Tonnarello, Italian restaurant in Trastevere, Rome, Italy
Tonnarello is an Italian restaurant in Trastevere, Rome, that prepares dishes such as saltimbocca alla romana, lamb, oxtail, and several kinds of meatballs using carefully selected ingredients. The space is divided across multiple small rooms with stone walls and low ceilings, where waiters move between closely arranged tables.
Andrea and Simone opened the venue with the goal of gathering Roman recipes from families in the neighborhood and making them available to both residents and visitors. Since then, the kitchen has followed these handed-down preparation methods, often passed along by mothers and grandmothers from Trastevere.
The name comes from the tuna net that fishermen in the region once used, linking Roman cuisine to its relationship with the Mediterranean. Guests sit at simple wooden tables, as is common in the city's traditional trattorias, where sharing a table with strangers is part of the experience.
The restaurant opens in the morning and closes late in the evening, with a queue system at the entrance managing the order during busy hours. Visitors who arrive before the main mealtime rush usually find a table sooner and can take their time looking around.
Portions are often larger than expected, and many guests share a main course or order fewer starters to make it through to the end. The staff know the quantities well and offer advice on request about how much is enough for two or three people.
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