La Carbonara Restaurant
since 1912
It was the early twentieth century when grandfather Federico, charcoal burner of the Rione Ponte, and more precisely of the Vicolo di Montevecchio, the ancient seat of the Monte di Pietà, sold coal while his wife, Domenica cooked hot meals for the workers of the area in an adjacent shop . It sounds like the beginning of a novel, but it’s nothing more than the story of the Salomone family, who in 1912 opened one of the oldest restaurants in Rome. A restaurant that has never changed ownership since then.
Coming from the charming Piazza Campo dè Fiori, once you enter the restaurant, you immerse yourself in an old-time tavern atmosphere, made up of cuisine based on poor dishes, offal and farmer’s wine.
The imposing wrought iron chandelier placed in the center of the room and the small lateral lanterns offer pleasantly suffused lighting.
On the walls, partly covered in walnut-colored wood, there are numerous paintings bearing the signature of Tre Galletti, a Roman painter of the early twentieth century who loved to portray glimpses of Rome with his temperas.
The tireless Domenica, widowed by Federico, devoted herself completely to her small tavern called “Il Carbonaro”, passing on all her knowledge to her daughter Andreina with whom, a few years later, after the First World War, she decided to open her own restaurant on the enchanting square of Campo de’ Fiori, in a city heavily impoverished by the world conflict.
Giulia and Alberto, the new generation of the La Carbonara restaurant.
They combine tradition with their modern vision, bringing that pinch of innovation to the great classics of Roman cuisine.