Tonnarello Photos
Tonnarello Popular Desserts
TONNARELLO ATMOSPHERE
Recommended Reviews - Tonnarello
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
I had heard this is a "tourist trap" with long lines and mediocre food. But with 108 thousands reviews on Google, how could I not be intrigued? We arrived around 12:30pm on a Friday in July. We were seated right away! Again my hopes were not too high and again I was pleasantly surprised! There are four pastas that you MUST try when in Rome as they say. Amatriciana, carbonara, cacio e pepe, and grica. I decided to try the amatriciana here and oh my! It's going to be my go to from now on! The sauce mixture of tomatoes and cheese was heaven! The presentation of being served in a pan was a nice touch. I would definitely avoid the pizza though. Not worth the tummy space. But do be sure to save some room for the tiramisu! It had a different flavor from most that was intriguing. Don't listen to the haters saying it's overhyped. If you have the opportunity I would say go for it and judge for yourself!
Found this place off social media as recommended to try their Cacio e Pepe. I'm not a huge fan of Italian food but.. when in Rome...you get the Cacio e Pepe. I got a side of meatballs to add some protein to my meal and focaccia because who can skip bread! Limoncello spritz was delicious. I could have had 10 more. The pasta itself was great, very cheesy and salty. With a hint of pepper. I will say adding the meatballs was a pro move. I wish they had that as a menu option so you don't have to pay an ungodly price at the end! Great experience to dine outdoors, but they also have air conditioned seats indoors. 10/10!
This restaurant was my favorite carbonara dish! Everything was delicious & freshly made & to top it off they had Moscato which I had a hard time finding in Rome. My family took me here for my birthday & I was very pleased with the food & service. The bathroom is located upstairs where they have another area to dine as well as an outdoor area. The bathroom is unisex with 2 stalls for woman & 1 for men. This place was busy but the staff didnt lack in service. We waited about 15mins to be served. The decor is cute. When back in Rome, this will be my #1 stop.
Can't get no more Italiano, then Tonnarello. As you approach the young maître ď he will ask how many in your Party you either line up with the 3 or more group or the party of 2 line. On the 3 or more line it moved quickly then next question do you want to eat outside or inside. Outside your wait will be longer and though there were many tables people tend to want to soak up the energy that comes from eating outside. The food was excellent my coda alla vaccinara was fantastic 3 large oxtails stewed in a tomato sauce served with purée mashed potatoes and salad. My wife and daughter decided to go with the Carbonara and my grandson chose the Tonnarello alľ amatriciana. I also tried the Fanta soda definitely not the Fanta you get in the US. I highly suggest checking this bustling area and restaurant out.
Best carbonara I had in Italy, 9/10. Granted I didn't have many. Pizza was okay, 6/10. Sauce didn't have any flavor, crust was a bit thicker than I would have liked. Service was quick. It was a bit crampy inside but that's just how most restaurants in Italy are, especially the popular ones
Hubs wanted to try this cuz it was one of the oldest restaurants around and had 100k reviews on Google! Wow! Food good and hubs enjoyed his pizza with egg as a topping. The salad though was excellent! Fried artichoke is a must! Tried an Aperol Spritz cuz everyone was drinking them! Lol. It looks pretty but was just ok for me. Instead of Limoncello to end our meal with they gave us something called Neroni which they said was more herbal based and aided digestion. One of the bigger restaurants we had been too. Arnold our server that took over for our initial one was excellent! So positive, cheerful and on the ball. I've learned that restrooms are a premium lol. We sat inside and it was nice and cool. Loved that they decorated with some vintage pieces.
We enjoyed dinner at Tonnarello near the Pantheon. My son Cole order the Cacio de pepe meatballs with focaccia and I ordered the pasta carbonara. My sister Paola ordered the Oxtail and my niece the meatballs in spaghetti sauce. We shared the dishes and had mixed reviews. Cole didn't like the meatball he picked. They came out all white with out any sauce served with spinach and potatoes. The pasta carbonara was too rich a without any sauce. I am probably not the best judge of what makes a good carbonara as I have gotten used to how I make it at home. The Oxtail was excellent. Probably one of the best dishes we had on our vacation. My niece enjoyed the meatballs in red sauce and wouldn't share. ;). Focaccia was very thin. Not what I'm used too. Good flavor though. The service was slow and the server was not attentive. I requested to start with tiramisu and she didnt bring it out until after. At that point we were full and declined. Getting a drink refill was slow and she kept getting it wrong by being us dishes and drinks meant for other tables.
