Romans have been flocking to Checchino dal 1887 since the early 19th century for fun and hearty food. With a bountiful array of wine and foodstuffs, every meal seems like a party. The tables are packed nightly, and the place is a local legend. You'll have fun while still enjoying some of the best cuisine in town.

This small restaurant, only a few blocks from the marvelous Testaccio food market, is a fine, if not famous place to eat the “fifth quarter” specialties. What I will always return for, however, is the fabulously rich spaghetti alla carbonara. It’s a hard choice, though: Also excellent are the tonnarelli cacio e pepe – thick, spaghetti-length pasta with pecorino and pepper, the rigatoni all’Amatriciana, and, for those who do, indeed, like offal, the rigatoni with pajata -- intestines. They are not nearly as funky as you would imagine, or perhaps even wish they were. A very stylish crowd has discovered this small, unprepossessing trattoria, and they dote, too, on the roast baby lamb, the Roman-style chicken alla cacciatora, which is chicken braised with rosemary and white wine and no tomatoes (I highly recommend it), and the excellent straccetti, paper thin slices of beef very quickly sautéed and served with wild rucola (arugula) salad. Though the menu offers English translations, the “in” crowd is totally Italian. By the way, “Oio” is the nickname of the chef/owner. He’s big man, so he’s called Olly, after Oliver Hardy. He pops out of his small kitchen once in a while, to greet regulars and friends. It is his fabulously brassy wife who runs the dining room with skill.

Traditional Roman-style trattoria - the owner might be a bit on the grumpy side but the food is delicious and home made.

The best place in town for Pizza Romana - and it's in Testaccio, the city's hottest night spot, so you can bar-hop afterwards.

The ‘Oasis of Beer’ has over 500 brews on offer, including beers from award-winning Italian micro-breweries. The selection of wines by the bottle is almost as impressive. Food ranges from snacks (crostini, bruschette, a well-stocked cheese board) to full-scale meals with a Teutonic slant.