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Trattoria da Bucatino
Popularity has seen this long-standing neighbourhood place expand down into the basement. Ask for a table upstairs (with wood panels, empty chianti bottles and a mounted boar's head) or outside, as downstairs has less atmosphere. Of the antipasti, try the terrific insalata di mare (seafood salad), while afterwards a bowl of steaming pasta is where it's at: the signature dish is bucatini all'amatriciana .
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Trattoria Monti
The Camerucci family runs this inviting, brick-arched place, offering top-notch traditional cooking from the Marches region. Expect homemade soups, gamey stews, elaborate pastas and ingredients such as pecorino di fossa (sheep's cheese aged in caves), goose, sultanas, mushrooms and truffles. Try the speciality egg-yolk tortelli pasta. Desserts are also delectable, including apple pie with zabaglione. You'll need to book ahead.
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Tullio
A formal wood-panelled restaurant whose simple, classic, mainly Tuscan formula has attracted a faithful clientele of politicians, journalists and artists since the days of la dolce vita. Pasta dishes range from the simple tortellini in brodo (pasta in broth) to the decadent tagliolini con tartufo bianco (pasta with white truffle). Meat, including the famous bistecca alla fiorentina, is grilled over a charcoal fire.
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Uno e Bino
San Lorenzo harbours some culinary diamonds and this is the biggest sparkler of them all, though it's a very minimalist sparkler. Classy yet relaxed, it's bottle-lined, with paper tablecloths. It's won lots of awards, and Giovanni Passerini cooks fine, adventurous food with a Sicilian slant, such as fagottelli envelopes stuffed with pecorino , garlic, tomato, date and almond milk. It's always full, so you'll need to book ahead.
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Valzani
The speciality of this humble cake shop, opened in 1925 and not redecorated since, is the legendary torta sacher , the favourite cake of Roman film director Nanni Moretti. But there are also chocolate-covered mostaccioli (biscuits), Roman pangiallo (honey, nuts and dried fruit - typical of Christmas) and Roman torrone (nougat). If help is needed, the owners speak English and will happily discuss your requirements.
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Volpetti Più
One of the few places around town where you can sit down and eat well for less than around €10 , Volpetti Più is a sumptuous tavola calda with pizzas, pastas, soups, meats, vegetables and fried nibbles. The quality is as impressive as the quantity, and the booming cooks who dish out the food are always willing to explain what everything is (in Italian).
