Maccheroni: Roman Cuisine in Rome's Centro Storico

Piazza delle Coppelle 44, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Authentic Roman cuisine footsteps from the Pantheon

“Have you ever been happily in love?” – a kid asked me once.

“Yes, fortunately I have!” – I said.

“Really? And what does it feel like?”

“Hmm…” – I tried to think of the right words that could easily describe the feeling, but I couldn’t think of any other metaphor than food. So I responded:

“Do you remember the first time you tried Roman carbonara? That right amount of eggs, guanciale and pecorino? That’s pretty much like love. You are happy when it’s on the table, you are savouring every bite and you are sad, when it’s gone.”

Since we are living in this capitalistic world, it is not easy to find an authentic, central, non-touristy restaurant, where the food is molto buono, where the chefs are following those traditional recipes. In other words, restaurants where a plate of pasta could remind you of love.

I have been living in Rome since 2015 and I was sure I knew pretty much everything about this city. But a few days ago, Rome surprised me once again! While running aimlessly through the narrow streets of the centro storico, I discovered this very cute, cozy and authentic place called “Maccheroni”. It’s located in Piazza Delle Coppelle, right in the heart of one of Rome’s most ancient neighbourhoods, just a stone’s throw from piazza Navona and the Pantheon. But wait, what?! A real Roman restaurant in such a famous and crowded neighbourhood? You must be kidding me…

Even though Maccheroni has been open for ages, the restaurant has maintained and emphasized the delightful details of its rustic structure, for an ambience that is inimitably welcoming and warm. The building leads you into the most lively Roman tradition, so you can still smell the air of the late Renaissance that saw the alleys of the capital populate the most characteristic shops. A vintage decor, old pictures and an open glass kitchen concept that helps you create the connection between the guest and the chef. More than 70 seats, inside and outside, the place itself feels cozy and familiar, calm and tranquil. Here you will find something for all tastes and for all companies.

Maccheroni’s menu offers true, traditionally homemade Roman cuisine, as well as Italian regional specialities. The menu tries to respect a precise culinary philosophy: seasonality. And of course, the wine selection – either the house wine, Chianti or other of Italy’s finest labels – is vast and goes well with the dishes inspired by Roman tradition.

Maccheroni offers an extremely pleasant and refined environment where the cuisine takes advantage of the freshness of the ingredients. Just a few floors under, there is the “secondary” kitchen. There, over a locked door, the real magic happens. It is the place, where magicians (or: the guys) make fresh pasta and tiramisù every single day. It’s official – “Maccheroni” will become your next Roman-dream-come-true.