Osteria Fratelli Mori

We ended up there almost by chance, and the place looked promising from the outside. Inside it's actually spacious, spread across several dining rooms with a rustic-industrial vibe. More restaurant than trattoria, both in atmosphere and clientele.

Let's start with the disappointment: carbonara and amatriciana were just not it. The guanciale was flabby, not crispy at all, and way too salty. But the real problem is the pecorino—basically absent. On the carbonara, the creamy sauce came out too runny, lacking any character. Pepper? Imperceptible. They only give you rigatoni, end of story. My generous wife gave it a 7, I went with a stretched 6.5. In Rome, you don't mess around with these dishes.

The antipasti, though, saved the day. Braised oxtail meatballs amatriciana-style with spicy sauce were good, no complaints there. The zucchini blossoms stuffed with taleggio started off strong: soft breading, first one was a hit, second too. But from the third one on, they start to weigh on you, and without the anchovy inside they get a bit dry if you overdo it.

And then, the tiramisu. Seven euros for a dessert that was too sweet, without that bitter note from either the coffee or the cocoa. Meh.

Twenty-seven euros per person isn't exactly cheap, especially considering that the pasta courses—which should be their strong suit—were just so-so.

Let's just say there are better places in Rome for a proper carbonara.