Agustarello a Testaccio

Agustarello a Testaccio is a no-frills traditional trattoria in the Testaccio neighbourhood, the working-class quarter built around Rome's former slaughterhouse (the Mattatoio) that gave birth to the city's distinctive offal cooking. Serving since 1957, Agustarello is one of the most authentic guardians of the cucina del quinto quarto—the 'fifth quarter', the offal and lesser cuts once given to slaughterhouse workers in lieu of wages, transformed by Roman cooks into some of the city's most characteristic dishes. The menu is a roll-call of these traditions: rigatoni con la pajata (pasta with milk-fed veal intestine), trippa alla romana (tripe in tomato and mint), coda alla vaccinara (oxtail), animelle (sweetbreads) and the classic Roman pastas, all cooked in the robust, unembellished style that has kept locals loyal for generations. This is cooking for the adventurous and the curious as much as for offal devotees, an unvarnished taste of true Roman culinary heritage. The setting is a simple, old-school dining room with paper-topped tables and an unpretentious, neighbourhood feel; there is no fashionable styling and no pretence, just honest food and brisk, familiar service. Casual dress is the norm. Prices are moderate, with pastas around €12 to €13 and offal mains in the low teens, fair value for genuine traditional cooking. Testaccio remains one of Rome's great food neighbourhoods, home to its market and a cluster of historic trattorie, and dining here is part of experiencing the area's identity. Open for lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday, it is popular with locals, so reservations are advisable, particularly for dinner. For travellers wanting to taste authentic quinto quarto cooking where it belongs, Agustarello is a benchmark.