Trattoria Checchino dal 1887 - Rome Restaurant Review

Rome's Trattoria Checchino dal 1887 serves excellent traditional Roman food in a beautiful dining room in the Testaccio District of Rome. Trattoria Checchino dal 1887 is a good place to try traditional Roman working class food. The food is prepared and presented well, there's an English language menu and English is spoken, and the dining area is elegant yet comfortable. If you're looking for a special restaurant on a trip to Rome, this is a good choice.

When James suggested we head to Rome's Testaccio district for lunch at a trattoria serving traditional working-class Roman food, I was a little reluctant. After all the Testaccio was originally the district of slaughterhouses and the cuisine is based on the parts of the animal that often get discarded - stomach, intestines, trotters, and everything else you can think of.

Once inside the restaurant, however, I was pleasantly surprised. Looking over the menu, there were sufficient choices that did not involve the insides of animals. I chose a simple but tasty bruschetta for my appetizer that was accompanied by a traditional before-dinner drink. The waiter took time explaining to me what it was and it's origins. For my second, I had a traditional Roman lamb dish. It was one of the best lamb dishes I have ever had.

James, who will eat anything, eagerly tried several of the traditional dishes made with innards. His dishes were well-cooked and the innards were very palatable. His favorite was the veal trotter in a warm vegetable salad. He did not do so well picking the wine but the waiter came to the rescue. Read James Martin's blog for more about the wine experience.

We went to Checchino dal 1887 for lunch on a summer day and had no trouble getting a table. It's probably wise to make a reservation, especially for dinner.

Via di Monte Testaccio, 30
Phone: 065746318
Public Transportation: Bus 75 to the stop nearest ex Mattatoio or subway line B to Piramide station.