Il Timoniere

The place was definitely off the beaten path and had no sort of indication that it was even a restaurant. The service we experienced was very good and it seemed like a very relaxed atmosphere. We were expecting a little more from the food we ordered as this place had received great reviews from others. We showed up for lunch and no one was there other than us. Overall, it’s not a must place to go.

On our last day we ended the night here at Il Timoniere. 7 dishes and 2 bottles of wine later we rolled out stuffed and in heaven. This place was featured on Anthony Bourdain’s show but is still mostly only visited by locals because it is far out of the way of the city center in the Garbatella area. Our cab driver was actually able to drop us off in the cross streets and we were able to find it after a few minutes. We made reservations on a Sat night but I don’t think we needed too. Typically I don’t think they speak much English but we were lucky to have Valentina — a piano teacher by day. She was able to recommend us all the food we tried. Everything about this meal was magical from the details in the hand written menus down to every last drop of sauce and fat sopped up in bread. Dishes we had: Scamorzine (tiny mozzarella balls wrapped in bacon), Crostini con zucchine — mozzarelle e fiori di zucce (crostini with zucchini, mozzarella, and flowers of zucchini), 3 pastas — Fettuccine alla carbonare con fiori di zucce (carbonara shown on the A. B show),
Touuarelli cacio e Pepe — AMAZING (just pasta cheese and pepper), and Matriciana (the best — tomato sauce with pork cheek). Finished the meal with 2 meat dishes of thinly sliced veal wrapped in zucchini flowers and a thinly sliced beef with arugula and tomatoes. I would definitely come back.

This was HANDS DOWN the best meal we had in Rome. Honestly, I wasn’t a fan of anything we ate while we were in Rome, so thank god for Il Timoniere. Unfortunately, we went on a weekday and couldn’t find it at first. There was one table with a family of 5 and NO ONE spoke a lick of English. Thank goodness for translators. We ended up having someone there translate a big and let the owner choose what he thought we should order. It was absolutely amazing!

I had Tripe for the very first time and it was delicious. It’s basically the Italian version of chitlins aka chitterlings. lol

Excelente para comer pastas, sin duda la mejor carbonara y amatricciana que vas a probar, no es tan caro y aunque esta a las afueras de la ciudad, vale la pena aventurarse a este restaurante verdaderamente tradicional donde comen los verdaderos romanos. Fui con mi hermano y ese dia solo habia una pareja de locales que viajaban desde el centro para comer aca porque en Roma-​centro ya no se come como en Il Timoniere.

We would have never found this place if it wasn’t for Anthony Bourdain’s showcase on this place on No Reservations. We tried the Carbonara, which is supposed to be one of their signature dishes and it was fantastic! The hostess was very friendly and accommodating due to the language barrier. Would highly recommend for a true Roman meal with locals.

«Hi, I have a reservation at 9:00pm» I say warmly only to be met with a head shake, a step forward, and an ushering towards the exit.
«Il mio Italiano e terrible. Inglese?» I try again. Suddenly her face brightens. «Si» she says, laughs and welcomes my group in. The effort is appreciated. So begins one of the most memorable meals in Roma.
Note: This is the «Angry Cousin» trattoria featured on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations Rome.
Difficult to find (go by taxi). Very rustic and austere bordering on old BUT oh, such incredible pasta. Carbonara, Carbonara fiori di zucca, amatriciana How can dishes made of such few ingredients taste so incredible. Once you try them you will NEVER be able to eat the American counterparts.
The carbonara with its concentrated egg flavor blends perfectly with the earthy pecorino cheese and oil of the guanciale creating a complex creamy flavor that goes on and on. Add the zucchini flowers for the green, herbaceous sweetness. The rustic amatriciana with the extracted tomato sauce, perfect.
Other dishes worth mention; the braised tripe, braised oxtail, Tortino di carciofo (artichoke pie). Perfectly cooked and delicious.
Almost all the reviews posted by Romans on Unilocal and that «other review site» say the price is very high. About € 35 per person inclusive of the house wine.
Note: the house wine matches the simple, flavorful food but is overly simple for most connoisseurs.
Is it worth seeking out? Definitely. Just remember, you’re a guest, not a customer. Don’t be a snob. Pour your own water and wine. Don’t complain, Don’t waste food. Unlike America, regardless if you paid for the food, Italians view not finishing everything you are served as wasteful.
Tip: do not eat the bread when it is brought to the table Use it only to mop up the pasta and meat sauces. Watch the face of the server brighten when they see you doing it the right way.
Very little English. Booking required.