November 10th, 2024, Sunday @ 12:33PM- There was a line to get in but it moved quickly. This is definitely a tourist trap with huge social media presence. Service was okay. We ordered crispy Roman artichoke appetizer, good flavor but it was cold. We shared 2 pastas - carbonara and amatriciana.... The carbonara is definitely pecorino dominate as it was gamey/barnyardy with the sheep-y taste than then 50/50 pecorino/parmesan I'm used to... understanding that pecorino is the most traditional choice, it was too gamey for me. The amatriciana was tasty but nothing to call home for. Just as I thought this was a complete flop we decided to order a couple tiramisus to finish the meal. They really redeemed themselves, the tiramisu was divine and oh so delicious. I still think about those tiramisus. Without the dessert this would have been a 2-3 stars place but I'd come back to give them another try with different dishes next time I'm in town. Seriously would just come back for the tiramisus.... It was that good.
Great service, fast seating. We sat inside but I think there's usually a wait to eat outside. The food was fast and decent I would rate it about a 6, 6.5 it's a little salty for my liking but it's all perspective.
Service was great. My lasagna had 2 bits of foil in it and tasted a little off.Good atmosphere.
Have to agree with the other reviews. It's a Tourist trap. They were flipping tables quicker than the servers they were giving us. They're clearly was catering to us like Americans. The food was OK. It didn't feel like it was made with love. The Caprese salad was extremely disappointing. Overall not bad food but not what I was expecting for authentic Italian
There are better places! Overhyped and lacking flavour. None of the dishes we ordered were good, sauce either lacked flavour or the dish was overly salty. I was rather disappointed since it was such a hyped restaurant! Service was decent but the whole restaurant was cramped and everyone always rushing you to finish. It was not the typical Italian 4 course dinner I was use to. It felt more American and our bill was given to us without asking for it. We felt like we were being kicked out and we hadn't finish our dessert yet. Most restaurants in Italy would also offer a grappa/liemcello or digestive at the end on the house, they just offer us a lollipop.
My group and I wanted to check out another place for aperitivo and since we walked a lot today, we wanted somewhere close by. We walked by this restaurant with a board stating €10 for 2 Aperol Spritz and some light bites - sounds fun! That was exactly what we got + a wine for my boyfriend. The drinks were much smaller than the other places we've been to which makes sense as it was only €5. But it was strong! My mom and I were immediately flushed, and she felt kind of tipsy. Maybe it was the lack of carbs we got but it was definitely much stronger than the previous restaurants we've been to. I also made a joke to our waitress that it was strong, and she definitely judged me quite hard for it LOL. We received a small board of the light bites that included French fries, flatbreads, and bruschetta. Everything was ok except the bruschetta, omg. That was AMAZING. The flavors of the bruschetta were probably one of the best I've ever had. It was a bummer that we only had two to share amongst the three of us but so so so good. I was thinking of ordering another drink but both me and my mom could barely finish one (lol, we're lightweights). We also ordered their Meatballs in Oxtail Sauce and Focaccia as our waitress recommended it with the sauce. The meatballs were delicious! It fell apart easily and wasn't gummy like some of the ones in America. There was some oxtail meat inside the meatball as well. The focaccia with the sauce was sooo good. It was a great recommendation even though there wasn't much sauce from the meatballs. We also really liked the chicory greens. Overall, an okay restaurant in my opinion. It is a little on the pricier side since I feel like it's more catered to tourists after a day at the Vatican City. We didn't get to try anything else besides the two things which probably annoyed our waitress but the pizzas and pastas looked good per Google! P.S. there is a mandatory 5% service charge included in the bill. Not a bad amount considering we did not need to pay for the water.
