Real Carbonara in Rome: What It Is and What It Absolutely Isn’t

We teamed up with Michelin-trained chef Luciano Monosilio to set the carbonara record straight. No cream. No lies. Just the real thing—plus Rome’s best tours to match.

You came for the best Carbonara recipe. Let’s not waste time.

Rome’s King of Carbonara: The Signature Michelin Recipe

It’s Not Just the Carbonara You’re Getting Wrong

The carbonara you’ve been served back home? It’s not carbonara.
We’re not even sure what to call it. No cream, no peas, no mushrooms, no nonsense. Just yolks, guanciale, pecorino, pasta, and pepper—if you know what you’re doing. And clearly, Rome does. We don’t run tours at this restaurant—though we do eat there often.
But we do offer some of the best food tours and cooking classes in Rome, plus plenty of other ways to explore the city with locals who actually know what they’re talking about. Here’s what we recommend:

🍝 Rome Cooking Classes

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If you want to get your hands in the dough, stir the sauce, and claim credit for your own carbonara—these are definitely for you

• Walking Tour + Pasta-Making – A quick city stroll, then apron on for handmade pasta and tiramisu.
• Pasta & Tiramisu Class – Make two Italian icons in one night—no experience required.
• Spritz & Pasta Class – Learn pasta from scratch with a spritz in hand—very Roman of you.
• Pizza & Tiramisu Class – Wood-fired pizza, classic tiramisu, and bragging rights for life.
• Jewish Ghetto Cooking Class – Seasonal, regional recipes from one of Rome’s most historic corners.

🍷 Rome Food Tours

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Not into cooking? We’ve got just the thing for that. Join a local guide and eat your way through the best neighborhoods, bites, and bars in the city.

• Prati Evening Food Tour – Cheese, wine, street food, and a neighborhood locals actually hang out in.
• Testaccio Small Group Food Tour – Rome’s culinary soul—market bites, slow-cooked secrets, and zero tourists.
• Four-Course Dinner + Wine Pairing – A curated dinner with perfect pairings near the Pantheon.
• Private Cocktail Bar Tour – Hidden speakeasies, rooftop views, and expertly mixed drinks—just you and your crew.
• Trastevere Food Tour – Evening bites, vino, and the neighborhood that invented cool.

🏛️ Colosseum Tours

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After pasta and wine, you’ll need something dramatic to settle the stomach. How about the Colosseum, the arena floor, and the tunnels where gladiators waited to die?

• Complete Colosseum Tour – See it all: Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill with a local guide who makes it make sense.
• Colosseum Arena Floor Tour – Step onto the arena floor like a gladiator—skip the lines and the chaos.
• Colosseum Dungeons + Forum & Palatine – Go underground into the dungeons where the drama really happened.
• Private Colosseum Tour – Just you, your people, and your guide—tailored pacing and zero crowds.
• Semi-Private Arena Floor Tour – Small group, special access, and big stories.

🕍 Vatican Museums Tours

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You’ve done dinner, seen the bloodsport—now step into the power seat. Art, politics, ceilings that changed history, and enough papal drama to last centuries.

• Skip-the-Line Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour – Beat the crowds and go deep into the Vatican’s greatest hits—with context that actually sticks.
• Vatican After Hours Tour – See the Sistine Chapel without anyone in it. Small group, low light, and maximum awe.
• Express Sistine & Vatican Tour – All the essentials, none of the fluff. Great if you’re short on time, not on curiosity.
• St. Peter’s Dome Climb + Vatican Tour – Climb the dome, take in the view, then go deep into the heart of Vatican history.
• Vatican Museums Evening Tour – When the lights go down, the art glows. Fewer people, better vibes.

You’ve got the recipe. Now you’ve got the right way to do Rome.

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🍝 Want more places to eat? Here’s where we actually go.