The signature dish arrives in an edible bowl made of crisped Parmesan — cacio e pepe served inside a golden cheese shell that you break apart and eat with the pasta. It is the kind of presentation that sounds like a gimmick and photographs like one, but the technique is sound: the Pecorino cream is properly emulsified, the tonnarelli are cooked to a firm bite, and the Parmesan bowl adds a salt-and-crunch counterpoint that genuinely improves the dish. Beyond the famous bowl, Roma Sparita is a proper Trastevere trattoria on one of the neighbourhood's most beautiful piazzas — Piazza di Santa Cecilia, quiet and tree-shaded, a world away from the chaos of Viale di Trastevere. The terrace tables facing the basilica are among Rome's most pleasant places to eat.
Location
Trastevere, Rome
Insider Intel
Cacio e pepe in the Parmesan bowl — the signature, and genuinely good beyond the visual spectacle. Amatriciana for a more traditional Roman option. Fried artichokes when in season. The house wine is adequate; upgrade to a bottled Frascati for a few euros more.
Reserve for dinner and request terrace seating on Piazza di Santa Cecilia — the quiet square with the basilica is the setting that makes this restaurant special. Lunch is easier to book. Weekend dinners fill a week ahead.
Piazza di Santa Cecilia 24, Trastevere. Tram 8 to Piazza Sidney Sonnino, five-minute walk south. Reservations recommended — especially for terrace. Pastas 12-16 euros, secondi 15-22 euros. Cards accepted. The cheese bowl cacio e pepe is the reason to come — do not skip it for the sake of contrarianism.