La Villetta In Roma

30/08/2025: A treat in the Ostiense neighborhood, I'm out of words to describe the wonderful culinary experiences you can have at this trattoria, which just underwent a makeover this year. The atmosphere is very family-friendly, the staff are polite and professional—in short, a perfect example of an osteria of this caliber. About two years ago, I had my first experience here at Pennestri, with their typically old-school Roman dishes—I'm talking about gricia—and I was already impressed by the balance of flavors and the overall quality of the ingredients. Their offerings, in my humble opinion, are very interesting. The dishes aren't overly elaborate, almost home-cooked, but at the same time they have their own character and personality. Looking at the menu, I can tell that this trattoria doesn't shy away from serving only traditional Roman dishes, but rather takes a tour of Italy. Among the appetizers, you'll find caponata, as well as pasta shapes like pici, which originate from central Italy. Today I opted for tradition, at least for the first course. I chose maltagliati with chicken giblets and pecorino cheese, and a tart with onions and robiola. The first course was spectacularly flavorful, with well-spiced egg pasta, perfectly blended, smooth and not thick—just how I like it. I appreciated the fact that the giblets were cut like giblets, the classic small pieces. And I'll go further, since I also had excellent warm bread, I even had to mop it up. The appetizer was good, with onions providing a sweetish note that contrasted with the goat's cheese flavor of the robiola. Then there was the shortcrust pastry, which was cooked just right, I think, also to better dry out the insides, given that the onions, as we know, release moisture. Total cost €30 plus water, bread, and service.

30/08/2025: Fantastic, as usual. Food is amazing and the people are even better. Highly recommended!