Da Cesare al Casaletto

Tucked in the residential Monteverde Vecchio neighbourhood far from the tourist circuit, Da Cesare is where Roman food critics go on their night off. The antipasti platter is the definitive opening move: fried supplì, battered courgette flowers, crispy artichokes, and a rotating cast of seasonal starters that could constitute a meal on their own. The signature fried gnocchi with cacio e pepe sauce turns a Roman classic inside out. Pasta courses follow the canon — amatriciana, gricia, carbonara — but executed with an obsessive attention to ingredient quality. The dining room spills into a garden in summer. Reserve at least a few days ahead; word has gotten out.