One of my absolute favorite restaurants in Rome is Trattoria Valentino!
In this article, I’ll share my honest impressions from our December 2024 visit—what we ordered, what stood out, and practical tips for your own meal.
Trattoria Valentino: Key Info
I first noticed this place in a travel guide, then saw strong ratings on Google Maps and decided to try it.
It’s a casual trattoria, but you’ll find a warmly local vibe and seriously good Roman cooking.
While it’s not very known among visitors, it was selected for Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice 2024.
On Tripadvisor, there are 480 reviews (★4.5): 318 are in Italian —a sign that it’s loved by locals yet still under the radar for many visitors.
≫ Trattoria Valentino on Tripadvisor
Here are the basics:
Restaurant Details
Name: Trattoria Valentino
Address: Via del Boschetto, 37, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Hours: 13:00–15:00, 19:00–23:00
Closed: Sunday
Reservations: By phone only
Payment: Cards accepted
What We Ordered at Trattoria Valentino
We two ordered the following (December 2024):
- Grilled artichoke (Carciofo al mattone) — €11.5
- Warm potato, mushroom & speck salad (Patape funghi e speck) — €6
- Cacio e pepe — €13
- Tagliolini arancia guanciale — €13
- Dark chocolate semifreddo (Semifreddo cioccolato fondente) — €6.5
- Tiramisu — €6
- House white wine 1/2L — €8
- Espresso — €2
- Water — €3
- Bread — €3
→ Total: €72
Their signature Tagliolini arancia guanciale is highly recommended, so we skipped carbonara this time and followed their lead—great decision!
For context: at touristy restaurants, three dishes and two glasses of wine can easily run ~€70. Valentino’s value-for-money really stands out.
My Personal Take
✓ What I Loved
- Both starters were excellent—simple, produce-driven, quintessentially Italian. The grilled artichoke with the slightly bitter greens was outstanding.
- Tagliolini arancia guanciale is their signature and genuinely moving. Think “carbonara-adjacent” with guanciale and cheese, lifted by orange zest—creamy yet bright. The homemade pasta was perfectly al dente and springy.
- Cacio e pepe is a cheese-lover’s dream—ultra-rich (many will be satisfied before finishing a full portion!).
- Desserts were solid but not the highlight.
- The room was packed with Italians, and we loved the local neighborhood feel. Chatty regulars and friendly staff—clearly a place locals cherish.
✓ Minor Caveats
- On food, price, and service: no complaints.
- If anything: there’s no website (an old Instagram exists), and reservations are phone-only. Younger staff spoke workable English.
✓ Extra Tips
- Reserve ahead. Romans start dinner around 20:00; calling for the 19:00 opening is your best bet.
- Via del Boschetto is full of appealing spots. If you can’t get into Valentino, there are other tasty options nearby.
✓ Bottom Line
- Absolutely on my must-return list for our next Rome trip.
- Do not miss the grilled artichoke and the tagliolini arancia guanciale.
- A place I can recommend with confidence.
Voices from Around the Web
To balance my views, here are a few opinions I found online:
✓ Positive takes
ローマに移動しました！ローマは人！人‼︎人〜‼︎って感じで既に疲労困憊
— myakosuzu (@myakosuzu) January 2, 2020
ランチはtrattoria valentinoでcacio e pepe とamatricanaですよ！
一瞬営業中か心配な店構えでしたが店内満席で地元民多数で美味しい pic.twitter.com/52AVCMGHyC
It wasn’t easy to find many Japanese-language posts on X or Instagram, which reinforces the sense that this is a local gem still off many tourist radars.
Summary
Trattoria Valentino is perfect for travelers who:
- Prefer authentic, local-favorite spots over tourist-focused restaurants—and want true Roman flavors.
On the other hand, it may not suit travelers who:
- Feel uneasy in places that aren’t heavily tourist-oriented.
- Rely on lots of Japan-language reviews to feel comfortable choosing a restaurant.
I hope this helps you decide—buon appetito!
If you’re hunting for other great carbonara spots in Rome, check this guide too:
Related article
>Rome’s Best Carbonara: An Honest Comparison of 3 Restaurants
Thanks for reading to the end—enjoy your Rome food adventure!