Felice a Testaccio
Since 1936. The tonnarelli cacio e pepe is made at the table. Do not ask to change anything on the menu — that is not how this works.
Felice a Testaccio has been doing it the same way since 1936, in the working-class-turned-foodie Testaccio neighborhood, and the rules are part of the experience: the menu is the menu, the tonnarelli cacio e pepe is mixed and emulsified tableside into its glossy perfection, and you do not ask to change anything — that is simply not how this works, and the discipline is exactly why the food is so good. It's Roman cooking with total conviction, in a room that has earned its certainty.
The tonnarelli cacio e pepe, mixed at the table, is the signature and the reason to come. The coda alla vaccinara (oxtail) is the deep-Roman move. Order within the tradition, not against it.
Classic Testaccio trattoria — unfussy, full, and confident in its own way of doing things.
TONNARELLI CACIO E PEPE · CODA ALLA VACCINARA
Felice is Roman cooking that knows exactly what it is — since 1936, tableside cacio e pepe, no substitutions. Trust the rules and you'll eat one of the best plates in the city.
Book ahead — reservations are essential on weekends and for prime dinner times.
Ask for a table in the main room and let the pasta and antipasti lead the order.