Trattoria Pennestri

The food was amazing!! We got the ham and cheese board and a bread salad for starters and they were so tasty and delicious. First course I got pici with mushrooms and for the second course I got the cod. Of course could not miss out on the chocolate mousse for dessert! Everything was very delicious and exquisite!

Trattoria Pennestri was one of the true highlights of my time in Rome. Tucked away in the Ostiense neighborhood, this place blends a warm, relaxed atmosphere with serious culinary skill. It absolutely delivers on both. I came here for pasta, and I wasn’t disappointed. Every dish I tried was flawless: pasta perfectly al dente, sauces rich and deeply flavorful without feeling heavy. The carbonara in particular was unforgettable: creamy, balanced, and exactly what Roman comfort food should be. By the end of the meal, I was already wishing I had time to come back before leaving the city. It’s no surprise they’ve earned a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide. You can taste the thoughtfulness in every bite, and the service matches it: warm, attentive, and never rushed. Trattoria Pennestri is the kind of place that makes you feel like you’ve uncovered a local treasure, and for me, it’s an easy five stars.

Wow! One of the best trattoria's I've experienced in Rome. Very unassuming from the outside but beautifully decorated, a wonderful staff and some of the best food I've had in all of my years in Rome. Simple but effective. They have a expansice wine collection as well as amaro's. I had the carbonara, and meatballs after, both cooked to perfection. I visited during lunch and it filled up quickly so maybe a reservation is needed in the evening. I highly recommend dining here!

The food at this restaurant was absolutely delicious, and the staff was very friendly. we really enjoyed our experience. We ordered the pajata pasta and carbonara. I ate more of the pasta than my boyfriend, and unfortunately, I started vomiting in the middle of the night after our meal. By morning, I had thrown up four times and later developed a fever in the afternoon. My boyfriend, who ate less, only had diarrhea but no vomiting. I had to take medicine to stop the diarrhea, and until yesterday, I couldn’t stop it without medication. Thankfully, today I’m feeling better and fully recovered. Before this meal, we had only eaten lunch at 12:00 and felt completely fine throughout the afternoon. We had dinner at 20:00, and since my symptoms started in the middle of the night and I was still throwing up pasta from dinner. I’m certain this meal was the cause. That being said, I really enjoyed the food and service here! I just hope more care is taken to ensure the eggs in the carbonara are fully cooked to prevent experiences like this in the future.

A delightful afternoon of good food, good wine, and good vibes. Despite having lived in Rome before, and frequenting all the usual culinary hotspots, this was my first time at Trattoria Pennestri. It was the perfect blend of contemporary and classic flavours, with one thing uniting everything: deliciousness. I can't wait to return and sample more of the unique and varied menu 🍴

I really liked this place. It was an unplanned experience — I was just passing by, felt the ambiance from outside, and instantly wanted to go in. I ordered two starters; they were just perfect — not too small and very tasty. The people there are lovely, the staff is friendly and helpful, and they speak English perfectly. I’ll definitely visit this place again!

A must try place in Rome! Lovely atmosphere & staff: we had an outstanding starter, a fresh rabbit & vegetable salad, accompanied by the duck and the melt-in-your-mouth saltimboca! Highly recommend it, but make sure to book in advance as the place lives up to its name & reviews!

Phenomenal dinner and the attention to service was top tier best meatballs I had in Rome. A must if you’re in Rome.

We tried to get in this place the evening before, with no luck as it was completely booked solid. Made a reservation for the following night at 9 PM which was not ideal for us. A rainy night in Rome made it a little muggy on the restaurant but not unbearable. We were greeted warmly and sat in the middle of the place at a table for two. It's a fairly small place which sells out most nights and has loyal following. Our food was quite good, although lacking a bit on the seasoning side for our tastes. The service is very good overall, but they do tend to leave you alone once the plates have been dropped. We don't care for a fair amount of attention, but a "how's everything" would be nice. The onion tart was very pleasing to look at, and tasted very nice, although the crust was a bit clunky and thick. The ricotta was divine and really made the dish. The small flower looked great, and really added a taste dimension that you wouldn't have thought would be there. The handmade pasta was a little el dente for the lovely K, but I thought it was mere seconds from being excellent. Again the ricotta was spectacular, we have to start perfecting at home. The chicken ala porchetta was quite good, although a little chewy in spots. Sadly I missed the opportunity to add a photo until it was basically done. We shared each dish, and they were kind enough to split each one and plate them separately which you don't often get. The bread was the highlight for us, which is not a bad thing at all in our books, again we just have to master making this at home. Overall we were pleased with our meal, and the service at this great place, it just missed the mark a little bit for a five star review.

