asians that had walked into the restaurant. But everyone was friendly and promptly seated us. The menus had english and we were able to point to what we wanted. We ordered the carbonara rigatoni, potato gnocchi, roast pork with potatoes and the Roman artichoke. All of it was fantastic and served in large «italian family» style bowls. The rigatoni was peppery and cheesy, and the gnocchi was served with a great tomato-​meat sauce. I probably could have just ordered 5 – 6 pasta dishes to try and been happy. The pork was a slow-​roasted pork where they served a large rib with somewhat crispy skin and some crispy potatoes. The potatoes could have been a bit crispier actually. The artichoke was a great side. It was tender and tasty although there was an aftertaste of alcohol so it might have needed another 15 – 20 min to cook off the alcohol. I’d still order it again though. Although, after ordering, the waiter brought out a plate of oxtail and I immediately had plate-​envy. And it seems that most other reviewers also ordered the oxtail so next time, I’d get that. We ended up spending about 22 Euro per person which is quite fair so I’d definitely come here for another budget meal if we’re in the neighborhood again.

This place is right out of the history books. We walked in and were literally the only non-​Italian speakers in the house. Our tour guide told us that this was his favorite place for pasta carbonara in Rome and had great traditional artichoke side. I’m not a crazy artichoke fan but it was good to try it. Others I went with also had pork, lamb, and gnocchi. We shared. Most of it was pretty tasty and seemed ultra home made. To be honest, most of the dishes were a little bit over salted for me but given its authenticity, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on this one. The waiter was nice though didn’t speak much Italian. All of them looked like they’d worked there for 50 years and knew the place and each other well. It was funny though. We finished our lunch on the late side, around 3 and as we left and walked around, we saw our waiter on the streets as well. He smiled and waved at us. i never would have thought that I would be waving at anyone on the streets of Rome! What a cute mom & pop’s establishment. I’m definitely a fan. If you’re looking for an authentic experience, try this place. It’s steps away from the Pyramid of Caius Cestius, which is attached to an old non-​Christian cemetery where John Keats, the poet, was buried.

Had dinner at Trattoria Perilli after a day visiting the Colosseum, Forum and the Palatine Hill.
Started with Mozzarella and prosciutto followed by rigatoni carbonara and spaghetti all’Amatriciana, Oxtail and lamb with rosemary and vinegar sauce.
The service was wonderful. Our waiter, the older gentleman shown in the picture, claimed to speak 7 languages. A German couple sat next to us but the rest of the restaurant seemed like locals. The oxtail was cooked well and very tender, sauce was good but not overly thick.
Took a long bus ride and another 20 minutes of walk to get to the restaurant. By the time the dinner was over, had to walk back to the bus stop and wait for quite some time, nearly an hour, before the bus arrived for the return trip.
As a tourist, this restaurant is a bit of an adventure to get to but so worth it.

Le restaurant historique du Testaccio. Il est à la hauteur de sa réputation, l’osso bucco, par exemple, est une merveille. Les autres plats aussi sont succulents. Service très sympa et agréable. Une adresse à connaître à Rome !

Authentique spécialité romaine
Bonne adresse ! une ambiance décontractée et sympathique, un excellent accueil… et surtout d’excellentes spécialités …romaines ! les pâtes carbonara sont incontournables après un anipasti de charcuterie romaine. Les viandes sont excellentes… et bien sûr le tiramisu pour terminer. Grande salle conviviale (un peu bruyante) où il fait bon de se retrouver entre amis. Situé un peu à l’écart du centre ville… donc peu de touristes… ce qui fait son charme authentique pour une excellente soirée.