#1
Renato e Luisa
Centro·$$
Cacio e Pepe con Tartufo
€24.00
Spaghetti with pecorino, pepper, and fresh truffle.
Tip: Ask which truffle is currently available (white or black) and choose based on season. Both are excellent here.
#2
Taverna degli Amici
Monti·$$
€11.00
Spaghetti with pecorino and black pepper.
Tip: Three ingredients. This kitchen proves that simplicity requires precision.
#3
Da Remo
Testaccio·$
Pizza al Taglio - Cacio e Pepe
€4.50
Thick-cut square pizza with Pecorino Romano and black pepper.
Tip: If the pizza oven line is too long, grab a slice of the cacio e pepe from the counter—it's still hot and fresh.
#4
Ristorante Aroma
Ludovisi·$$$$
€28.00
Roman classic deconstructed: crispy Pecorino wafer, black pepper cream, fresh pasta.
Tip: This is refined without losing its soul. The tradition is there, just rethought. If you love the original, you'll appreciate the interpretation.
#5
Trattoria Der Pallaro
Centro Storico·$$
Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and cracked black pepper.
Tip: Both cacio e pepe and carbonara rotate on the fixed menu. Either way, you're eating one of the two most essential Roman pastas.
#6
Trattoria Pennestri
Ostiense·$$$
Cacio e Pepe with Bottarga
€13.50
Spaghetti with pecorino, pepper, and salted fish roe.
Tip: Bottarga makes the dish savory in a new way. It's a smart addition.
#7
Da Danilo
Esquilino·$$
€12.50
Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and cracked black pepper.
Tip: If carbonara is your main, order cacio e pepe alongside to taste both at their best. The contrast is instructive.
#8
Angelina a Testaccio
Testaccio·$$
Cacio E Pepe Con Bottarga
€13.00
Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano, black pepper, and mullet roe.
Tip: This is Roman pasta tradition with a modern ingredient addition. If you love cacio e pepe, the bottarga adds interesting complexity.
#9
Pasta Urbana
Monti·$$
€11.00
Fresh spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and black pepper emulsion.
Tip: If the cacio e pepe is good here, the kitchen is trustworthy. This is impossible to fake. Pasta Urbana's version is proper.
#10
Isotta
Torrevecchia·$$$
€12.00
The Roman classic—spaghetti with aged pecorino and cracked black pepper.
Tip: Order this as a benchmark. In a restaurant by a Michelin-starred chef, the cacio e pepe should be perfect. If it's not, something is wrong in the kitchen's fundamentals.
#11
Checco Er Carettiere
Trastevere·$$$
Spaghetti Cacio E Pepe
€14.00
Fresh spaghetti with pecorino Romano and fresh black pepper, finished with pasta water to create sauce.
Tip: If you want to understand Roman pasta-making, order this alongside the carbonara and note the difference in technique and ingredient emphasis between the two.
#12
Osteria Bonelli
Tor Pignattara·$
€7.50
Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and cracked black pepper.
Tip: This is the test of a Roman trattoria. If the cacio e pepe is good, everything else will be too.
#1396% recommend
Per Me - Giulio Terrinoni
Trastevere·$$$
Cacio e Pepe Prepared Two Ways
€22.00
The classic Roman pasta presented as a tasting of technique: one traditional, one reimagined.
Tip: This opener is worth the price alone. It shows exactly what Terrinoni can do and sets the tone for the meal.
#1494% recommend
Pipero Roma
Centro Storico·$$$
Cacio e Pepe Scamardella
€18.00
Light, modern cacio e pepe with crispy guanciale and intense Pecorino.
Tip: Compare this to traditional versions at other restaurants—the difference in lightness and technique becomes obvious once you've tasted both.
#1594% recommend
Pecorino Roma
Testaccio·$$
€11.00
Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and cracked black pepper, tossed at the table.
Tip: Watch the server make this—the high-temperature tossing and technique is what separates excellent cacio e pepe from mediocre versions.
#1693% recommend
Sora Margherita
Jewish Ghetto·$$$
Cacio e Pepe with Ricotta
€16.00
Tonnarelli with pecorino, pepper, and a dollop of creamy ricotta.
Tip: The ricotta makes this version different from standard cacio e pepe. Some love it, some prefer traditional — worth trying both.
#1792% recommend
Da Enzo al 29
Trastevere·$$
Tonarelli Cacio e Pepe
€11.00
Square-cut pasta with Pecorino Romano and black pepper.
Tip: Come at 12:15 for lunch or 18:15 for dinner to skip the worst of the wait. Lunch wait is usually 10-15 minutes; dinner can be 30-45.
#1892% recommend
Armando al Pantheon
Centro Storico·$$
€12.00
Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and black pepper.
Tip: This is how cacio e pepe should taste in Rome—no cream, no butter. Just pasta water, cheese, and pepper in perfect balance.
#1992% recommend
Bistro Baccano
Centro·$$$
Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe
€17.00
Thick handmade tonnarelli with pecorino and cracked black pepper.
Tip: The texture is what makes this special. Handmade tonnarelli holds the sauce in a way factory pasta can't.
#2092% recommend
Perilli a Testaccio
Testaccio·$$
€11.00
Spaghetti with aged Pecorino Romano and cracked black pepper.
Tip: Watch the server make this at the table. The high-heat tossing and technique is essential—this is kitchen theater as much as cuisine.
#2191% recommend
La Carbonara al Monti
Monti·$$
€11.00
Spaghetti with pecorino romano and cracked black pepper.
