Well. This is embarrassing. It turns out, I have never actually written about Armando al Pantheon on the blog.
But if you have ever written me an email or sent me a message to ask where to eat in Rome, I have undoubtedly told you to come here.
I have also included Armando al Pantheon in the Discover Rome app, and even in the LostIn Guide to Rome… and yet, I have never truly posted about why I love the restaurant here, so allow me to explain:
It is literally impossible to beat Armando’s location. That is because the restaurant is approximately a 10-second walk from the Pantheon.
It is not only the location that draws me to Armando al Pantheon. I simply truly enjoy eating there.
The restaurant dates back to the 1960s, and though it was updated a few years ago, it still has a classic wood-paneled dining room that seems to belong to another age.
Because I tend to savor eating here, I don’t usually bring my camera – hence the lack of blog posts.
Armando al Pantheon is now run by Armando’s son Claudio. An excellent chef, it is thanks to Claudio that the restaurant has remained so reliably good.
Best of all are the classic Roman pasta dishes – including carbonara and amatriciana. However, if you look around, you may notice that most of the Italians are eating pasta alla gricia.
Topped with cacio (pecorino), a few cracks of black pepper, and plenty of crispy guanciale – this is my favorite dish at Armando’s.
That’s not to say that the other more complex dishes are not also worth a mention. You better believe that I stole a bite of this ossobuco con piselli:
Just remember that Armando al Pantheon is wonderful and tiny, so reservations are essential.
And the thing that finally pushed me to write about this classic centro storico stop? It was this gorgeous video by Tastemade:
https://www.facebook.com/InTheShadowOf/videos/409912989420852/
P.S. the restaurant is closed Sundays but open all other days, making it one of my favorite places to eat in Rome on a Monday when many other eateries take the night off.
Armando al Pantheon
Salita dei Crescenzi, 31
Rome, Italy (Centro Storico)
Phone: +39 06 6880 3034 or book online
