La Matriciana
At La Matriciana, opposite the Teatro dell'Opera, the pecorino for the bucatini all'amatriciana comes to the table in a bowl of its own.
Why go
La Matriciana opened as a trattoria in 1870, the year of the breach at Porta Pia and the capture of Rome (Gambero Rosso, 2024). The Teatro Costanzi, now the Teatro dell'Opera, opened across the street in 1880. After the show the singers came here, Maria Callas and Mario Del Monaco among them, with the dancer Carla Fracci and the director Franco Zeffirelli (Italia a Tavola, 2008). Daria Reina, co-founder of the Roman boutique Chez Dede, names it one of her two must-visits in the city: it's been a beloved Roman institution for over 100 years, and its reputation is as solid as a Roman column
(The Relisher, 2024).
The story behind the name, as Smart Travelling tells it, is that a woman from Amatrice came to Rome in 1870 to cook the region's bucatini all'amatriciana on this spot (Smart Travelling, 2023). The dish is tomato, guanciale (cured pork jowl) and pecorino over bucatini, the thick hollow spaghetti. Order it. Reina's advice is plain: You obviously have to try the Bucatini all'Amatriciana
(The Relisher, 2024). Angelo Peretti of Internet Gourmet ate a classic bucatino all'amatriciana with plenty of guanciale
here (Internet Gourmet). Annie Replogle of the Infatuation would pass on it: While the name might suggest ordering the amatriciana, we'd go for the velvety gricia or a steaming bowl of tortellini in brodo when the weather turns cool
(The Infatuation, 2025).
Start with the prosciutto and mozzarella, which Replogle calls unmatched—ham sliced fresh from the bone and extra-creamy cheese delivered daily from Campania.
She also found the saltimbocca alla romana flawlessly executed,
and better with a side of sautéed chicory (The Infatuation, 2025). Peretti's fry of anchovies and salt cod was decent, not greasy, not over-battered.
He rated the Gaeta olives that came while he waited truly excellent (Internet Gourmet). Finish with Reina's dessert, the Pera alla Bella Elena: It's a whole poached pear covered in dark chocolate—I'm addicted
(The Relisher, 2024).
Gambero Rosso dates the furniture to the 1930s and writes that at these tables, surrounded by history, you can still enjoy excellent Roman cooking
(Gambero Rosso, 2024). Peretti saw white tablecloths, a silver coaster under the bottle, glasses printed with the restaurant's logo and very kind
waiters in uniform. In one corner, he wrote, the telephone booth is still set into the wall
(Internet Gourmet). Reina sees Italian Art Deco from the 1940s
(The Relisher, 2024), and Replogle the slick, suit-and-tie vibe of the '60s.
The crowd Replogle found was mostly locals: date nights, business dinners and big family gatherings (The Infatuation, 2025). Reina goes at lunch, when the light is really special.
She also admires the Saturday closing: They're so special that they're closed on Saturdays. Who else dares that?
(The Relisher, 2024)
Order this / avoid
- Order: the bucatini all'amatriciana, Daria Reina's must-order (2024) and Angelo Peretti's plate.1
- Order: the gricia, Annie Replogle's choice over the amatriciana (The Infatuation, 2025).2
- Order: the prosciutto and mozzarella to start, for Replogle (2025).2
- Order: the saltimbocca alla romana with sautéed chicory, for Replogle (2025).2
- Order: the fritto di alici e baccalà (fried anchovies and salt cod), for Angelo Peretti.5
- Order: the Pera alla Bella Elena, Reina's dessert (2024).1
What locals & experts say
- Claudia Di Giacomi, Fattorie di Qualità (2019):
The trattoria, historically frequented by lovers of the nearby Opera, belongs to the Associazione Locali Storici d'Italia,
the association of Italy's historic venues.6 - Smart Travelling (2023):
As well as the world-class bucatini all'amatriciana, you should try something you'd normally only see in Rome: Puntarelle – inner stalks of Catalan chicory sliced paper-thin and seasoned with anchovies and lemon juice.
8
Good to know
- Closed: Saturday. Lunch and dinner Sunday to Friday.
- Booking: book on the restaurant's site up to 15 days ahead, or call 06 4881775. Reina sends people here after a show at the Opera, and Replogle before or after one.
- Price:
It costs only a little more than a trattoria,
Peretti wrote.5 - Wine: Peretti found two or three lines of description beside each bottle on the list.
- Who runs it: the Crisciotti family, with the brothers Fabio and Mauro keeping the dishes the room has served since the 1930s (Smart Travelling, 2023).
Verdict
should-visit — Go for the bucatini all'amatriciana, in the trattoria across from the Opera where Callas ate after the show. The Infatuation's critic would order the gricia instead. Book ahead, and not for a Saturday.