My main reason for coming to Ariccia, was to eat porchetta, and lots of it. You can find out more about the history etc via the links I’ve embedded but suffice to say, the town has been a mecca for delicious roasted pig meat since Roman times.
Due to the short 45-minute train ride from Rome Termini (to Albano Laziale, the nearest train station, followed by a short healthy 20-minute walk), Ariccia has become a culinary playground for daytrippers coming from the capital. Personally, I stayed for three nights with the intention of hiking around the local area (see coming posts), so I got to know the town quite well (see previous post).
Ariccia has at least twenty ‘fraschette’ (once traditional wine shops that have now morphed into restaurants) where you can eat this delicacy, so this post is intended to help you narrow down your choices. Below are reviews of four fraschette I visited in October 2025, and at the bottom of the post, I make comparisons with some of the others via their menus.
There are two main strips, one along Via dell’Uccelliera and the second (pictured) along and around Via Borgo San Rocco. You’ll find all the well-rated ones on my Google map.
The classic offering is a portion of porchetta (sold by weight, usually around 200g) served on a slab of wood, with a chunk of bread and some fizzy red wine. Very cheap, and very filling.
For the pork to bear the name Porchetta di Arricia IGP, it has to meet strict conditions as to its weight, colour, consistency, preparation and seasoning, which must be rosemary, garlic and black pepper, only. Other porchettas, for example that in neighbouring Frascati, do not have to meet the strictures of the IGP and are free to use different seasonings such as fennel or peperoncino.
Ideally the bread should be wood-fired Pane Casareccio di Genzano IGP, as it has a thick, dark, crunchy crust and a soft, airy interior, making it ideal for eating porchetta.
The classic wine to drink with porchetta is the sweet, fruity, slightly effervescent Romanella, which is eminently quaffable as the alcohol content is quite low. It’s also extremely cheap, only €6 for the bottle in this case. However, other Castelli Romani wines are available…
I had this meal at Sora Ines (at 29 Via Borgo San Rocco, no website), a classic fraschetta (now trattoria) made famous by an Italian TV show called “4 Ristoranti”, but also recommended by my local Airbnb host. Their success has been such that they opened a sister restaurant, Sora Ines 2, a couple of doors down. Both have the same menu and are equally good options.
Of course, man cannot live on porchetta alone, so I followed up with their Strozzapreti con Mozzarella di Bufala, Pomodorini e Sugo de Pomodoro, or ‘priest strangler’ pasta with buffalo milk mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and tomato sauce. Very simple but very effective. Nowadays all the fraschette sell dishes such as this as well, making them virtually indistinguishable from normal trattorie, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re a buffalo mozzarella addict like me.
Everywhere I ate in Ariccia I got good value for my money, but none more so than at Dar Vignarola www.darvignarolo.it, a big sprawling place taking up three units on Strada Nuova, just off Via Borgo San Rocco. It’s clearly the people’s choice as it was busier than anywhere else on a Monday night (usually very quiet everywhere). It was already high on my hit list but its popularity and my local host’s recommendation sealed my visit.
Once again I went for the holy trinity of porchetta, bread and wine. The porchetta was fine, but cold , and I found myself wishing I’d brought my pinch tin of Maldon salt with me. I found it best to eat the meat with a bit of the well seasoned crackling or stuffing to get the best flavour. The bread was Genzano again, and the best example of it I ate anywhere, not sure why. I also splashed out €18 on a bottle of Aglianico, an old favourite from my visits to Basilicata. Their wine list is quite extensive, and is perhaps how they make their money because the food is so cheap.
I followed up with the most decadent dish of my trip so far; gnocchi, salsiccia, panna e tartufo (potato dumplings with sausage meat, cream and black truffle) which was just sublime. Granted the ‘truffle oil’ was most likely the lab-created synthetic version but the flavours were great, and it only cost €8.50. It’s a rare menu has any first course under €10 anywhere in Italy nowadays.
Another common way to eat porchetta is together with lots of other antipasti, which is what I had down the road at Osteria n°1 (39 Via Borgo San Rocco, www.osterian1.it), another very typical fraschetta.
Here I was served a spread of mixed olives, grilled polenta, grilled pork loin, a slice of omelette, blood sausage cooked in red wine and bay leaves, local ham, artisanal salami, buffalo mozzarella, pecorino cheese (both sweet and spicy), sheep’s ricotta with honey, grilled vegetables in oil and Genzano bread. The house wine was a rough Lazio red, again very cheap at just €9. The antipasti came to €21.
What I liked most about this place was that it was the only time the porchetta was served warm (except at Osteria dell’Olmo in Frascati, my post here), which really brings out the flavour and aroma of the meat. In other places I went, the porchetta was served cold, almost like a second thought, when you’d think it would take pride of place.
I also really liked the buffalo mozzarella (very fresh) and ricotta (ditto, served with honey) which are as good as they are because Ariccia is right next to the main production areas in Lazio (Frosinone and the coast of south Lazio).
For somewhere more up market try Aricciaimbocca at44/46 Via delle Cerquette (no website).
Aricciaimbocca is probably the chicest fraschetta in Ariccia (a contradiction in terms, I know), but in appearance and atmosphere, rather than cost which is still very reasonable. It also came recommended by Remegio from Osteria dell’Ulmo in Frascati (see earlier post), although rather begrudgingly as there is some competition between the two towns when it comes to porchetta!
I had another big antipasti spread here; most notably a couple of piadina flatbreads stuffed with ham and cheese, and various sausages (always welcome on my table), although their accompaniments were rather bland.
The porchetta was served as part of the cheese and meat platter, cold again, which is fine but warm is always best. Note the presence of some diced Coppiette (pork tenderloin jerky), a Lazio speciality you won’t see elsewhere. My favourite thing on the platter was the fresh ricotta, this time served with a red berry jam.
This time I went for a white wine, Satrico, an old friend and Lazio’s finest to my knowledge. On the palate it’s soft and fresh, and a little acidic, but pleasantly balanced, with a clean, mineral finish. On the nose it’s very floral with peach and citrus notes, which is just what I like. Do try it if you see it.
The antipasti cost €21, the same as Osteria n°1, but the spread was a bit more extensive. It was fine, but I wouldn’t get it again here (or anywhere actually) as there are more interesting things on the menu. To me this place comes over as more of a barbeque restaurant, so I’d get something off their impressive grill next time.
So these were my main four. Others high on my list were Antico Grottino (nice looking cellar), Osteria l’Aricciarola (nice ambience) and Osteria Di Corte (busy every time I walked past).
If you’re brave, check out Bar Burino for some “servizio a cazzo di cane” (service like a dog’s dick) where the waiters will insult you and intentionally give you poor service as a joke. They also have a secret room which can be hired out for bachelorette parties…
So lots of choices! Here are most of the menus of the places mentioned above, and several more recommended by various other sources on my map, so you can compare and contrast:
What you’ll notice is nearly everywhere does an antipasti spread for around the same price, just over €20 at the time of writing. And in common with every other Roman restaurant, they also serve the famous foursome of Roman pasta dishes; carbonara, gricia, cacio e pepe and Amatricina, all versions of each other, which can get a bit samey after a while. Why not try the secret fifth classic, Pajata, if you can handle a bit of offal and it’s on the menu. Personally I’d also check out the more rustic dishes such as wild boar (cianghiale) and anything with fresh porcini (ceps) or truffles (especially if they’re the real deal).
If you’re in Rome and can’t make it out to Ariccia, you can get an authentic experience at Er Burchetto, near Termini Station (my review here).
Really loved every minute I spent in Ariccia. And it’s well located for going to other places as well. A day out in Castel Gandolfo next!