4 months ago
1 year ago
3 years ago
When in Iraly, pasta. We were scared when we saw the long line to Tonnarello! But, the other half of our group stumbled upon the second location and texted us to meet them there. No wait, plenty of seating. Of course, fresh pasta is good. Tonnarello is generous with its portions. Definitely get a pasta and an order of meatballs! The spinach that comes with the meatballs is a tad too salty, but the garlicky goodness was appreciated! Ordered: Carbonara Pasta, Meatballs in Red Sauce read more
9 months ago
2 years ago
NUT ALLERGY BEWARE - all the dishes that have beef are cross-contaminated with walnuts. I called them after having an allergic reaction to lasagna bolognese. (Jesus Christ.) They said they make the meatballs with walnuts, and all the beef is handled in the same area. This is not disclosed on the menu -- the meatballs and the bolognese menu items do not mention nuts at all. Attached are screenshots of the English menu. Note that there are no mentions of nuts for these items. read more
9 months ago
2 years ago
This place is way overhyped. Not sure what all the fuss is about. The food was just OK. Not bad but nothing special. Many people recommended the meatballs with oxtail ragu, they honestly just tasted like regular meatballs. If you want oxtail it's better to find someplace that is serving Coda alla Vacinarra. I prefer my carbonara with crispy guanciale sprinkled over the top, but they serve it mixed in with the pasta sauce so its soggy. There's a lot of better places to eat in Rome . read more
Better than its sister restaurant. Wasn't planning on going here but the restaurant I had on my itinerary ended up being closed so I figured I'd check it out. Sure enough there was a queue but it did move quickly and the system was very organised for how big the place is. Outdoor seating is nice. This time I got the salad again (lol) and was pleasantly surprised that not only was the ratio of lettuce to tomatoes not deranged but it was also dressed lightly with olive oil. I tried the rigatoni with pesto which imo was better than the Cacio e pepe by a mile. Reasonable Al dente, pesto was nice, portion was large, overall a very tasty dish for €11. Disappointment was the carciofi but not significantly. I would absolutely not get it again and it would have benefited heavily from a dipping sauce but it certainly wasn't terrible. Again, better than nonnarella. Not sure if it's worth the hype but I would go back and even recommend. read more
Remarkable restaurant with friendly hostesses, waiters, and waitresses! What a fun, lighthearted place to have an appetizing dinner & a soul-warming bottle of wine (outside or inside)! It's located right in the heart of the Trastavere neighborhood in Rome! So happy we stumbled upon it! read more
Pros: service with a smile, super fast and efficient. Ambience was ok since we were seated inside, insist on outside if you want ambience. Cool area. Food: the meat/cheese/plate for€19 was our favorite.. we did get way too much food to try. The drinks were also good, aperol spritz & house red. The fried artichoke was also good, a healthier version of fries perhaps- we had to try it. We also ordered chicory - was also decent. The pastas were ok... i recalled carbonara i had last time i was in Rome to be superior to the one here, the caccio pepe not my favorite here either, both were ok but not great... the pastascuitta by the vatican was superior to this place for being fast food.. they make 6 pasta dishes only, definitely better than here for €7 each... Overall, it was good but disappointed in the pasta dishes. read more
4 months ago
Found this restaurant suggestion via Instagram prior to our trip. We were in the area during lunch one day so we decided to stop by. The line for a table starts across the street/ally from the restaurant. There were probably 3 parties in front of us and the line moved very fast (there is lots of indoor and outdoor seating). We were greeted promptly once we sat and had drink orders taken and brought out right away. We started with the carciofo which is a fried artichoke. It was really good, well seasoned and a good start to the meal. We then ordered the bufalina and salsiccia e patate (sausage, potato and cheese). The pizzas were large and having ordered an appetizer we probably could have split a pizza. Everything was delicious and the perfect food for lunch. Service was efficient as well. read more
This place has a very long queue line during the lunch and dinner rush hours. i went during lunch and stayed on line for about 15mins it was moving a long and totally worth it the food is phenomenal try up to 2-3 things to share i got buffalo cheese pizza and meatballs in oxtail sauce and cacio pepe pasta all of these were a hit i loved the food the waiter staff takes a long time to take your order when we asked for ice i had to ask 3 times but i get it's totally busy so no worries the food came quick anyways the ambiance well i didn't sit inside but outdoors and it's pretty cozy lots of loud noise max cars passing by and you can see the staff always direct people to the queue A+ 9/10 read more
