Checchino dal 1887
Checchino dal 1887 faces the gate of Testaccio's old slaughterhouse, whose workers were paid partly in offcuts that the Mariani family cooked into coda alla vaccinara.
Why go
Antonio Scuteri of la Repubblica wrote that the cooking of the quinto quarto (offal and the lesser-used cuts) was born here, between the innkeepers and the slaughterhouse workers they fed (la Repubblica, 2024). Gabriele Gervasi, chef de cuisine of Il Ristorante Niko Romito at the Bvlgari, called it in October 2026 one of the most traditional restaurants left in Rome
(The Relisher). Gambero Rosso named it a Campione della tradizione for 2024 for its coda alla vaccinara, the oxtail stewed in tomato (Gambero Rosso).
Lorenzo and Clorinda Mariani opened an osteria here in 1870. It sold Castelli wine, pecorino and olives but had no kitchen, so customers brought their own food. In 1887, the year on the sign, it got a license to cook, just as the Mattatoio (the slaughterhouse) was going up across the street. Coda alla vaccinara took its name from the trade: the vaccinari were the butchers who skinned the animals. Brothers Elio and Francesco Mariani took over in the seventies and still run it, Elio in the kitchen and Francesco in the dining room. The restaurant won a MICHELIN star in 1991 and was on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2003 (la Repubblica, 2024).
Come for the rigatoni con la pajata. Gervasi says Checchino makes the best
and explains the dish as calf intestine cooked in tomato and served with rigatoni and pecorino.
He adds: You rarely find it outside Rome, so this is the place to try it
(The Relisher). Annie Replogle of The Infatuation wrote in 2026 that the meat has a ricotta-like texture encased naturally, with a bold, unmistakably gamey flavor
(The Infatuation). She calls the oxtail stew one of the richest dishes in the neighborhood.
Andrea Sponzilli of Scatti di Gusto called that coda simply the best in Rome
in 2011: The meat comes away without effort, soft and moist
(Scatti di Gusto). For the whole animal at once, Gambero Rosso points to the padellotto, every quinto quarto cut sautéed with rosemary and a splash of vinegar
(Gambero Rosso, 2023).
Scuteri wrote in 2024 that the vaulted room is a little old-fashioned and the waiters in white jackets have been the same for years. He recommends asking to see the cellar, a cave dug into Monte dei Cocci among the remains of Roman amphorae. The wine list the brothers built, he wrote, is now more a boast of the past than a reality of the present
(la Repubblica). Replogle likes Checchino best in winter, when the fireplace is roaring
(The Infatuation).
Order this / avoid
- Order: the rigatoni con la pajata, the best in Rome to Gervasi (2026).1
- Order: the coda alla vaccinara, Gambero Rosso's prize dish for 2024 and one of Testaccio's richest dishes to Replogle (2026).2
- Order: the padellotto, Gambero Rosso's
not to be missed
for lovers of offal (2023).3
What locals & experts say
- Luca Cesari, Gambero Rosso (2020): he placed the carbonara sixth equal of twenty-one in Rome and named its suppliers: guanciale from the Consorzio Salsiccia di Monte San Biagio and Pecorino Romano DOP from Fulvi. His reservation:
a bold flavour that was perhaps a touch too salty,
with guanciale thatneeded a few more seconds in the pan.
5 - Natalie Aldern, Time Out (2018): the kitchen
serves a full offal tasting menu so you can sample all the leftover bits transformed into long-stewed Roman classics.
Her tip is to finish with the cheese course, wheeled out on a cart.7
Good to know
- Closed: Monday and Tuesday. Lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday.
- Booking: call 06 5743816 or text 333 5855055, or use the form on the restaurant's site.
- Price: in May 2024 antipasti ran 7 to 20 euros, primi 9 to 14, secondi 13 to 25 and desserts 6 to 10 (la Repubblica). Frommers calls it pricier than most rooms in Testaccio.
- Other dishes: Frommers points to the bucatini all'amatriciana, the veal saltimbocca and a vegetarian menu. The kitchen will also make gluten-free pasta.
Verdict
must-visit — Go to the old slaughterhouse gate in Testaccio for the rigatoni con la pajata that Gabriele Gervasi rates best in Rome, then order the oxtail. Expect an old-fashioned formal room and a bill above the neighborhood's.