Nonna Betta

Nonna Betta is a much-loved trattoria on Via del Portico d'Ottavia, the main artery of Rome's historic Jewish Ghetto, dedicated to cucina giudaico-romanesca—Roman-Jewish cuisine, one of Italy's oldest and most distinctive culinary traditions, born of a community present in Rome for more than two thousand years. The kitchen serves the canonical dishes of this heritage: carciofi alla giudia, the celebrated whole artichoke deep-fried until the leaves splay into a crisp golden flower; filetti di baccalà, battered and fried salt cod; concia di zucchine (marinated fried courgettes); aliciotti con l'indivia; and baked pastas and slow-cooked meats prepared according to long-standing custom. The food is rooted, generous and deeply seasonal—artichokes are at their best in late winter and spring, when the giudia is unmissable. The setting is a narrow, intimate dining room with closely set tables and walls hung with photographs, opening onto pavement seating along the atmospheric Ghetto street; the mood is warm, lively and convivial. Casual dress is fine. The kitchen follows Jewish dietary tradition, which shapes the menu. Prices are moderate, with starters such as the artichoke around €8, fried cod around €10 and pastas and mains in the low-to-mid teens. The Ghetto is among Rome's most evocative neighbourhoods, steps from the Portico d'Ottavia ruins, the Theatre of Marcellus and the Tiber, making a meal here a cultural as well as culinary experience. Given its popularity, reservations are recommended, particularly for dinner and weekend lunches. For visitors curious about a unique strand of Roman cooking, Nonna Betta is an excellent and authentic introduction.