Tonnarello is a super popular restaurant in Trastevere serving Roman cuisine, and while the tables were plentiful, the number of diners was too! We started our meal with a few typical Roman appetizers: Carciofo alla Giudia (fried artichoke) and the Fried Mix, which included rice balls made with Amatriciana (tomato, pork, cheese), Bolognese (tomato and ground meat), Cacio e Pepe (cheese and pepper); as well as potato croquettes. We also had the Borgo Salad made of arugula topped with smoked salmon, feta, and walnuts. While decent, the appetizers were all on the small side, and the smoked salmon was far too salty and difficult to consume. The best dishes here were definitely the mains. The Abbacchio came with generous chunks of super tender, meaty bone-in lamb served with roasted potatoes. My favorite dish was the Meatballs in Oxtail Sauce, which came with three beef meatballs in an unctuous tomato-based sauce, served with chicory (greens cooked with garlic and chili) and roasted potatoes. The meatballs were super tender, the oxtail tomato sauce was perfect for dipping with bread, and the chicory had a nice spicy, earthy flavor. Though some of the dishes could have been better, the food here made for a satisfying, delicious meal, and the service was friendly and attentive too! read more
2 years ago
The Italian man sitting next to us in the flight to Rome recommended Tonnarello as the best food in Rome I have to say we couldn't agree more. The food was amazing, sitting in a plaza in Trastevere at lunchtime was roman perfection. read more
If you are looking for the foodie spot, head over to travestere in Rome. Close your eyes and you will find great food. Tonnarello is well known (look at any review site). There are two lines, one for parties 2 or less and 3 or more. The line looks intimidating but it moves rather quickly. We were in a line probably 50 deep and waited 30/35 mins. You can get a drink at the bar but their cocktails are very small so be prepared. The servers are very nice and move quickly. They aren't pushy but efficient compared to most spots in Rome. Got the fried artichoke, it's so simple but very good. I appreciate it wasn't breaded and is lightly salted. I got the carbonara, cooked perfectly and wife got the spaghetti and meatballs. She devoured it. It was plenty of food. Next time we will do 1 appetizer, 1 pasta and 1 secondi. read more
From Chicago, first time at Tonnarello. My daughter said it was highly rated on TikTok, so we decided to try it. Here are some things to consider: --there was a long wait (2/5). We probably waited for 50-60 minutes before we got seated. --once we got seated, the service (5/5) was excellent. --we sat inside and were in a smaller, narrow room with 3 other tables. One table was loud and fun but made it harder to talk and hear one another. --we ordered the focaccia bread (4.5/5) as a starter and it was very good, a generous amount of olive oil. --I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs (3/5) for my main entree. It had the look and smell of spaghettios (Campbell's, in a can). The taste was obviously better, but it made it hard for me to enjoy : ) --for dessert we ordered the tiramisu. I don't like t-masu, so we got a second dessert. However, I LOVED the tiramisu and had to eat crow for ordering a 2nd dessert for our table. Overall, recommended! read more
As per our family tradition, we always choose a restaurant to end our last day. I was chatting with one of my Yelpers, Simon W., who had visited Rome one month before I got here. Simon: don't leave there without trying a fried Roman artichoke. I had one at Tonnarello. Me: Holy shhhh!! Simon, I'm literally in a taxi right now on my way to Tonnarello. He gave me a heads up that there will be two lines formed, one for 2 people and the other for 3+. A very smart system. Even though it was not at the height of dinnertime yet, the place was packed. We got to be the first in the 3+ line and were seated in less than 5 minutes. Service was prompt with the menus placed and water poured. They came back to take our order without us flagging them down. Here is what we had: - Fried Roman Artichoke (tastes like potato chips with the center heart still soft) So Delish!! Get it! - Meatballs with Oxtail Sauce and Scalloped Potatoes (O...M...G) - Oxtails (my fave of the night, plump and fall off the bone tender) - Carbonara (my son went nuts for this pasta dish) - Saltimbocca (my son didn't share this veal wrapped in Parma ham) I will say that I couldn't enjoy this entire meal because I was already very full from eating all day. Lol. I mean, I wasn't even hungry. I'm glad we got to sit outside. The street view was gorgeous and I love people watching. The neighborhood is quaint. Take the time to stroll along all the boutiques and artisic shops. read more
3 years ago
