La Campana

Tucked away in a narrow alley in Rome’s Campo Marzio neighborhood, La Campana stakes its claim as the city’s oldest restaurant, with records dating back to 1518. The historic setting and centuries of continuous operation certainly create an atmosphere of old-world charm and intrigue. You’d be forgiven for expecting culinary greatness from a kitchen that has been feeding Romans for over five hundred years.

Unfortunately, the reality on the plate doesn’t quite match the weight of all that history. The pasta preparations feel uninspired, with dishes like the anchovy-and-pecorino tagliolini coming across as disappointingly ordinary. The amatriciana, one of Rome’s signature pasta dishes, arrives with a surprisingly sparse amount of guanciale and carries an off-putting aftertaste that raises questions about ingredient freshness.

For travelers exploring the Eternal City, there’s no shortage of remarkable history to discover around every corner. When it comes to dining, however, this particular piece of culinary history might be one you can appreciate from the outside rather than committing to a full meal. Rome offers countless trattorias and osterias that honor tradition while delivering on flavor.

If you’re drawn in by the romance of dining where patrons have gathered for five centuries, manage your expectations accordingly. Sometimes the most storied establishments rest on their laurels, and this appears to be one of those cases.