Trattoria L'avvolgibile

We went there with the family the other evening, lured by online rankings that place their carbonara among Rome's best. We wanted to see for ourselves.

The place is tiny, retro style, no frills. Friendly service, genuine trattoria atmosphere. We started with antipasti: good supplì, generously filled with tomato and basil that really hits the spot, though the breading was a bit soggy. Too bad. The zucchini blossoms, on the other hand, nothing to complain about.

On to the first courses, which are their strong suit. The carbonara is very good, creamy, with plenty of well-prepared guanciale. But. The spaghetti was slightly overcooked for my taste, and there was this acidic note from the pepper that got tiresome after a while. Let's say it's good but could be better, not Rome's best as they claim.

Surprise: the amatriciana was even better. Rich, flavorful, well-balanced. That one I really enjoyed. My wife had fettuccine with artichokes, guanciale and pecorino and let me taste some: those were excellent too.

Then came the disaster: the tiramisu at 7 euros. A slab of sponge cake with traces—literally traces—of cream. Embarrassing for a place like this.

Nice touch: the coffee arrives at your table with the moka pot. Pure vintage.

In short, I'd go back tomorrow for the first courses. For the rest, skip it, especially since the prices aren't exactly trattoria-level. Thirty-four euros per person all told—which is fair enough for top-notch first courses, but don't ask for dessert.