Ristorante La Tavernaccia Da Bruno

"Bruno Persiani, an Umbrian transplant to the Italian capital, opened this homey trattoria in southern Trastevere in 1968 to serve a mix of dishes from Umbria and Rome. Tavernaccia is now run by Persiani’s daughters and Sardinian son-in-law, who throws in a few of his own regional specialties like suckling pig cooked in the wood-fired oven. The fresh pastas are excellent (especially Sunday’s lasagna, which sells out fast), and the wood oven-roasted brisket is otherworldly. Organic and natural wines from Italy and Slovenia round out the wine list. The service is patient and unbelievably kind — far from the norm in the Italian capital, so don’t get used to it." - Katie Parla

"You may finish your lunch at La Tavernaccia Da Bruno and walk out wondering “What year is it?” Or more importantly, “When can I move in?” You’ll be at this Trastevere spot for a long time, not only because their hefty wine list reads like a novel, but because they serve comfort food so good, you simply won’t want to leave. It’s one of the best places to try some of Italy’s greatest hits, like cheesy eggplant parmigiana, hearty coda alla vaccinara, and thick slices of oven-roasted maialino, a.k.a. suckling pig. On Sundays, though, their five-layered lasagna with its crisp edges is a must-try. And save room for whatever the dessert of the day is, especially if it’s the perfectly moist and chocolatey torta caprese. " - gillian mcguire, annie replogle

"You may finish your lunch at La Tavernaccia Da Bruno and walk out wondering “What year is it?” Or more importantly, “When can I move in?” You’ll be at this Trastevere spot for a long time, not only because their hefty wine list reads like a novel, but because they serve comfort food so good, you simply won’t want to leave. It’s one of the best places to try some of Italy’s greatest hits, like cheesy eggplant parmigiana, hearty coda alla vaccinara, and thick slices of oven-roasted maialino, a.k.a. suckling pig. On Sundays, though, their five-layered lasagna with its crisp edges is a must-try. And save room for whatever the dessert of the day is, especially if it’s the perfectly moist and chocolatey torta caprese." - Annie Replogle

"La Tavernaccia is old-school Roman all the way. Start with the misto affettati, a plate of cured meats and cheeses. Next, go for rigatoni all’amatriciana—a mix of chunky pork in tomato sauce, topped with pecorino cheese—then move on to the main event, maialino al forno (suckling pig served with roast potatoes). Wash the entire thing down with a generous helping of house red and a palate-cleansing lemon sorbet." - Maresa Manara