Taverna Cestia

I was at Taverna Cestia, practically right next to the pyramid. The place has a nice outdoor seating area, and inside two rooms with a genuine tavern feel—pretty decent ambiance.

Let's start with the best: the carciofo alla giudia. Large, crispy as it should be, flavorful. That one was perfect. The supplì and fiore di zucca, on the other hand... the fillings were good, the zucchini flower generous, except the frying was a bit weak. The supplì had rice that was too al dente, but anyway, the mozzarella stretched nicely and the ragù was there.

Now the pastas, which are the sore point. Carbonara with guanciale that I honestly can't tell if it was actually guanciale or guancetta, cut like matchsticks, tough, not crispy at all. Salty. The cream was almost liquid, barely any pecorino, result? The plate was clean without catching a piece of meat. Not a trace of pepper. The amatriciana had the same guanciale issue (ugh), undercooked tomato with a whole piece of canned tomato still in there. That said, the tomato was good, not acidic, but all things considered it wasn't really amatriciana.

The tiramisù saved my evening. Three ladyfingers soaked with an excellent freshly made cream on top, nicely balanced sweetness and bitterness. No crispy element, but I'm fine with that.

Prices around 12 euros for the first courses, average for Rome, and considering the area it's fair. The problem is that with that name and location you expect a bit more, especially from the classic Roman dishes.