Tip: Order it, eat it quickly while it's hot. The sauce tightens as it cools. Timing is everything.
#2291% recommend
Retrobottega
Centro Storico·$$$
Handmade Pasta with Guanciale and Black Pepper
€16.00
Fresh ribbon pasta with aged guanciale, Pecorino Romano, and cracked black pepper.
Tip: They execute this without fuss or gimmick. If you want to taste the difference good guanciale makes, this is where.
#2391% recommend
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Testaccio·$$
€11.00
Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and black pepper.
Tip: Multiple sources rank this as the best cacio e pepe in Rome. If you only have one shot, some say this is it.
#2490% recommend
Tonnarello
Trastevere·$$
Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe
€11.00
Square-cut egg pasta with Pecorino Romano and black pepper.
Tip: Arrive before 12:00 for lunch or 18:30 for dinner to minimize waits. After 19:00 on weekends, expect 30-45 minutes.
#2590% recommend
Felice a Testaccio
Testaccio·$$
Tonarelli Cacio e Pepe
€13.00
Square-cut pasta with Pecorino Romano and black pepper prepared tableside.
Tip: Watch the preparation—the tableside work ensures the sauce doesn't break. Pecorino will completely coat the noodles, not clump.
#2690% recommend
Taverna Dei Fori Imperiali
Monti·$$
€11.00
Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and black pepper, nothing else.
Tip: Watch the server or chef make this—the tossing technique is essential for the sauce to emulsify properly.
#2789% recommend
Matricianella
Centro·$$
Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe
€15.00
Thick, handmade tonnarelli with pecorino and freshly cracked black pepper.
Tip: The freshly cracked pepper is important here. You can taste it — not like pre-ground dust.
#2889% recommend
Grazia e Graziella
Trastevere·$$
€11.50
Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and freshly cracked black pepper.
Tip: If you've had cacio e pepe elsewhere and didn't love it, try this version. The technique is everything—they get the emulsion right.
#2989% recommend
Trattoria Da Bucatino
Testaccio·$$
€11.00
Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and black pepper, nothing else.
Tip: This is how Roman pasta should taste—creamy, peppery, salty, with the texture of the pasta intact.
#3089% recommend
Grappolo d'Oro
Campo de' Fiori·$$
Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe
€12.00
Thick spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and black pepper, nothing else.
Tip: If you want to understand Roman cooking, start here. There's nowhere to hide with only three ingredients.
#3188% recommend
Trattoria Vecchia Roma
Esquilino·$$
€16.50
Spaghetti with pecorino cheese and black pepper.
Tip: This dish should taste peppery. Vecchia Roma uses a generous hand with the pepper—exactly as it should be.
#3288% recommend
Osteria da Fortunata
Centro Storico·$$$
€15.00
Handmade spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and black pepper.
Tip: The cacio e pepe here is excellent but not their signature. Order the carbonara as your first choice—it's what they're known for.
#3388% recommend
La Carbonara
Centro Storico·$$
€14.00
Thick spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and black pepper.
Tip: If you've been eating heavy versions elsewhere, taste this—proper cacio e pepe shouldn't be thick or heavy.
#3487% recommend
Porto Fluviale
Ostiense·$$
€12.50
Creamy pasta with pecorino cheese and black pepper.
Tip: This dish should taste peppery. If it's too mild, it's been under-seasoned. Porto gets it right.
#3587% recommend
Spirito di Vino
Trastevere·$$$
€13.50
Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and black pepper.
Tip: Ask the sommelier to pair this with a wine. The cheese and pepper open up different tasting notes in various Italian whites.
#3687% recommend
Osteria dell'Ingegno
Pantheon·$$$
€14.00
Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and freshly cracked pepper.
Tip: If you've been disappointed by cacio e pepe elsewhere, this version will restore your faith. Three ingredients, three techniques, perfect balance.
#3786% recommend
Da Augusto
Trastevere·$$
€11.00
Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and cracked black pepper.
Tip: Order this first so you can taste how silky it should be. Everything else you eat here will be compared to this standard.
#3885% recommend
Roma Sparita
Trastevere·$$
Cacio e Pepe in Crispy Cheese Bowl
€16.00
Tagliolini with Pecorino and pepper, served inside a crisped Parmesan shell.
Tip: The cheese bowl is the draw—eat the pasta first, then break apart the bowl and eat it with your hands. It's meant to be interactive.
#3985% recommend
Al Pompiere
Jewish Ghetto·$$$
Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe
€16.00
Thick, hand-rolled pasta with sharp pecorino and cracked black pepper.
Tip: Only four ingredients: pasta, pecorino, pepper, and pasta water. The quality depends on technique — at Al Pompiere they nail the emulsion.
#4084% recommend
Osteria Fernanda
Trastevere·$$
Cacio e Pepe with Black Garlic
€14.00
Traditional carbonara base reinterpreted with aged black garlic.
Tip: This is creative cooking that doesn't overwhelm the base dish. The black garlic adds depth without changing what cacio e pepe is.
#4184% recommend
Mercato Centrale Roma
Esquilino·$$
Fresh Pasta Cacio e Pepe
€11.00
Hot fresh spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and cracked black pepper.
Tip: Stand at the counter and watch them make it. The pasta is hot and at its best when you eat it immediately.
#4280% recommend
Piperno
Jewish Ghetto·$$$
Spaghetti Cacio ed Unto
€17.00
Spaghetti with aged pecorino and cracked black pepper.
Tip: A true Roman dish with minimal ingredients — worth trying if you want to taste the difference quality cheese makes.