A Roman celebrity chef’s guide to the best carbonara in his hometown

2. Best for giant portions and a historical experience: Flavio al Veloavevodetto

Being served a carbonara inside a literal pile of Ancient Roman trash seems like the setup of a joke. But at Flavio al Veloavevodetto – a cellar-osteria buried inside a 2,000-year-old mound made up of discarded amphora (ceramic pot) fragments – the carbonara is certainly no joke. Indeed, the restaurant’s namesake chef, Flavio De Maio, has been crowned the city’s very own “Carbonara King”.

“Flavio is a madman,” says Mariola. “He’s someone who goes around hunting for the best ingredients, talking to farmers and families. He’ll even go all the way to Abruzzo”.

And at the hands of carbonara royalty, Flavio’s dishes are aptly king-sized. “The portions are huge,” Mariola says, adding in Roman dialect: “You leave feeling che hai magnato [like you’ve eaten]”.

Located in Testaccio, a scruffy, yet lively, neighbourhood whose working-class roots trace back to its Ancient Roman history as an important river port, Flavio al Veloavevodetto is a welcome departure from the centre’s touristy trattorias.