Came here because of a recommendation from a coworker who recently visited Tonnarello and really loved it. My feeling is that it's just A-OK. Foods was not bad but for me it was not worth the hype. I did ordered a lot for two people because I wanted to try different things since I heard about this restaurant so much. The salad was OK. I wish they miss in the dressing instead of having us put olive oil and balsamic salt and pepper ourselves. I loved the corn in the salad and the zucchini was nice too. The cheese was nice. Then we got the main dish, the focaccia was still nowhere to be found. Very strange to serve the bread last, but oh well. Pasta Nonna Nadia was ok. The chicken was falling off the bone soft but honestly I can easily make this at home. The best part was there potatoes. These potatoes were really tasty. After we're almost done with the main dish, the focaccia came! Very weird. Regardless, the bread was nice crispy and toasty, I ate it more than I thought I would. All in all, not a bad restaurant but if you ask me whether it deserves this hype, I don't think so. Personally I wouldn't recommend Tonnarello as a must try. But if you're in the area and the line is short, why not? Food was not bad. read more
5 months ago
We waited 40 min to be seated at this restaurant. It wasn't a pleasant wait but it also wasn't bad. Our server was great and the atmosphere overall in Rome is nice for this spot. We ordered a few dishes; salad was good. Suppli was alright but not worth it to be honest. Pasta and meatballs were amazing though and definitely recommend those. Nice spot to visit in Rome. read more
2 years ago
Best focaccia I have ever tasted! Crispy with a soft interior served hot with olive oil drizzle, rosemary and salt. Also tried the Italian classic cacio e Pepe which was also so delicious. Gummy noodles with a cheesy sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan and black pepper. Tremendous. We saw a line for this place on previous nights and now know why. Service was quick, but not quite as attentive as other restaurants we've tried where there is more of a family feel. Absolutely must try! read more
The food, service and ambiance all for the bill to my liking. This place is all over tik tok so I decided to give it a whirl. From a long day site seeing and walking the Colosseum, we decided to waltz over to Trastevere and try this place out. We sat inside due to weather, or else we would have sat outdoors, which I much prefer. We started with the stuffed ball appetizer and shared the carbonara. It was a lot of food. Very rich in taste and filling. This was our first time trying carbonara and in Italy to boot, and we were satisfied with this dish. It is definitely an acquired taste and comes on strong to the palate, so be forewarned. It's thick. Happy to have tried it. If you are in the Trastevere neighborhood, I highly recommend you try. Bon appétit! read more
2 years ago
Trendy and tik tok famous in Trastevere. Every video about food in Rome includes Tonnarello or Mamarella (same company). Service is friendly and attentive. We got seated right away with no reservation. The other restaurants had long lines. Food came out quick and was very good. It's definitely all TikTok friendly and tasty. I got a cacio e Pepe meatballs, great sauce, great meatballs. Others in my party got pizza, not bad, not great. But tasted fresh and what you want from a Roman pinsa. Tiramisu, we've been eating and rating them all, was good. Par for the course. Great place to eat good food in trastevere. If that one is full walk around the block bc there are 3 all very close to each other. read more
9 months ago
Amazing, such great service, fast and very mindful about our allergies, nice and quiet great for a family outing although indoors is kinda small out doors is big. Love love love did not disappoint. Food tastes amazingly authentic read more
Piero was our server and he was so amazing and sweet! The food was above and beyond. I shared food with other people I got food with. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating. It was so nice. There was a queue but that's how you know it's an amazing restaurant. read more
1 year ago
Went around 10pm and it was full! Lucky we got seated quickly and we got our food ordered. The cacio e pepe was delicious! read more
1 year ago
This was our first meal in Italy, and it was absolutely delicious! It was within walking distance from our housing in Trastevere. They don't take reservations, and the line was fairly long, but it moved rather quickly! We were sat outside, and we ordered the calamari, the focaccia, the carbonara, the amatriciana, and the tonnarello with polpette (their take on pasta with red sauce and meatballs). The calamari were large, fried to perfection, and so tasty. The foccacia was airy and crispy and you could tell it was fresh! The best pasta for me was the carbonara, but I may be biased. I love a creamy, eggy, salty carbonara! We finished the meal with the panna cotta, and it was seriously the best panna cotta I have ever had. It was so creamy and light, and it was the perfect way to end our first meal. The service was friendly and quick, and they spoke enough English to cater to tourists who don't speak much or any Italian like me. Overall, a great establishment, and a must when you're in Rome! read more