WOW. WOW. WOW! Do not miss this restaurant! My husband researched restaurants for months leading up to our visit to Italy. Trattoria Pennestri was at the very top of our list & it did not disappoint! The restaurant is quaint, I'd say 12-15 tables, FILLED with local Romans, just off work, ready for a laugh, a great wine & tasty bite. The waiter informed us that the menu changes seasonally. We ordered the onion tart, Cacio e Pepe & Amatriciana. The onion tart knocked our socks off! I asked our waiter for lessons! The cacio e pepe was the best I had in our entire visit. The Amatriciana made me husband a believer! We both went home with full bellies! Cannot recommend this place enough! Go & let me know what you end up ordering!

Think of a leisurely three hour dinner, where every dish just delights the senses. Definitely get the chocolate mousse is dessert and don't be shy to ask the kitchen to make any classic pasta you might be interested in. The service is top notch and makes all the difference. Never felt rush, perfect wine pairing, and fresh ingredients. It's in a bit of an area outside of the main neighborhoods visitors are likely to stay but worth the trip.

Outstanding food, wonderful ambience, excellent service all at a very reasonable price. The best meal I've had in my vacation in Rome thus far. This is a "Slow Food" restaurant meaning all ingredients are locally sourced and fresh and the owners are dedicated to preserving authentic Roman/local cuisine. The eggplant caponata and rabbit with mixed vegetables were both delicious. The roast duck was perfect, cooked medium rare, and paired nicely with the wine suggested. The tripe was a daily special and THE best tripe I've ever eaten. (I guarantee that even if tripe is not your thing, you would like this!) The pastas were all delicious and perfect. The waitstaff were all very attentive asking how we liked their food without being annoying. I will definitely come back and highly recommend this gem of a restaurant to anyone visiting Rome!

start to finish knockout meal highlights included the pre-meal snack of sundried tomatoes, mint & bread, pici, chicory & breadcrumbs (insane texture and flavor), and spaghetti with shrimp and nuts (deeply oceanic, the dish was very different from start to finish), excellent, genuine service. destination.

This may have been one of our favorites ever. Food was creative but simple and delicious. The duck with peaches was spectacular. All of the pastas were excellent. The watermelon, cherry tomatoes and goat cheese salad was very refreshing. Service very attentive but not fussy.

This was hands down the best food I ate in Rome. It was recommended to my partner and I by our B&B host and so it was a convenient walk for us. This classic Roman restaurant left us speechless as we left. The service was friendly, they had menus in english, and everything we ate was just killer. We started with a cold eggplant dish as our antipasto and boy oh boy it was flavorful and beautifully soft. Next we split their daily pasta special which was a baby octopus spaghetti - this was 100% my favorite dish of the evening. The octopus was not too chewy and tasted very fresh and the sauce over it all was light, buttery, and herbal. A perfect accompaniment to the octopus. They even went through the trouble to pre-split the dish for us. We also split their rabbit in tomato sauce. It was very good, but not our favorite dish of the night compared to the other two standouts. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a taste of traditional Roman food who isn't afraid to go off the beaten track a bit. Side note: they managed to squeeze us in as a party of 2 before another reservation (again just such friendly service at this place!!!), but we got lucky so best to plan ahead and make a reservation!

Delicious! Nice ristorante tucked into a funky neighborhood. The place has a very good menu, good variety and tastes. The pace was perfect and it was reasonably priced. (Added bonus 10% discount for staying at crossroads hotel) . Had a delicious duck secondi, and a fantastic chocolate cream concoction for dessert.

I'm Italian and I was recommended to go here by a friend. Trattoria Pennestri is also on the Michelin guide. The food was amazing and they had exceptional service. I loved the pasta it really can't get any better than this. The waitresses were really friendly. The outside isn't that nice but the food makes going to Trattoria Pennestri worth it.

Nice people, 2nd dish good (tagliatelle with pesto). Carbonara noodles served crunchy, they considered it al dente. Very salty too. Tuna steak, fishy. Maybe other dishes are better

Our hotel concierge recommended this restaurant. We were looking for a good place that wasn't near tourist areas. It was a good cab ride from our hotel but worth it. Everything we had was delicious. We split an eggplant caponata and each had a pasta selection. My husband had meatballs and I had octopus. It was way too much for us to finish. Would highly recommend.

This restaurant is probably the best restaurant that we have been to in Rome. It's classic Roman food and worth the visit. I actually almost hesitated writing a review because I didn't want the secret to get out. However, this is a jewel worth the trek.

Outstanding cacio e pepe, carbonara, wild boar pappardelle and cod. Great service included a free croqueta for our two year old, and an offer of a free digestif (which we declined).