Lo Scopettaro, Traditional Italian restaurant in Testaccio, Rome, Italy
Lo Scopettaro is an Italian restaurant in the Testaccio neighborhood of Rome, near the Tiber River, focused on traditional Roman cooking such as pasta carbonara, amatriciana, gricia, and cacio e pepe. The dining room is simple and unpretentious, with a straightforward menu that changes little over time.
The place opened in 1930 as a broom shop that supplied the Vatican, and the owner began cooking pasta e fagioli for regulars on the side. Over time, the kitchen took over completely, and the shop became a full restaurant that has stayed in the same family ever since.
Lo Scopettaro serves dishes rooted in what was once called cucina povera, the cooking of working-class Rome, using cuts like tripe and oxtail that were once considered leftovers. These recipes have been passed down through generations and remain central to the way Romans eat today.
The restaurant is in Testaccio, a neighborhood that is easy to reach by bus or on foot from the city center. It tends to fill up fast, especially at weekends, so arriving early for lunch or dinner is a good idea.
The name Lo Scopettaro means broom maker in Italian, a direct reference to the trade the founder practiced before switching to cooking. A television appearance on the show hosted by Alessandro Borghese later brought the restaurant wider attention across Italy.
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