10 months ago
Walked right in and was seated surprisingly, just timed it right I guess! We started with cocktails and then had a series of shared plates. The meatballs were fabulous, along with a salmon salad and rice balls. Great service and the prices are fair. We will probably venture back to one of their locations this week to give the pasta a try! Edited to add we ended up coming back a second time for pastas and again, fabulous food. Highly recommend! read more
American tourists coming for huge lunch after a day at the Basilica and Vatican Museum. Service here was 5/5 - the staff were fun and accommodating, especially seeing how gross and sweaty we all were. Incredibly busy on a weekday afternoon, but we were seated quickly. Lots of tourists and locals eating here alike, and they have two locations in case one place is more full of customers than the other. Ordered an assortment of pizzas, a caprese salad, and several pastas for our group of 5. Pizzas were decent, but I was not a huge fan of the pastas. Felt the sauce type was different in that it's more of an emulsified cheese with several of the sauces tasting similar. I have a personal preference for thinner spaghetti noodles, and this restaurant does it thicker and Al dente to the point that a few noodles start to feel very filling. Would Recommend to try if you're nearby. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
My 4 day accommodations in Rome was located in Trastevere, so, lucky for me, I was able to try a lot of different restaurants in this area. Tonnarello stands out as having the best food overall. I highly recommend coming with a group and sharing many different items, family style. Everything we ordered (from favorite to least favorite): -- Tonnarello cacio e pepe: I LOVE pasta and Tonnarello makes great pasta. This was cheesy creamy heaven -- Tonnarello amatriciana: another pasta dish but with a red sauce. Delicious chewy, perfectly Al dente noodles -- Diavola pizza: decent pizza with lots of cheese but the best was the giant spicy salami on top, so good! -- cartoccio di calamari: I'm actually a bit shocked that Roman restaurants don't typically have calamari? I wish it were crispier but the calamari tasted very fresh -- meatballs in oxtail sauce: great flavor but the meatballs were actually a bit raw in the middle? We did not get sick from the meal though -- Trastevere salad: really large, good to offset all the greasy carbs we ordered More than the food, I was amazed at the service. Incredibly efficient and well-run despite the large amount of tables and diners. This restaurant is actually HUGE with a lot of outdoor seating across the street. We arrived at 11:30pm and were seated immediately. At 12 a line started to form. By 13:00 the line was down the street! I recommend coming early because they do not take reservations. Our service was quick and our food came out fast. The same could be said for all the tables near us. read more
Phenomenal food! On google it says they open at 11am, but they open whenever the kitchen is ready, which is actually closer to 11:40. Be here early, otherwise be prepared to wait. This place doesn't take reservations, so as long as you're willing to queue, you're in luck! It's nice to have the opportunity to eat at amazing restaurants without reservations, because I honestly forget to book reservations in time, especially when you're only in town a few days. We definitely over ordered here, but if there's a place to over order and try all things Roman and Italian, it's definitely at Tonnarello. The appetizer of fried artichoke is a must have, along with the cacio e pepe. The meatballs are a plus in large groups and if you have room to spare as the meatballs are large and hearty. I personally enjoyed the amatriciana, as I grew up on Italian American food as opposed to Italian food as the pasta is quite saucy, but may not be for everyone. This place is the first place where I actually enjoyed the cacio e pepe (definitely starting to grow on me, so great place to try if you haven't). Wish I had room for more! read more
11 months ago
1 year ago
2 years ago
The food was the best we had in Rome and Florence , it's a must have and the waiter was great gilliano was pleasant and great the calamari was the best .I will go back. read more
More info about Tonnarello
Via della Paglia 1
00153 Rome
Italy
Trastevere
Directions
06 5806404
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.tonnarello.it
Hours
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
Tonnarello Reviews in Other Languages
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
14 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
2 years ago
4 years ago
2 months ago
2 years ago
1 year ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
8 years ago
7 years ago
4 years ago
7 years ago
7 years ago
