Rome favourite lunch Da Tonino

When Bill and I are in Rome we are grateful for the reliable restaurant Da Tonino. We'll often walk across town to get here because we know how much we will enjoy ourselves.

We find it half way along Via del Governo Vecchio, ten minutes from Piazza Navona.

The two medium sized rooms inside can accommodate dozens of people so there is little waiting.

Da Tonino serves all the tradional Roman pastas and some superb meat dishes.

Today I'm having a side salad of arugula and tomatoes, Bill is having his beloved stewed greens [cicoria].

Close up of my pasta in ox tail sauce [sugo di coda]. Could not be more flavourful or more satisfying.

Bill's having slices of roast veal with arguably the best roast potatoes in the city: crispy outside, moist within.

Once the weather warms up we try to arrive at the stroke of noon for lunch so we can snag a table at the small patio.

It is lovely to sit outside on a Roman afternoon.

We always feel so good here. The vibe is mellow under the protective canopy.

Bill often orders a warm bean salad. I like the arugula and tomato salad. Sometimes we mix them on one plate.

All of their Roman pastas are excellent. They do their cacio e pepe on tonnarelli noodles.

Traditional pasta alla carbonara with guanciale.

Bill also favours the veal stew with mushrooms and peas [Spezzatino di vitella con funghi e piselli].

It is nice to chat with Francesca as she adds up our bill.